LMSW LMSW Human Growth and Development Questions and Answers 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which theorist introduced the concept of 'object permanence' as a milestone in cognitive development?
- Erikson
- Piaget (Correct answer)
- Bandura
- Ainsworth
Correct answer: Piaget
Piaget described object permanence — understanding that objects continue to exist when out of sight — as a key achievement of the sensorimotor stage (0–2 years).
Question 2: A social worker is working with a client who experienced significant early childhood neglect. Which attachment pattern, identified by Ainsworth, is most commonly associated with unresponsive caregiving?
- Secure attachment
- Anxious-ambivalent attachment
- Disorganized attachment
- Avoidant attachment (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Avoidant attachment
Avoidant attachment develops when caregivers are consistently unresponsive, leading children to suppress attachment needs and show minimal distress upon separation.
Question 3: According to Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, which system directly involves settings the individual does not personally experience but that affect them indirectly?
- Microsystem
- Mesosystem
- Exosystem (Correct answer)
- Macrosystem
Correct answer: Exosystem
The exosystem includes settings like a parent's workplace or school board policies that indirectly influence the individual's development without direct participation.
Question 4: Freud's concept of the 'latency stage' (ages 6–12) is best characterized by:
- Intense focus on genital sexuality and peer relationships
- Repression of sexual urges and focus on social and intellectual skills (Correct answer)
- Resolution of the Oedipus or Electra complex
- Oral fixation and dependency needs
Correct answer: Repression of sexual urges and focus on social and intellectual skills
During the latency stage, Freud believed sexual impulses are dormant while children develop social skills, friendships, and academic competencies.
Question 5: A social worker applies the concept of 'generativity' when helping a 45-year-old client find meaning in mentoring younger colleagues. This concept is drawn from which theorist?
- Carl Rogers
- Erik Erikson (Correct answer)
- Jean Piaget
- Abraham Maslow
Correct answer: Erik Erikson
Erikson's seventh stage, Generativity vs. Stagnation, occurs in middle adulthood and centers on contributing to society through work, parenting, or mentorship.
Question 6: Which of the following scenarios best illustrates Bandura's concept of self-efficacy?
- A client avoids therapy because past relationships have been painful
- A client believes they can successfully manage their anxiety using coping skills learned in treatment (Correct answer)
- A client acts out anger due to unresolved childhood trauma
- A client regresses to earlier behaviors under stress
Correct answer: A client believes they can successfully manage their anxiety using coping skills learned in treatment
Self-efficacy, a core concept in Bandura's social cognitive theory, refers to one's belief in their capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific outcomes.
LMSW LMSW Human Growth and Development Questions and Answers 3
Which theorist introduced the concept of 'object permanence' as a milestone in cognitive development?