Human Behavior & Social Environment Flashcards

A 15-year-old client frequently changes friend groups, styles, and career goals while trying to figure out who they are. According to Erikson, which psychosocial stage is this client navigating?

Answer: Identity vs. role confusion

Erikson's adolescent stage centers on forming a coherent identity versus experiencing role confusion.

An 8-year-old understands that pouring water from a short wide glass into a tall thin glass does not change the amount of water. Which Piagetian stage does this reflect?

Answer: Concrete operational

Mastery of conservation is a hallmark of Piaget's concrete operational stage (about ages 7-11).

A client explains that he obeys laws because doing so maintains social order and is what good citizens are expected to do. Which Kohlberg level best describes this reasoning?

Answer: Conventional

Conventional morality is based on conformity, approval, and upholding law and social order.

In the Strange Situation, a toddler is extremely distressed when the caregiver leaves, then alternates between clinging and angrily pushing away when the caregiver returns. Which attachment style is indicated?

Answer: Anxious-ambivalent (resistant)

Ambivalent/resistant attachment shows high distress at separation and difficulty being soothed upon reunion.

A parent's employer eliminates flexible scheduling, which reduces the time the parent can spend with their child. In Bronfenbrenner's model, the workplace policy is part of which system for the child?

Answer: Exosystem

The exosystem includes settings the child is not directly part of that still affect the child indirectly.

A client who has been sleeping in their car asks for help with long-term career planning. Based on Maslow's hierarchy, what should the social worker prioritize first?

Answer: Securing safe shelter and basic needs

Maslow held that physiological and safety needs generally must be met before higher-level needs can be pursued.

An 82-year-old client expresses bitterness, saying their life was wasted and it is too late to change anything. According to Erikson, this reflects which outcome?

Answer: Despair

In Erikson's final stage, integrity vs. despair, unresolved regret about one's life leads to despair.