OAE Early Childhood Education Child Development Theories 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which level must be met BEFORE a child can focus on learning?
- Esteem needs
- Cognitive needs
- Physiological and safety needs (Correct answer)
- Self-actualization needs
Correct answer: Physiological and safety needs
Maslow's hierarchy places physiological needs (food, shelter) and safety at the base; unmet basic needs prevent higher-level learning.
Question 2: Which theorist proposed that language development is primarily driven by an innate Language Acquisition Device (LAD)?
- B.F. Skinner
- Noam Chomsky (Correct answer)
- Lev Vygotsky
- Jean Piaget
Correct answer: Noam Chomsky
Chomsky proposed the LAD as a biological mechanism that allows children to acquire language naturally and rapidly.
Question 3: Erikson's stage of 'Initiative vs. Guilt' corresponds to which age range?
- 0-18 months
- 18 months-3 years
- 3-5 years (Correct answer)
- 6-12 years
Correct answer: 3-5 years
During ages 3-5, children in the preschool stage take initiative in play and planning; excessive criticism leads to guilt.
Question 4: According to Vygotsky, which of the following BEST supports a child working within their ZPD?
- Allowing the child to work independently without interruption
- Providing tasks well below the child's current ability
- Offering guided support from a more capable peer or adult (Correct answer)
- Rewarding correct answers with tangible prizes
Correct answer: Offering guided support from a more capable peer or adult
Working within the ZPD requires a more knowledgeable other (MKO) to provide support that stretches the child's current capabilities.
Question 5: Piaget's concept of 'assimilation' means a child is:
- Changing existing schemas to fit new information
- Incorporating new information into existing schemas (Correct answer)
- Balancing assimilation and accommodation
- Abandoning old schemas entirely
Correct answer: Incorporating new information into existing schemas
Assimilation occurs when a child interprets new experiences through the lens of already existing cognitive frameworks (schemas).
Question 6: The exosystem in Bronfenbrenner's ecological model refers to:
- Cultural beliefs that broadly influence development
- Interactions between two microsystems
- Settings the child doesn't directly participate in but that affect them (Correct answer)
- The child's immediate school environment
Correct answer: Settings the child doesn't directly participate in but that affect them
The exosystem includes environments like a parent's workplace or community resources that influence the child indirectly.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of negative reinforcement as described by B.F. Skinner?
- Giving a child a sticker for completing work
- Removing a child's recess privilege for misbehavior
- Stopping the loud alarm when a child puts on their seatbelt (Correct answer)
- Ignoring a child's tantrum until it stops
Correct answer: Stopping the loud alarm when a child puts on their seatbelt
Negative reinforcement increases a behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus, as when a seatbelt alarm stops once the belt is fastened.
OAE Early Childhood Education Child Development Theories 3
In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which level must be met BEFORE a child can focus on learning?