Learning Theories & Psychology Flashcards

According to Maslow's hierarchy, an instructor who ensures students feel physically safe before beginning water rescue drills is addressing:

Answer: Safety needs

Safety needs are the second tier of Maslow's hierarchy and must be met before higher-level learning needs can be addressed.

Transfer of learning is described as 'negative' when:

Answer: Prior learning interferes with the acquisition of new skills

Negative transfer occurs when previously learned habits or skills interfere with learning or performing new ones.

In cognitive load theory, 'extraneous load' refers to:

Answer: Unnecessary cognitive effort caused by poor instructional design

Extraneous cognitive load is imposed by how information is presented, not by the content itself, and should be minimized.

Which principle explains why Red Cross instructors are advised to state learning objectives at the start of each lesson?

Answer: Advance organizers and schema activation

Advance organizers (Ausubel) prepare learners' cognitive schemas to receive and connect new information more effectively.

A student who observed a confident classmate complete a rescue sequence successfully now feels more capable of doing it herself. This illustrates:

Answer: Vicarious reinforcement and self-efficacy building

Bandura's social learning theory shows that observing a peer model succeed raises the observer's self-efficacy.

Which concept best explains why a student who memorized CPR steps still struggles to apply them under stress?

Answer: The transfer-appropriate processing gap between declarative and procedural memory

Knowing facts (declarative memory) does not automatically transfer to automatic skilled performance (procedural memory) without deliberate practice under realistic conditions.

An instructor who adjusts teaching pace and depth after observing student confusion is practicing:

Answer: Formative assessment-driven instruction

Formative assessment involves monitoring learner understanding during instruction and adjusting accordingly to close gaps.