Virginia Learning Theories & Psychology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences challenges traditional IQ testing by suggesting that:
- Intelligence is entirely determined by genetics
- There is a single measurable general intelligence factor (g)
- Humans possess several distinct types of intelligence beyond verbal and logical (Correct answer)
- Intelligence peaks in early childhood and declines with age
Correct answer: Humans possess several distinct types of intelligence beyond verbal and logical
Gardner proposed at least eight distinct intelligences (e.g., musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic), arguing that traditional IQ tests measure only a narrow range.
Question 2: A student watches a classmate receive praise for helping others and begins helping others herself without being directly rewarded. This illustrates:
- Classical conditioning
- Vicarious reinforcement in social learning theory (Correct answer)
- Intrinsic motivation
- Operant extinction
Correct answer: Vicarious reinforcement in social learning theory
Vicarious reinforcement, central to Bandura's social learning theory, occurs when observing another person being rewarded increases the likelihood of imitating that behavior.
Question 3: According to information processing theory, which memory store has the MOST limited capacity and duration?
- Long-term memory
- Semantic memory
- Working memory (Correct answer)
- Episodic memory
Correct answer: Working memory
Working memory (sometimes called short-term memory) holds only about 7±2 chunks of information for roughly 20 seconds without rehearsal.
Question 4: A teacher breaks a complex skill into small sequential steps, masters each before moving on. This approach is grounded in:
- Constructivism
- Behavioral task analysis and chaining (Correct answer)
- Humanistic education
- Discovery learning
Correct answer: Behavioral task analysis and chaining
Task analysis and behavioral chaining, rooted in behaviorism, involve decomposing skills into discrete steps taught in sequence.
Question 5: In Kohlberg's theory of moral development, a student who follows rules only to avoid punishment is operating at which level?
- Post-conventional
- Conventional
- Pre-conventional (Correct answer)
- Autonomous
Correct answer: Pre-conventional
Pre-conventional morality (Stage 1) is driven by avoiding punishment rather than internalizing ethical principles.
Question 6: Which of the following strategies BEST addresses the 'forgetting curve' identified by Hermann Ebbinghaus?
- Massed practice immediately before a test
- Spaced repetition of material over time (Correct answer)
- Teaching only the most recently relevant content
- Grouping all instruction into single long sessions
Correct answer: Spaced repetition of material over time
Ebbinghaus found that memory declines rapidly without review; spaced repetition counteracts this by distributing practice across intervals.
Question 7: Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory identifies the 'microsystem' as:
- The cultural values and laws of the broader society
- The direct environments the child interacts with, such as family and school (Correct answer)
- Connections between settings the child participates in
- Historical events that shape a generation's development
Correct answer: The direct environments the child interacts with, such as family and school
The microsystem is the innermost layer of Bronfenbrenner's model, encompassing the immediate settings (home, classroom, peer group) where the child directly participates.
Virginia Learning Theories & Psychology 3
Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences challenges traditional IQ testing by suggesting that: