Question 1

Developmentalists disagree on the extent to which children contribute directly to their own development.What is this controversy known as?

Accepted Answer

This controversy is known as the active/passive controversy, which revolves around the debate on whether children are merely passive recipients of environmental influences or active agents in their own development.

Question 2

In comparison to Freud's emphases in his psychosexual theory of personality development, what did Erikson emphasize in his psychosocial theory?

Accepted Answer

Erikson emphasized the ego and the active role of children in shaping their own development through social interactions, contrasting with Freud's focus on sexual stages and the id.

Question 3

What is one key difference between Bandura's and Skinner's views of development?

Accepted Answer

Bandura's social learning theory emphasizes the role of observational learning, imitation, and modeling, suggesting that people can learn through observing others and anticipating the consequences of their actions, which is a key difference from Skinner's behaviorism that focuses more on reinforcement and punishment directly shaping behavior.

Question 4

According to Vygotsky's sociocultural perspective, when do children learn best?

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's sociocultural perspective emphasizes that children learn best through social interaction and when they are given expert guidance by more knowledgeable members of society, such as teachers, parents, and peers. This is encapsulated in his concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), where learning is most effective when it occurs just beyond the learner's current level of independent capability, but within their potential development range with expert guidance.

Question 5

After reading the textbook, Ed concludes that children actively influence the environmental contexts that impact their development.He also believes development shows continuities and discontinuities, and that nurture has the most impact on the final development outcomes that are observed.Which world view does Ed's position reflect?

Accepted Answer

Ed's position reflects the contextual world view, which emphasizes the active role of individuals in shaping their environments and acknowledges both continuity and discontinuity in development, with a strong focus on the influence of nurture.

Question 6

Suppose that a new developmental theory builds on existing knowledge by allowing for the formation of new testable hypotheses.How would this theory be categorized?

Accepted Answer

A theory that encourages the formation of new testable hypotheses is considered heuristic because it stimulates further investigation and discovery.

Question 7

Freud was one of the first theorists to focus attention on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Freud emphasized the impact of early childhood experiences on later personality and psychological development, introducing the psychosexual stages of development theory.

Question 8

Piaget's theory has had a strong impact on education.Which educational program is based on his findings?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory emphasizes the importance of active learning and discovery through interaction with the environment. Discovery-based education, which encourages students to explore, experiment, and learn by doing, is directly influenced by his ideas.

Question 9

What is the name of the therapeutic process of reinforcing desirable overt behaviours while simultaneously using punishment or extinction to reduce unwanted behaviours?

Accepted Answer

Behaviour modification is the therapeutic process that involves reinforcing desirable behaviours and using punishment or extinction to reduce unwanted behaviours. This approach is based on the principles of operant conditioning.

Question 10

Piaget was the first modern-day developmental theorist to stress which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Piaget was the first modern-day developmental theorist...

Question 11

In Freud's conception of psychosexual development, during which developmental phase does the phallic stage begin?

Accepted Answer

The phallic stage in Freud's theory of psychosexual development typically occurs from ages 3 to 6, aligning with the preschool to early elementary years.

Question 12

In the classic tale of A Christmas Carol, a transformation took place in Scrooge despite his advanced age.In this tale, he eventually acquired a sense of intimacy and generativity.According to Erikson, is this type of happy ending typical?

Accepted Answer

Erikson believed that adult experiences could indeed remedy earlier, unsatisfactory resolutions to developmental crises, allowing for positive change and growth at any stage of life.

Question 13

Suppose Nyla wants to have a bracelet that she saw in a store, but she doesn't have the money to buy it, so she steals the bracelet.According to Freud, which component of Nyla's personality was responsible for her theft?

Accepted Answer

The id is the component of Freud's model of the human psyche that is responsible for our basic drives and desires, including impulsive and sometimes irrational behavior. In this scenario, Nyla's desire to possess the bracelet without regard for societal norms or consequences reflects the workings of her id.

Question 14

Bronfenbrenner's ecological perspective on learning maintains that the best way to understand the factors that influence development is to study them in which location?

Accepted Answer

Bronfenbrenner's ecological perspective emphasizes the importance of studying development within the context of the child's natural environment, as it considers the complex interplay of various systems and their influence on the individual's development.

Question 15

According to which theorist are actions strengthened by reinforcers and weakened by punishers?

Accepted Answer

B.F. Skinner is the theorist who proposed that actions are strengthened by reinforcers and weakened by punishers, a concept central to his theory of operant conditioning.

Question 16

Louis lies, steals, and cheats routinely.According to Freud's theory, what would you conclude about Louis's personality structure?

Accepted Answer

According to Freud's theory, the id is the part of the personality structure that contains a human's basic, instinctual drives. Louis's behaviors (lying, stealing, cheating) suggest that his actions are driven by his basic desires without moral or ethical consideration, indicating a strong id overpowering the ego and superego, which are responsible for reality and morality, respectively.

Question 17

What did the neo-Freudian theorist Alfred Adler emphasize as an important factor in development?

Accepted Answer

Alfred Adler, a neo-Freudian theorist, emphasized the importance of sibling rivalries in development, viewing them as crucial for understanding personality. He believed that the dynamics within the family, especially between siblings, play a significant role in shaping an individual's behavior and personality.

Question 18

Two-year-old Letitia throws a temper tantrum.According to Freud, which part of Letitia's personality exerted control during her tantrum?

Accepted Answer

According to Freud, the id is the part of the personality that contains our primitive impulses—such as thirst, anger, hunger—and demands immediate satisfaction. Letitia's temper tantrum is an expression of her id seeking immediate gratification, without consideration for the rules or norms that the ego and superego might enforce.

Question 19

Why was Piaget especially interested in the incorrect answers that children gave to his questions?

Accepted Answer

Piaget was interested in incorrect answers because they demonstrated that younger children think differently than older children, revealing qualitative changes in cognitive processes across development stages.

Question 20

Which type of learning did Bandura emphasize as an important means of increasing a child's behavioural repertoire?

Accepted Answer

Bandura emphasized observational learning (or social learning) as a key way in which children learn and expand their behavioral repertoire. He proposed that much of learning occurs through watching and imitating the actions of others.

Quiz 2: Theories of Human Development