Educational Psychology and Development of Children and Adolescents (D094)

Correct Answer:

B. It fosters a sense of independence and personal growth.

Explanation:

Accepting accountability during adolescence is crucial for personal development. It helps teenagers take responsibility for their actions, learn from mistakes, and develop essential life skills such as problem-solving and decision-making. This accountability fosters independence by encouraging self-reflection and resilience, which are necessary for emotional and social maturity.

Why other options are wrong:

A. It allows for the avoidance of difficult situations.

This option is incorrect because accountability involves facing challenges rather than avoiding them. Taking responsibility means learning to deal with the consequences of one's actions rather than seeking ways to escape them.

C. It leads to increased pressure and stress.

This option is incorrect because while accountability requires effort, it does not necessarily lead to negative stress. In fact, it helps build confidence and self-efficacy, allowing adolescents to handle responsibilities more effectively. The pressure from accountability is typically constructive, encouraging growth rather than overwhelming stress.

D. It provides a way to blame others for mistakes.

This option is incorrect because accountability is about owning one's actions, not shifting blame. Blaming others prevents growth and personal development, whereas taking responsibility fosters integrity and self-improvement.

Correct Answer:

A. Starting a vocation or career

Explanation:

Adolescence is a period of identity formation, emotional independence, and value development rather than long-term career establishment. While some teenagers may explore job opportunities, choosing and starting a career is generally a task of early adulthood, not adolescence.

Why other options are wrong:

B. Becoming emotionally independent

Emotional independence is a major developmental task in adolescence, as individuals begin separating from parental control and forming independent decision-making abilities.

C. Developing personal values

During adolescence, individuals shape their belief systems, ethical views, and sense of right and wrong, which contributes to their identity development.

D. Learning to control behavior

Adolescents learn to regulate impulses, manage emotions, and navigate social expectations, which is crucial for successful transition into adulthood.

Correct Answer

D. To teach complex behaviors by rewarding successive approximations of the desired behavior.

Explanation

Shaping is a technique in operant conditioning used to teach complex behaviors by reinforcing progressively closer approximations to the desired behavior. Instead of waiting for the full behavior to occur, small steps toward the final goal are reinforced. For example, if a teacher wants a student to participate more in class discussions, they might start by rewarding the student for making brief comments, then for answering full questions, and eventually for engaging in deeper discussions.

Why other options are wrong

A. To ignore all behaviors until the desired one emerges spontaneously.

Ignoring all behaviors would not lead to effective learning. Shaping relies on reinforcing small steps toward the goal rather than waiting for the complete behavior to appear on its own.

B. To punish undesirable behaviors until they stop completely.

Shaping focuses on reinforcement rather than punishment. While punishment can decrease unwanted behaviors, shaping encourages the gradual development of desired behaviors instead of focusing on elimination.

C. To reinforce a behavior until it becomes automatic without further guidance.

Shaping involves guiding behavior step by step, rather than just reinforcing an existing behavior until it becomes automatic. It is an active process requiring adjustments based on the learner’s progress.

Correct Answer

C. Provides Standard in English and Spanish

Explanation

Providing math standards and instructions in both English and Spanish ensures that ELL students can comprehend the lesson while gradually improving their English skills. Bilingual support bridges the language gap, allowing students to follow along without confusion.

Why other options are wrong

A. Conducts Language Tests

Assessing language skills does not directly help students understand multiplication. While important for tracking progress, it does not eliminate barriers in math comprehension.

B. Assigns Extra Homework

Extra homework does not address the root issue—the language barrier. Assigning more work in a language the student struggles with could lead to frustration rather than learning.

D. Uses Translation Apps

While translation apps can provide temporary assistance, they are not a structured or effective long-term solution for addressing language barriers in teaching multiplication. A more comprehensive bilingual approach is needed.

Correct Answer:

B. Crystallized is knowledge; fluid is problem-solving

Explanation:

Crystallized intelligence refers to accumulated knowledge and verbal skills gained through experience and education, such as vocabulary, facts, and general knowledge. It tends to increase with age. Fluid intelligence, on the other hand, refers to problem-solving and the ability to think abstractly and adapt to new situations. It is independent of acquired knowledge and typically declines with age.

Why other options are wrong:

A. Crystallized is problem-solving; fluid is knowledge.

This reverses the definitions. Crystallized intelligence is based on accumulated knowledge, while fluid intelligence is about problem-solving and adaptability.

C. Both are the same; just different terms.

They are distinct cognitive abilities. Crystallized intelligence is based on learned knowledge, while fluid intelligence is about quick thinking and reasoning.

D. Crystallized is emotional intelligence; fluid is social intelligence.

Emotional intelligence refers to understanding emotions, and social intelligence refers to interpersonal skills. These are separate from crystallized and fluid intelligence, which deal with cognitive abilities.

Correct Answer:

C. Reinforcement and shaping behavior through direct instruction.

Explanation:

Behavioral learning theory, developed by psychologists like B.F. Skinner and John Watson, focuses on observable behaviors rather than internal mental processes. It emphasizes reinforcement (positive or negative), punishment, and conditioning to shape behavior. For example, rewarding students for participation increases engagement, while penalizing incomplete homework discourages negligence.

Why other options are wrong:

A. Understanding cognitive processes in memory retention.

This describes cognitive learning theory, which focuses on mental processes like memory, perception, and problem-solving.

B. Assessing student performance through subjective measures.

Behaviorism is about objective, measurable behaviors, not subjective assessments.

D. Using standardized tests to measure intelligence.

This relates more to intelligence testing and psychometrics, not behavioral learning theory.

Correct Answer

B. From having past success

Explanation

Self-efficacy beliefs are shaped by past successes and experiences of mastery. When individuals successfully complete tasks, their confidence in their abilities increases, reinforcing their belief that they can achieve similar tasks in the future.

Why other options are wrong

A. From enacting the same course of action in the past

Repeating an action does not necessarily build self-efficacy unless the person experiences success in doing so. Simply attempting something multiple times without success may not enhance self-belief.

C. From your dreams

Self-efficacy is based on real-life experiences, not imagined scenarios or dreams. While aspirations can be motivating, they do not directly establish belief in one’s capabilities.

D. From past attempts to complete the same task

Similar to option A, attempts alone do not guarantee self-efficacy. If previous attempts resulted in failure, they might even reduce confidence rather than build it.

Correct Answer:

B. Friends

Explanation:

During adolescence, peer relationships become highly influential in shaping identity, self-esteem, and emotional well-being. Friends provide emotional support, validation, and a sense of belonging, which are crucial as adolescents navigate social and personal changes. While parents and other adults remain important, adolescents often turn to peers for reassurance, shared experiences, and guidance in forming their identity.

Why other options are wrong:

A. Parents.

Although parents play a significant role in an adolescent’s life, the desire for independence leads teenagers to rely more on peers for emotional support. Parents may still influence values and major decisions, but daily emotional support often comes from friends.

C. Teachers.

Teachers can offer guidance and mentorship, but they do not typically provide the same level of emotional closeness and peer connection that friends do. Their role is more focused on education and development rather than identity formation and emotional bonding.

D. Community.

A supportive community can contribute to adolescent well-being, but it does not usually serve as the primary source of emotional support and identity formation. While involvement in clubs, religious groups, or cultural organizations can be helpful, adolescents tend to lean on close friends for daily emotional support.

Correct Answer:

B. Ego

Explanation:

According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, the ego is the rational part of personality that balances the primitive desires of the Id and the moral demands of the SuperEgo. The ego operates on the reality principle, meaning it seeks to satisfy the Id’s urges in a socially acceptable way while considering the restrictions set by the SuperEgo.

Why other options are wrong:

A. Id.

The Id operates on the pleasure principle and seeks immediate gratification of instincts and desires without considering consequences. It does not mediate between impulses and morality; instead, it drives primitive urges like hunger, aggression, and pleasure.

C. Super Ego.

The Super Ego represents internalized morals, ethics, and societal norms. It imposes guilt and self-discipline when the Id's desires conflict with social expectations. However, it does not balance desires; instead, it enforces rules and ideals.

D. Conscience.

The conscience is part of the Super Ego, responsible for guilt and moral awareness. While it influences decision-making, it does not serve as a mediator between the Id and the Super Ego like the Ego does.