Child Development Theorists UPDATED
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
B.F. Skinner - Correct answers✔✔Reinforcement is the central concept introduced in this theory.
Believed in general, it is better to reward children for positive behavior, than to punish them for
undesirable behavior.
Maslow - Correct answers✔✔Believed that behavior is influenced by internal and external
factors. Stressed that a person's essential needs had to be met before higher level development
could occur.
Freud - Correct answers✔✔Believed in a strong influence of the unconscious. Major influence
was focused on personality development with such items as the id, ego and the super ego.
Lorenz - Correct answers✔✔Believed that development evolves over time. He said that many
behaviors of children have "survival value". Had a strong belief in imprinting: creating an
emotional bond with a mother.
Piaget - Correct answers✔✔Believed that as the brain matures, the thought patterns of children
become more sophisticated. Stages include sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational
and formal operational.
Vygotsky - Correct answers✔✔Believed the "Zone of Proximal Development" was the
difference between what a child can do with assistance vs. alone. Can a child do a puzzle alone
or do they need assistance. Not giving children more than they need - if working on a puzzle, let
them try to work it out first on the
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
B.F. Skinner - Correct answers✔✔Reinforcement is the central concept introduced in this theory.
Believed in general, it is better to reward children for positive behavior, than to punish them for
undesirable behavior.
Maslow - Correct answers✔✔Believed that behavior is influenced by internal and external
factors. Stressed that a person's essential needs had to be met before higher level development
could occur.
Freud - Correct answers✔✔Believed in a strong influence of the unconscious. Major influence
was focused on personality development with such items as the id, ego and the super ego.
Lorenz - Correct answers✔✔Believed that development evolves over time. He said that many
behaviors of children have "survival value". Had a strong belief in imprinting: creating an
emotional bond with a mother.
Piaget - Correct answers✔✔Believed that as the brain matures, the thought patterns of children
become more sophisticated. Stages include sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational
and formal operational.
Vygotsky - Correct answers✔✔Believed the "Zone of Proximal Development" was the
difference between what a child can do with assistance vs. alone. Can a child do a puzzle alone
or do they need assistance. Not giving children more than they need - if working on a puzzle, let
them try to work it out first on the
