The Ecological Systems Model was developed by which theorist?

• A. Erik Erikson
• B. Jean Piaget
• C. Lawrence Kohlberg
• D. Urie Bronfenbrenner

Answer: (D)

The main idea being tested is who introduced a multi-layer view of the environment that shapes human development. The Ecological Systems Theory describes development as influenced by interacting systems surrounding the person: the immediate setting of family, school, and peers (microsystem); the connections between those settings (mesosystem); broader external environments like a parent’s workplace (exosystem); cultural and societal norms (macrosystem); and changes over time (chronosystem). This framework helps social workers analyze how various contexts—from personal relationships to policy levels—affect a client.

Urie Bronfenbrenner developed this model, presenting it in works such as The Ecology of Human Development. His idea was that development cannot be understood by looking only at the individual; you must consider the nested environments and their reciprocal influence. This approach is foundational in social work for assessing how family dynamics, schools, communities, and cultural forces interact to shape outcomes.

The other thinkers listed are known for different theories focused on stages or sequences of development rather than an environmental systems perspective. Erik Erikson is about psychosocial stages, Jean Piaget about cognitive development stages, and Lawrence Kohlberg about moral development stages.