HHG4M1 – Unit 2 Test Review: Developmental Theories

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards reviewing prenatal development, parenting styles, motor skills, and major developmental theories (Freud, Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg, Gilligan) for the HHG4M1 Unit 2 exam.

Zygote

A structure formed as a result of the fertilization of an egg and a sperm that lasts for 2 weeks, traveling down the fallopian tube and attaching to the lining of the uterus.

Embryo

The developing human that grows rapidly right after fertilization occurs, reaching about 1/2 inch in length at approximately 4 weeks.

Embryonic Period

The developmental stage up to the eighth week of pregnancy during which the brain, spinal cord, face, eyes, ears, and limbs develop, with nourishment delivered through the umbilical cord inside an amniotic sac.

Fetal Period

The longest stage of prenatal development, extending from the ninth week of pregnancy until birth.

Fetus

An unborn human developing in the womb after the embryonic stage has concluded.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

A lifelong physical disability caused by exposure to alcohol while in the womb.

Reflex

An involuntary bodily response present at birth, such as maintaining oxygen supply (hiccups, sneezing), regulating body temperature (shivering, pushing blankets away), managing feeding (sucking, swallowing), or stepping when feet touch a flat surface.

Pruning

The removal of extra, weak, and unused synaptic connections formed in the brain.

fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

A brain scan technique that measures and highlights the active parts of the brain.

Attachment

The emotional bond formed between a caregiver and a child.

Authoritative Parenting

A parenting style where parents guide their children to learn and be responsible while setting clear, reasonable rules and expectations.

Permissive Parenting

A parenting style where control is yielded to the children, rules are minimally enforced, and children are allowed to feel completely free.

Authoritarian Parenting

A parenting style where the parent maintains strict control over the child, enforces rigid rules, and shows no affection.

Neglectful Parenting

A parenting style marked by indifference toward children's behavior and a failure to meet their basic needs.

Teratogen

An environmental agent—such as drugs, infections, or stress—that can harm an unborn child and potentially cause birth defects or adverse cognitive outcomes as early as 2 months of growth.

Apgar Scale

A quick assessment tool for newborns where 10/10 is a good score and 1/10 is a bad score; babies are typically evaluated twice, at birth and at 10 minutes.

Object Permanence

The cognitive understanding that an object continues to exist even when it can no longer be seen.

Gross Motor Skills

Physical movements that require large muscle groups, such as running, jumping, and walking.

Fine Motor Skills

Precise physical movements that rely on small muscles, such as writing, building blocks, and brushing teeth.

Temperament

An individual's characteristic behavioral style and emotional response pattern.

Schema

An organizing cognitive structure or 'folder' that stores information and data.

Accommodation

Modifying existing schemas or creating new cognitive structures to fit new information.

Assimilation

Fitting new information into existing schemas without altering the schemas themselves.

Oedipus Complex

Freud's concept during the phallic stage wherein a boy experiences love and desire for his mother and jealousy toward his father, wishing him gone.

Electra Complex

Freud's concept during the phallic stage wherein a girl is in love with her father, feels anger toward her mother, desires her mother gone, and experiences penis envy.

Oral Stage (Freud)

The psychosexual stage lasting from birth to 18 months, during which infants derive pleasure primarily through sucking and eating.

Anal Stage (Freud)

The psychosexual stage lasting from 18 months to 3 years, where the child experiences pleasure through controlling and releasing bowel movements.

Phallic Stage (Freud)

The psychosexual stage from 3 to 6 years, during which children experience the Oedipus complex (boys) or Electra complex (girls).

Latency Stage (Freud)

The psychosexual stage lasting from 6 years to puberty, characterized by a focus on schooling, growing up, and social interactions with same-sex peers.

Genital Stage (Freud)

The psychosexual stage spanning from puberty to adulthood, during which biological hormones reawaken sexual desires.

Sensorimotor Stage (Piaget)

Piaget's first cognitive stage (0 to 2 years), where infants learn using their senses and motor actions (eyes, hands, mouth, hearing) and develop object permanence.

Preoperational Stage (Piaget)

Piaget's second cognitive stage (2 to 7 years), marked by language development and pretend play, where children struggle with conservation and view things strictly from their own point of view.

Concrete Operational Stage (Piaget)

Piaget's third cognitive stage (7 to 12 years), during which children develop logical thinking for real-world situations and understand that actions can be reversed.

Formal Operational Stage (Piaget)

Piaget's fourth cognitive stage (12+ years), characterized by abstract reasoning, problem-solving, and the capacity to test abstract concepts like math.

Trust vs. Mistrust (Erikson)

Erikson's first psychosocial stage occurring from birth to 18 months.

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Erikson)

Erikson's second psychosocial stage occurring between 18 months and 3 years.

Identity vs. Role Confusion (Erikson)

Erikson's psychosocial stage taking place during the teenage years.

Intimacy vs. Isolation (Erikson)

Erikson's psychosocial stage taking place during young adulthood.

Play

An essential childhood activity that facilitates the development of communication skills, thinking skills, and learning skills.

Obedience and Punishment Orientation (Kohlberg - Stage 1)

The first stage of Kohlberg's pre-conventional morality where behavior is driven primarily by the fear of punishment.

Pleasure-Seeking Orientation (Kohlberg - Stage 2)

The second stage of Kohlberg's pre-conventional morality where moral behavior is driven by self-interest and receiving rewards.

Good Boy/Good Girl Orientation (Kohlberg - Stage 3)

The third stage of Kohlberg's moral reasoning (conventional morality) where actions are driven by social approval, peer pressure, and the desire to be viewed as good.

Authority Orientation (Kohlberg - Stage 4)

The fourth stage of Kohlberg's conventional morality where moral decisions are driven by a duty and respect for laws and authority to prevent society from falling into chaos.

Social-Contract Orientation (Kohlberg - Stage 5)

The fifth stage of Kohlberg's post-conventional morality where laws are viewed as social contracts designed to promote the greatest good for the greatest number.

Morality of Individual Principles (Kohlberg - Stage 6)

The sixth stage of Kohlberg's post-conventional morality where ethical behavior is guided by internal, self-chosen principles of justice, equality, and human dignity.

Openness to Experience (Big Five)

A personality trait characterized by high levels of imagination, insight, emotions, and curiosity.

Conscientiousness (Big Five)

A personality trait characterized by self-discipline and the drive to pursue goals beyond baseline expectations.

Extraversion (Big Five)

A personality trait describing how a person interacts socially, marked by high energy, sociability, and outgoing behavior.

Agreeableness (Big Five)

A personality trait characterized by inclusivity in group settings, kindness, and a trusting nature.

Neuroticism (Big Five)

A personality dimension encompassing emotional stability and emotional sensitivity.

Carol Gilligan’s Theory of Moral Development

A theory of moral reasoning specific to women and girls proposing that women develop morally before men, transitioning through Pre-conventional (survival of self), Conventional (caring for others and valuing self-sacrifice), and Post-conventional (principles of non-violence to avoid hurting oneself or others).

Infant Sleep Requirements

Infants typically sleep for about 17 hours or more per day, broken up into intervals.

Id

The psychic structure that serves as the reservoir for instinctual urges, including hunger and sexual desires.

Ego

The conscious executive structure of personality that acts as the realistic decision-maker to satisfy the id's desires.

Superego

The moral component of personality that internalizes the rules, ethical values, and norms of society.