HDFS 211 Exam 1 Study Guide

Flashcards covering essential concepts in human development theories, stages, and research methods.

Theory

An orderly integrated set of statements that describes, explains, and predicts behavior.

Continuous Development

A series of small changes, a gradual process of assigning more of the same types of skills that were present to begin with.

Discontinuous Development

A series of sudden changes where new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times.

Psychosexual Theory

Freud's theory that how parents manage their child's sexual and aggressive drives in the early years is crucial for healthy personality development.

Oral Stage (0-1 years)

If oral needs are not met, the child may develop habits such as nail biting or overeating.

Anal Stage (1-3 years)

Toddlers pleasure in controlling urine and feces, potential issues arise from potty training conflicts.

Phallic Stage (3-6 years)

Children experience pleasure in genital stimulation and develop the Oedipus and Electra conflicts.

Latency Stage (6-11 years)

Sexual instincts die down and the superego strengthens as children acquire social values.

ID

The unconscious part of the mind present at birth.

Ego

The rational part of the brain that emerges in early infancy.

Superego

The conscious part of the mind that develops between the ages of 3-6 years.

Psychosocial Theory

Erikson's theory that emphasizes the ego's positive contributions to development and society.

Basic Trust vs. Mistrust (0-1 years)

The stage where infants gain trust from warm responsive care or develop mistrust from neglect.

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (1-3 years)

Children want to make their own decisions; autonomy is fostered by reasonable free choice.

Initiative vs. Guilt (3-6 years)

Children gain ambition and responsibility through supported initiative in play.

Industry vs. Inferiority (6-11 years)

Children learn to work and cooperate; negative experiences can lead to feelings of inferiority.

Cognitive Developmental Theory

Piaget's theory that children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world.

Sensorimotor Stage (birth-2 years)

Infants think by acting on the world and inventing ways of solving problems.

Preoperational Stage (2-7 years)

Children use symbols to represent discoveries but think lacks logic.

Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years)

Children's reasoning becomes logical and organized but not yet abstract.

Formal Operational Stage (11 years on)

The capacity for abstract and systematic thinking develops.

Social Learning Theory

Most complex behaviors are learned through observation and imitation.

Reinforcement

Increases the chances that a behavior will occur again.

Punishment

Decreases the chances that a behavior will occur again.

Positive Reinforcement

Presents something good, making behavior more likely.

Negative Reinforcement

Removes something bad, making behavior more likely.

Operant Conditioning

Learning the relation between one's own behavior and the consequences that result from it.

Behaviorism

The belief that psychology should be based on observable behaviors rather than unobservable factors.

Classical Conditioning

Learning that consists of associating an initial neutral stimulus with a particular response.

Pavlov's Dog Experiment

An experiment demonstrating classical conditioning using dogs, a metronome, and food.

Ecological Theory (Bronfenbrenner)

Focuses on the multiple social contexts influencing human development.

Teratogen

An environmental agent that causes damage during the prenatal period.

Amniocentesis

A prenatal test that removes amniotic fluid for testing or treatment.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

A disorder caused by maternal drinking that leads to slow growth and facial abnormalities in the child.

Apgar Scale

A test measuring a newborn's health at one and five minutes after birth using a scoring system.

Anoxia

Oxygen deprivation, which can lead to brain damage.

Genotype

A specific set of genes inherited from parents.

Phenotype

Observable and measurable genetic expressions of individual physical and behavioral characteristics.

Neural Transmitter

A chemical substance that transmits impulses across the synapse.

Synaptic Pruning

The process of eliminating weak or unused connections in the brain.