Why We Made This:
Caregiver dynamics, attachment, and moral development are core topics in developmental psychology; yet, they are often taught in a fragmented or overly theoretical manner, making them difficult to understand and even more challenging to remember. Folks preparing for the EPPP frequently struggle to distinguish among key theories, especially when comparing models like Piaget, Kohlberg, and Gilligan, or understanding the implications of various attachment styles. We created this outline to bridge that gap by providing a clear and well-organized guide that connects theory with real-world examples. This resource simplifies foundational concepts, offers side-by-side comparisons, and highlights practical applications across the lifespan.
 
Learning Objectives:
Understand Bowlby's, Harlow's, and Ainsworth's theories of attachment and how early caregiver interactions influence emotional development.
Identify and differentiate between secure, avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized attachment styles, using examples of child behavior and caregiver responses.
Describe Bronfenbrenner's ecological model and how each system (micro, meso, exo, macro, chrono) affects a child's development.
Compare Baumrind's parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, rejecting-neglecting) and their impact on child behavior and long-term outcomes.
Learn Piaget's stages of moral development and how children shift from rigid rule-following to more flexible moral reasoning.
Understand Kohlberg's theory of moral development across the preconventional, conventional, and postconventional stages, including substage distinctions.
Analyze Gilligan's ethic of care and how it expands upon Kohlberg's model by emphasizing relational and empathetic reasoning.
Compare and contrast the moral development frameworks of Piaget, Kohlberg, and Gilligan.