MSCE Home Economics cheat sheet

Erikson's eight psychosocial stages pair each life phase with a crisis: trust vs. mistrust (infancy), autonomy vs. shame (toddler), initiative vs. guilt (preschool), industry vs. inferiority (school age), identity vs. role confusion (adolescence), intimacy vs. isolation (young adult), generativity vs. stagnation (midlife), integrity vs. despair (older adult).

Piaget's stages: sensorimotor (0-2, object permanence), preoperational (2-7, egocentrism, symbolic play), concrete operational (7-11, conservation, classification), formal operational (11+, abstract and hypothetical reasoning).

Bronfenbrenner's ecological model nests the child in microsystem (family, classroom), mesosystem (links between microsystems), exosystem (parent's workplace), macrosystem (culture, policy), and chronosystem (time and life transitions).

Baumrind parenting styles cross two dimensions - warmth/responsiveness and control/demandingness: authoritative (high/high), authoritarian (low warmth/high control), permissive (high warmth/low control), uninvolved (low/low).

Bowlby and Ainsworth attachment classifications in the Strange Situation: secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant (ambivalent), and disorganized/disoriented.

Family life cycle stages (Carter and McGoldrick): leaving home, joining families through marriage, families with young children, families with adolescents, launching children, later life - each stage requires realignment of roles.

Kohlberg's moral reasoning levels: preconventional (punishment/obedience, instrumental exchange), conventional (interpersonal conformity, law and order), postconventional (social contract, universal ethical principles).

Maslow's hierarchy orders needs as physiological, safety, belonging/love, esteem, and self-actualization; lower needs generally dominate until met.

Deacon and Firebaugh's management model: inputs (resources, demands) → throughput (planning and implementing) → outputs (met demands, resource changes) → feedback loop.

Resources are classified as human (time, energy, knowledge, skills, attitudes) or nonhuman/material (money, possessions, community facilities); they are scarce, usable, and interchangeable to varying degrees.

Decision-making sequence: identify the problem → clarify values and goals → identify alternatives and consequences → decide → implement → evaluate.

Values clarification distinguishes terminal values (end states, e.g., security) from instrumental values (modes of conduct, e.g., honesty); values drive goals, goals drive standards, standards drive action.

Time management tools: priority matrices separating urgent from important, time logs to expose time use, and planning horizons (daily, weekly, long-range).

Standards are measures of adequacy applied to goals; they may be ideal, realistic, or minimum, and they convert a goal into a testable outcome.

Resource substitution occurs when one resource replaces another (e.g., money for time); resource complementarity is when resources work together for greater output.

Stress and crisis management in families: family stress theory (Hill's ABCX model) - stressor event (A) interacts with resources (B) and perception (C) to produce crisis (X).

Macronutrient energy values: carbohydrate 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g, alcohol 7 kcal/g.

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges: carbohydrate 45-65% of energy, fat 20-35%, protein 10-35% for adults.

MyPlate food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, dairy - with grains and protein portions favoring nutrient-dense, low-saturated-fat choices.

Dietary reference intakes include EAR (estimated average requirement), RDA (covers ~97-98% of a healthy group), AI (used when evidence is insufficient for an RDA), UL (tolerable upper intake level), and AMDR.

Food safety temperature rules: refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C), freezer at 0°F (-18°C), danger zone 40-140°F (4-60°C); cook poultry to 165°F (74°C), ground meat to 160°F (71°C).

HACCP principles: hazard analysis, determine critical control points, set critical limits, monitor, establish corrective actions, verify, and keep records.

Maillard browning is a nonenzymatic reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars requiring heat and low moisture; caramelization is sugar-only thermal breakdown.

Emulsifiers stabilize oil-in-water mixtures by orienting hydrophilic heads toward water and hydrophobic tails toward fat (e.g., lecithin in egg yolk, mustard in vinaigrette).

Water-soluble vitamins (B complex, C) must be consumed regularly and are lost in cooking water; fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are stored in body fat and liver.

Fiber classification: natural (cotton, linen, wool, silk) vs. manufactured (regenerated like rayon, and synthetic like polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex).

Yarn twist direction: S-twist (spirals like the middle of the letter S) vs. Z-twist; ply twist usually opposes singles twist to balance the yarn.

Three basic weaves: plain (strong, firm, e.g., muslin), twill (diagonal wale, e.g., denim, gabardine), satin (floats create luster and snag easily).

Knits are classified as weft (courses, stretch across, e.g., jersey) or warp (wales, stable, e.g., tricot); knits stretch more than wovens and do not ravel the same way.

Fabric performance tests include abrasion resistance, tensile and tear strength, pilling, colorfastness to laundering and light, and dimensional stability (shrinkage).

Care labeling: permanent care labels must give washing method, bleach, drying, ironing, and warnings; fiber content and country of origin appear on separate required labeling.

Pattern symbols: grainline arrow (align with fabric lengthwise grain), notches (match pieces), darts (shape fabric to body curves), and fold lines.

Fashion cycle stages: introduction, rise (peak acceptance), culmination, decline, and obsolescence; adoption theory distinguishes innovators, early adopters, early/late majority, and laggards.

Fit adjustments: a full-bust adjustment adds width and length at the bust; a swayback adjustment removes excess at the center back waist.

Design elements: line, form, space, texture, color, and pattern; design principles: balance, rhythm, emphasis, proportion/scale, unity, and harmony.

Color schemes: monochromatic (one hue), analogous (adjacent hues), complementary (opposite hues), split-complementary, and triadic.

Universal design principles include equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive use, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and size/space for approach and use.

Barrier-free clearance standards: a 36-inch (91 cm) minimum accessible route, 32-inch clear door opening, and 60-inch turning circle for wheelchair maneuverability.

Indoor air quality hazards: VOCs from finishes and adhesives, formaldehyde from some pressed-wood products, radon, carbon monoxide, mold from moisture intrusion, and combustion byproducts.

Lighting layers: ambient (general), task (focused work), and accent (highlighting); color temperature in kelvin and color rendering index describe light quality.

Housing tenure types: owner-occupied, rental, cooperative, condominium, and subsidized; tenure affects maintenance responsibility, equity, and mobility.

Sustainable design strategies: passive solar orientation, daylighting, thermal mass, insulation and air sealing, water-conserving fixtures, and durable low-maintenance materials.

Net worth = total assets − total liabilities; a positive and growing net worth indicates improving financial position.

Budget methods: zero-based (every dollar assigned), envelope (cash categories), 50/30/20 (needs/wants/savings), and pay-yourself-first (savings automated before spending).

Compound interest: A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt); continuous compounding A = Pe^(rt). Rule of 72 estimates doubling time as 72 ÷ annual percentage rate.

Credit cost: annual percentage rate (APR) includes interest plus fees; the Truth in Lending Act requires disclosure of APR, finance charge, and total payments.

Credit reporting: the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives the right to a free annual report, dispute errors, and limits reporting of most negative items to seven years (bankruptcy ten).

Consumer protection: cooling-off rules for certain door-to-door and home-equity transactions, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act limits on collector conduct, and warranty law (full vs. limited).

Insurance principle: insure large, unlikely losses and self-insure small, frequent ones; higher deductibles lower premiums, and a policy is a contract of indemnity with insurable interest.

Identity theft response order: place a fraud alert or freeze, obtain reports, dispute fraudulent accounts, and file an FTC Identity Theft Report and police report.

Family and consumer sciences careers span education, dietetics, extension, human services, apparel and interiors, consumer advocacy, and hospitality; many require licensure or credentialing (e.g., registered dietitian, certified financial planner).

Work-family concepts: role overload (too many demands), role conflict (incompatible expectations between roles), role ambiguity (unclear expectations), and spillover between work and home.

Employability skills frameworks emphasize communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and career management, plus technical and digital literacy.

Community needs assessment steps: define the issue, gather data (surveys, interviews, secondary data), analyze assets and gaps, prioritize, plan, implement, and evaluate.

Extension and outreach models use needs-based programming, volunteer development, and evaluation to document public value.

Career decision-making: self-assessment (interests, skills, values) → occupational research → decision → action plan → evaluation; Holland's RIASEC codes link personality types to work environments.

Family-community partnerships (Epstein's framework) include parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and collaborating with community.

Professional networking and portfolios: résumés should be targeted and achievement-based (action verb + measurable result), and digital portfolios document artifacts and reflection.

Confidentiality: student and family records (FERPA) and health information (HIPAA) require need-to-know access, secure storage, and defined disclosure procedures.

Mandatory reporting: educators and human service workers must report suspected child abuse or neglect to designated authorities within the timeframe set by state law; failure to report is itself a violation.

Informed consent requires disclosure of purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, alternatives, and the right to withdraw, documented before participation.

Laboratory and kitchen safety: know the location of fire extinguishers (Class K for grease fires), eye-wash stations, and first-aid kits; never use water on a grease fire.

Equipment safety: guard on all machines, no loose clothing or jewelry near moving parts, proper grounding, and lockout procedures for repair.

Ethical principles: beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, and fidelity; conflicts of interest must be disclosed and avoided.

Professional boundaries: avoid dual relationships that impair objectivity, and document supervision and incidents objectively and contemporaneously.

Injury documentation should record time, place, witnesses, observed condition, action taken, and notification of guardians, without speculation or blame.

Backward design (Wiggins and McTighe): identify desired results → determine acceptable evidence → plan learning experiences and instruction.

SMART objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, and are written with observable verbs (e.g., 'demonstrate,' 'evaluate') rather than unobservable ones ('know').

Bloom's revised taxonomy orders cognitive processes: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create - objectives should target the level matching the task.

Performance assessment with rubrics: analytic rubrics score criteria separately; holistic rubrics give one overall score; both should describe levels of quality explicitly.

Formative assessment informs instruction during learning (exit tickets, demonstrations, peer critique); summative assessment documents achievement at the end of a unit.

Reliability vs. validity: reliability is consistency of scores across occasions and raters; validity is whether the assessment measures the intended learning.

Lab instruction requires safety orientation, demonstration, guided practice, and supervision, with safety knowledge assessed before independent work.

Differentiation adapts content, process, or product based on readiness, interest, and learning profile, and may include flexible grouping and tiered assignments.

Standards alignment: each lesson should cite the relevant national or state standards (e.g., FCS national standards, Common Core literacy in technical subjects) and show evidence of mastery.