CHFD 2950 Chp 1pg 2 9 19 34 The Study of Child Development Introduction Begins with observing children What traits are relatively stable over the course of child development and adolescence Develop mentalists are also interested in what traits tend to go together Ex children who are above average in intelligence usually are outgoing and well liked The impact of different styles of parenting is another central issue for develop mentalists Everyone has ideas about what makes individuals turn out the way they do Some think it s due to a person s genetic make up Others think it has to do with how one is treated at home Science I based on empirical evidence information obtained through systematic observations and expressions The study of child development uses scientific methods to describe and explain the ways in which people grow and change over time The study of development is an interdisciplinary enterprise one that draws not only from psychology but also from education sociology anthropology biology and medicine Experts who study development Regardless of training are referred to as developmental scientists What Lies Ahead Prenatal period Infancy Early childhood Middle childhood Adolescence ages six to eleven ages eleven through twenty from conception to birth from birth to about age two term comes from Latin meaning unable to speak approx age two to six used to be called the pre school years These periods reflect major development Puberty the period which young people reach sexual maturity and are capable of reproduction marks the end of childhood and the beginning of adolescence The age boundaries for each period are only appropriate some children begin speaking at eleven months others at fourteen Puberty age varies as well The average age of puberty in Europe and North America has been declining The age at which young people see themselves and are recognized by others as adults varies widely around the world Physical Development functioning changes in physical capabilities locomotion perception and sensation and changes in the structure and function of the brain entails changes in size shape outward appearance and inner physical Cognitive Development reasoning language problem solving and decision making involves changes in intellectual abilities including memory thinking Socio emotional Development personality and relationships with others covers changes in feelings and motivation temperament and Developmentalists are concerned with the whole person with how physical cognitive and social emotional development work together as individuals move along the path from conception to adolescence beyond Why study Development Developmental science covers the entire spectrum of human thinking feeling and behavior The Goals of Developmental Research four related goals 1 To describe what people are like at different ages and how they change as a result of age Specific experience entering daycare or starting school or puberty 2 To explain what causes developmental change Some explanations deal with universal 3 4 developments just as language We also seek to explain the origins of individual differences To predict or forecast what an individual will be like at a later point in development based on past present characteristics To intervene that is to use this knowledge to enhance the quality of children s lives by giving parents teachers public policy makers and other who influence children adice Defining Development On the simplest level development is growth and change over time Physical development body changes Cognitive development acquiring the ability to use logic Social emotional development developing an interest in romantic relationships Development is MORE than growth and change development differs from simple growth and change in three main ways 1 Development makes an individual better adapted to the environment the development of language enables a child to become a more active participant in his or her world 2 Development proceeds from the relatively simple and global to the more complex and specific language development begins one word at time and then children start putting two words together resulting in a development 3 Development is relatively enduring Once a child begins to talk there is virtually no stopping them and without formal instruction they become increasingly fluent in their native tongue Thus development is relatively enduring growth and change that makes an individual better adapted to the environment by enhancing the individual s ability to engage in and experience more complex behavior thinking and emotions Basic Questions four basic questions about the nature of development 1 Which aspects of development are universal and which vary from one individual or group to new 2 Which aspects of development are continuous and which are nor 3 Which aspects of development are more or less fixed like marble and difficult to change and are which relatively malleable like clay and easy to change 4 What makes development happen Guiding Principles The study of child development like a sciences rests on the following set of shared principles about which all developmentalists or almost all agree 1 Development results from the constant interplay of biology and the environment The characteristics a child develops are the result of interaction between genetic and environmental characteristics over time 2 Development occurs in a multilayered context 3 Development is a dynamic reciprocal process 4 Development is cumulative Psychologists call the pathway that connects the past with the present and the future a developmental trajectory 5 Development occurs throughout the lifespan Virtually all developmentalists agree that development involves constant interplay between biology and the environment occurs in a multilayered context is cumulative and continues throughout life Pg 19 34 The Scientific Study of Development Trust yourself you know more than you think you do Dr Spock Today the study of child development including the impact of different styles of parenting is a science Systematic research allows devleopmentalists to test elements of the different theories to put their own ideas to the test and to gather information that can be used to guide public policy and practice
View Full Document
Unlocking...