a The timing of negative experiences influences the longevity and intensity of their Chapter 1 An Introduction to Child Development I Why Study Child Development A Choosing Social Policies 1 Courtroom testimonies a Biased questioning of a scenario leads to inaccurate testimonies b Children can be reliable witnesses when not probed by leading questions 2 Health education preventative programs 3 Academic and social skills programs B Understanding Human Nature 1 Timing effects C History of Childhood 1 Classical Era a Military upbringing b Abandoned if defective 2 Medieval Times a Children tried as adults 3 17th 18th Centuries a Initiated by philosophers II Historical Foundations of the Study of Child Development A Early Philosophers View of Children s Development 1 Plato 2 Aristotle a The future of society rests on the proper rearing of children b Emphasized self control and discipline in education c Children are born with innate knowledge a The future of society rests on the proper rearing of children b Advocated personalizing parenting styles to individual child c Tabula rasa blank slate children only learn from experience 3 John Locke a Tabula rasa b Empiricism i Development directed by nurture c Goal of parenting character growth i Achieved through parents honesty stability and gentleness d Avid discipline and frugality in early years e Treat them as adults as soon as they are old enough 4 Jean Jacques Rousseau a Nativism i Development directed by nature b Maximum freedom until age 12 c No formal education until age 12 the age of reason 5 Hobbes a Children are inherently selfish and evil b Children require control and discipline 6 John B Watson B F Skinner a Stimulus response learning b Behaviorism c Equipotentiality i Anyone can learn anything d Operant conditioning i Use of external stimuli to influence behavior a 7 Modern Theories Interactionism i Hybrid of empiricism and nativism b Studying children in context of environment B Social Reform Movements 1 Industrial Revolution a Child labor laws enacted in the 19th century forbid employment of children under age 10 C Darwin s Theory of Evolution 1 Charles Darwin was one of first child researchers on his own son William 2 Evolutionary theory applies to parental attachment innate fears sex differences aggression and altruism and learning mechanisms 3 Similarities drawn between species D The Emergence of Child Development as a Discipline 1 Child development became known as its own field around the turn of the century III Enduring Themes In Child Development A Nature and Nurture 1 Nature a Biological components genetic make up i Chromosomal abnormalities ii Eye color iii Temperament Timing of language development b Maturational timetables i Growing teeth ii Learning to walk iii c Hormonal changes i Menstruation ii Bird song acquisition d Reflexes i Newborn humans ii Newborn non humans e Instincts i Spider s web ii Cricket song iii Imprinting Critical period 9 24 hours 2 Nurture a Physical and social surroundings that influence development b Environmental factors i Native language ii Effects of child abuse and neglect iii iv Prenatal toxins Nutrition c Learning i Conditioned responses ii Playing an instrument iii Recognizing voices d Effects of experience i Food preferences ii Development of prejudice 3 Nature AND nurture not nature versus nurture Interaction of genes and environment not just one or the other a b From which influence do behaviors originate B The Active Child people development 1 Children begin to shape their development by focusing on interesting objects and 2 Toddlers practice talking even when by themselves 3 Children s play demonstrates an innate desire to learn about the world and their own 4 Pretend play offers children the chance to experience others emotions and reactions to various scenarios C Continuity Versus Discontinuity 1 Continuous development a An ongoing steady process b i e Physical growth 2 Discontinuous development a Sudden stages b c stage theories i e development of a caterpillar to a butterfly i development progresses through distinctive sudden stages ii Piaget s theory of cognitive development Four stage course of development from birth to adolescence 3 Perspectives a Even the same facts viewed through different perspectives appear to support either theory of development i i e height by age versus height gain by age continuous versus discontinuous D Mechanisms of Developmental Change 1 Effortful attention a Voluntary control of emotions and thoughts Inhibiting impulses b c Regulating emotions d Focusing attention 2 Anterior cingulate a Involved in setting and achieving goals 3 Neurotransmitters a Communicative brain chemicals E The Sociocultural Context 1 Defined as the physical social cultural economic and historical circumstances of a child s life 2 Most important factors of context are 3 a Those with whom the child interacts b Physical environment surrounding the child c Surrounding institutions schools extracurricular activities religion etc Influential characteristics of society a Wealth b Technological advancement c Attitudes and ethics d Beliefs and traditions e Legal system and laws 4 Socioeconomic status SES a Measure of social class based on income and education received b Strong correlation between SES and developmental problems physically socially behaviorally and emotionally 5 Resilient children a Children more resistant to negative circumstances are more likely to have these attributes i Positive personal qualities High intelligence adaptability ii Close relationship with at least one parent iii Close relationship with at least one adult outside of their immediate family F Individual Differences 1 Four Factors Causing Differences Among Siblings a Genetic variances b Differences in treatment by other people particularly parents i Treatment differences stem from presumption of child s characteristics and behaviors c Differences in reactions to similar experiences d Different choices of environments i Role of active child ii Desire to fill labeled roles of behavior 2 Competence vs Performance a Understanding vs doing b G Research and Children s Welfare 1 Preferential looking i e understanding language vs implementing grammar in own speech 2 a Process involved in evaluating the severity of an infant s cataracts Improvement in Educational Programs a When informed of the effect of learning on the brain children tended to be more successful in academic pursuits and less likely to give