Child Psychology DEP3103 Learning Objectives Unit One By Natalia Busuttil Chapter 1 1 Define the field of child development An area of study devoted to understanding constancy and change from conception through adolescence 2 Identify the three main domains of child development What are the interactions and overlaps between these domains 1 Physical 2 cognitive 3 emotional social The three broad domains overlap and work together IE new physical motor capacities biting or crawling contribute to infants cognitive understanding of surroundings and when adults stimulate their children with games and encouragement their expressions of emotional and social development are 3 Name and describe the five main periods of development 1 The prenatal period from conception to birth In this nine month period the most rapid time of change A one celled organism is transformed into a human baby with remarkable capacities for adjusting to life in the surrounding noted world 2 Infancy and toddlerhood from birth to 2 years This period brings dramatic changes in the body and brain that support the emergence of a wide array of motor perceptual and intellectual capacities the beginnings of language and first intimae ties to others Infancy spans the first year toddlerhood spans the second during which children take their first independent steps making a shift to greater autonomy 3 Early childhood from 2 to 6 years The body becomes longer and leaner motor skills are refined and children become more self controlled and self sufficient Make believe play blossoms supporting every aspect of psychological development Thought and language expand at an astounding pace a sense of morality become evident and children establish ties with 4 Middle Childhood from 6 to 11 years Children learn about the wider world and master new responsibilities that increasingly resemble those they will perform as adults Hallmarks of this period are improved athletic abilities participation in organized games with rules more logical thought processes mastery of fundamental reading writing math and other academic knowledge and skills and advances in understanding the self morality and peers friendship 5 Adolescence from 11 to 18 years This period initiates the transition to adulthood Puberty leads to an adult sized body and sexual maturity Thought becomes abstract and idealistic and schooling is increasingly directed toward preparation for higher education and the world of work Young people begin to establish autonomy from the family and define personal values and goals 4 What is a theory and why is it important Explain what three things a good theory should accomplish A theory is an orderly integrated set of statement that describes explains and predicts behavior A good theory should accomplish 1 A description of the theory in question 2 An explanation of how and why the theory is the way it is 3 A prediction of the consequences the theory can evoke In example a good theory of infant caregiver attachment would 1 Describe the behaviors of babies around 6 to 8 months of age as they seek the affection and comfort of a familiar adult 2 Explain how and why infants develop this strong desire to bond with a caregiver 3 Predict the consequences of this emotional bond for future relationships 5 What are the differences between the theories of continuous versus discontinuous development Continuous a process of gradually adding more of the same types of skills that was there to begin with For example a continually rising slope beginning in infancy and ending in adulthood Discontinuous a process in which new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times For example a growing staircase beginning in infancy and ending in adulthood Theories that accept discontinuous perspective regard development as taking place in stages qualitative changes in thinking feeling and behaving that characterize specific periods of development 6 Describe what is meant by nature and nurture and how they influence development Nature Nurture Controversy the question if genetic or environmental factors are more important in influencing development Nature meaning the inborn biological givens the hereditary information we receive from our parents at the moment of conception Theorists who emphasize nature stress the importance of heredity Nurture meaning the complex forces of the physical and social world that influence our biological makeup and psychological experiences before and after birth If they regard environment as important they usually point to early experiences as establishing a lifelong pattern of behavior 7 Describe the historical foundations of the field of child development from medieval times through the early twentieth century Medieval Times Childhood regarded as separate period of life Around 14th century manuals on child rearing was available Laws recognized that children needed protection Religious texts viewed children as evil in need of purification at other times children were viewed as innocent and close to angels The Reformation 16th century Puritan belief in original sin made children seem like they were born evil Puritans tried to teach children self control self reliance right and wrong Enlightenment 17th Century John Locke viewed the child as a tabula rasa Latin for blank slate Children begin as nothing at all and their parents shape their characters entirely by experience Locke encouraged parents to use praise and approval as rewards instead of money or sweets Locke s ideals were along the lines of continuous he emphasized the importance of nurture believed in many courses of development and high plasticity at later ages Jean Jacques Rousseau around 18th century disagreed with Locke saying children are noble savages naturally endowed with a sense of right and wrong and an innate plan for orderly healthy growth Rousseau also introduced maturation which refers to a genetically determined naturally unfolding course of growth His view agreed with discontinuous development it was a stage wise process mapped out by nature Darwin 18th Century constructed the theory of evolution which emphasized natural selection and survival of the fittest Normative Period G Stanley Hall who is generally regarded as the founder of the child study movement Development was a maturation process a genetically determined series of events that unfold automatically like a flower Began the normative approach in which measures of behavior are taken
View Full Document
Unlocking...