Chapter 1 An Introduction to Child Development WHY STUDY CHILD DEVELOPMENT Raising Children Understanding Human Nature Choosing Social Policies HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE STUDY OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT Early Philosophers Views of Children Development Plato and Aristotle earliest recorded ideas about children s development o Particularly interested in how children s development is influenced by o Both believed that long term welfare of society depended on the o Plato emphasized self control and discipline as the most important nature and nurture proper raising of children foals of education o Aristotle agreed discipline was necessary but was more concerned with fitting child rearing to the needs of the individual child Plato and Aristotle differed in their views on how children acquired knowledge o Plato children were born with innate knowledge o Aristotle all knowledge comes from experience and that the mind of an infant is like a black board on which nothing has yet been written Locke and Rousseau o Locke was similar to Aristotle viewed children as a tabula rasa or blank slate whose development largely reflects the nurture provided by the child s parents and the broader society o Rousseau believed that children learn primarily from their own spontaneous interactions with objects and other people from than through instruction of parents and teachers ENDURING THEMES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT 1 Nature and Nurture How Do Nature and Nurture Together Shape Development 2 The Active Child How Do Children Shape Their Own Development 3 Continuity Discontinuity In What Ways is Development Continuous and in What Ways is it Discontinuous 4 Mechanisms of Developmental Change How Does Change Occur 5 The Sociocultural Context How Does the Sociocultural Context Influence 6 Development Individual Differences How Do Children Become So Different from One Another 7 Research and Children s Welfare How Can Research Promote Children s Well Being METHODS FOR STUDYING CHILD DEVELOPMENT Scientific Method Scientific method an approach to testing beliefs that involves choosing a question formulating a hypothesis testing the hypothesis and drawing a conclusion Hypotheses educated guesses
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