AN INTRODUCTION TO CHILD
DEVELOPMENT
Table of Contents
Chapter 2: Theories of Development..............................................6
Introduction: Wat is a theory?..............................................................6
Theories of human development...........................................................7
Psychodynamic theory...................................................................................................... 7
Psychosocial theory.......................................................................................................... 8
Developmental task theory............................................................................................... 9
Behaviorism and social learning theory..........................................................................10
The ethological perspective............................................................................................ 10
Evolutionary developmental theory................................................................................11
The bioecological model of development........................................................................11
Life course theory........................................................................................................... 12
Dynamic systems theory.................................................................................................12
Cognitive Developmental Theories......................................................12
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development...............................................................12
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of development.............................................................13
Information processing accounts of developmental........................................................13
Theories of Human Development comparisons.....................................13
Chapter 4: The biological foundations of development I: Physical
growth, motor development and genetics....................................16
Introduction.......................................................................................16
The course of physical growth............................................................16
Prenatal Development..................................................................................................... 16
Fetal learning.................................................................................................................. 18
Birth................................................................................................................................ 18
Prematurity..................................................................................................................... 18
Patterns of growth........................................................................................................... 19
Body size......................................................................................................................... 19
Environmental factors in physical growth: nutrition........................................................19
Hormonal influences....................................................................................................... 20
Sexual maturation........................................................................................................... 21
Motor development............................................................................21
Maturation vs. experience...............................................................................................22
Gross and fine motor development.................................................................................22
Motor development as a dynamic system.......................................................................23
1
, The development of motor skills beyond infancy............................................................23
Genetics............................................................................................23
Genes and environments................................................................................................ 24
Behavior genetics........................................................................................................... 25
Heritability...................................................................................................................... 25
Epigenetics........................................................................................26
Research designs in behavior genetics...........................................................................26
Chapter 5: The biological foundations of development II: the
developing brain......................................................................... 27
Introduction.......................................................................................27
Micro-level structures of the brain......................................................27
Macro-level structures of the brain.....................................................28
Hemispheric specialization.................................................................29
Developmental neuroscience..............................................................29
Synaptic proliferation and pruning..................................................................................30
Myelination..................................................................................................................... 30
Neuroplasticity................................................................................................................ 31
Sensitive periods............................................................................................................. 31
Growth spurts................................................................................................................. 31
Brain stimulation............................................................................................................. 31
Chapter 6: Perception.................................................................32
Introduction.......................................................................................32
Why Study Perception?.......................................................................32
Theories of perceptual development...................................................33
Piaget’s theory of perceptual development.....................................................................33
Gibson’s theory of perceptual development....................................................................34
Ways of studying perceptual development in infants...........................34
The development of the senses...........................................................35
Touch.............................................................................................................................. 35
Taste............................................................................................................................... 35
Smell............................................................................................................................... 36
Hearing........................................................................................................................... 36
The development of vision..................................................................38
Visual acuity.................................................................................................................... 38
Color vision..................................................................................................................... 38
Pattern perception.......................................................................................................... 39
Object perception............................................................................................................ 39
Face perception.............................................................................................................. 40
Depth perception............................................................................................................ 40
2
, Intermodal perception..................................................................................................... 40
Perceptual development across the life span.......................................41
Chapter 7: Theories of cognitive development..............................42
Introduction.......................................................................................42
Piaget’s Theory of cognitive development...........................................42
An overview of Piagetian theory: key concepts...............................................................42
The sensorimotor stage..................................................................................................43
Early understanding of object permanence.....................................................................45
The preoperational stage................................................................................................45
The concrete operational stage.......................................................................................46
The formal operational stage.......................................................................................... 46
Criticisms of Piagetian theory.......................................................................................... 47
Educational applications of Piaget’s theory.....................................................................48
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of cognitive development....................48
The zone of proximal development.................................................................................49
Language and play.......................................................................................................... 50
The implications of Vygotsky’s theory for education.......................................................50
Criticisms of Vygotsky’s theory.......................................................................................50
Information Processing Theories.........................................................51
The information processing system................................................................................51
A neo-Piagetian theory of cognitive development...........................................................52
Connectionism................................................................................................................ 53
Chapter 8: Cognitive Processes...................................................53
Introduction.......................................................................................53
Attention...........................................................................................54
Aspects of attention........................................................................................................ 54
Attention strategies........................................................................................................ 54
Attention as a cognitive resource....................................................................................54
Memory.............................................................................................54
Retrieving memory......................................................................................................... 55
Memory stages................................................................................................................ 55
Metacognition....................................................................................56
Problem Solving.................................................................................56
Chapter 9: The Development of Language and Communication......57
Introduction.......................................................................................57
Theories of Language Development....................................................57
Learning theory............................................................................................................... 57
Nativist theory................................................................................................................ 58
Interactionist views......................................................................................................... 59
3
, Preverbal communication...................................................................60
Phonological Development.................................................................60
Categorical speech perception........................................................................................61
Semantic development.......................................................................61
First words...................................................................................................................... 61
Theories of semantic development.................................................................................61
Errors in early semantic development.............................................................................62
Semantic development beyond the preschool years.......................................................62
The development of syntax/grammer..................................................62
First sentences................................................................................................................ 63
The development of pragmatics..........................................................63
Becoming an effective communicator.............................................................................63
Speech act theory........................................................................................................... 64
Conversational implicature.............................................................................................64
Nonliteral language......................................................................................................... 65
Metalinguistic ability....................................................................................................... 65
Chapter 10: Emotional Development............................................66
Introduction.......................................................................................66
The development of emotional expressions.........................................66
Early emotions................................................................................................................ 66
Emotional development beyond infancy.........................................................................67
The development of emotional understanding.....................................68
Using emotional information: social referencing.............................................................68
The development of complex emotions..........................................................................68
Understanding multiple emotions...................................................................................68
Emotion scripts............................................................................................................... 68
Emotion regulation.............................................................................69
Emotional intelligence..................................................................................................... 69
Culture and emotion....................................................................................................... 70
The development of attachment.........................................................70
Bowlby’s theory of attachment.......................................................................................70
The development of the attachment relationship...........................................................70
Quality of attachment and the strange situation.............................................................71
The stability of attachment.............................................................................................72
The consequences of attachment relationships..............................................................72
Attachment and culture..................................................................................................72
Temperament....................................................................................72
Defining temperament.................................................................................................... 72
The measurement of temperament................................................................................73
The continuity of temperament.......................................................................................74
Goodness of fit................................................................................................................ 74
Temperament and adjustment........................................................................................74
4
DEVELOPMENT
Table of Contents
Chapter 2: Theories of Development..............................................6
Introduction: Wat is a theory?..............................................................6
Theories of human development...........................................................7
Psychodynamic theory...................................................................................................... 7
Psychosocial theory.......................................................................................................... 8
Developmental task theory............................................................................................... 9
Behaviorism and social learning theory..........................................................................10
The ethological perspective............................................................................................ 10
Evolutionary developmental theory................................................................................11
The bioecological model of development........................................................................11
Life course theory........................................................................................................... 12
Dynamic systems theory.................................................................................................12
Cognitive Developmental Theories......................................................12
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development...............................................................12
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of development.............................................................13
Information processing accounts of developmental........................................................13
Theories of Human Development comparisons.....................................13
Chapter 4: The biological foundations of development I: Physical
growth, motor development and genetics....................................16
Introduction.......................................................................................16
The course of physical growth............................................................16
Prenatal Development..................................................................................................... 16
Fetal learning.................................................................................................................. 18
Birth................................................................................................................................ 18
Prematurity..................................................................................................................... 18
Patterns of growth........................................................................................................... 19
Body size......................................................................................................................... 19
Environmental factors in physical growth: nutrition........................................................19
Hormonal influences....................................................................................................... 20
Sexual maturation........................................................................................................... 21
Motor development............................................................................21
Maturation vs. experience...............................................................................................22
Gross and fine motor development.................................................................................22
Motor development as a dynamic system.......................................................................23
1
, The development of motor skills beyond infancy............................................................23
Genetics............................................................................................23
Genes and environments................................................................................................ 24
Behavior genetics........................................................................................................... 25
Heritability...................................................................................................................... 25
Epigenetics........................................................................................26
Research designs in behavior genetics...........................................................................26
Chapter 5: The biological foundations of development II: the
developing brain......................................................................... 27
Introduction.......................................................................................27
Micro-level structures of the brain......................................................27
Macro-level structures of the brain.....................................................28
Hemispheric specialization.................................................................29
Developmental neuroscience..............................................................29
Synaptic proliferation and pruning..................................................................................30
Myelination..................................................................................................................... 30
Neuroplasticity................................................................................................................ 31
Sensitive periods............................................................................................................. 31
Growth spurts................................................................................................................. 31
Brain stimulation............................................................................................................. 31
Chapter 6: Perception.................................................................32
Introduction.......................................................................................32
Why Study Perception?.......................................................................32
Theories of perceptual development...................................................33
Piaget’s theory of perceptual development.....................................................................33
Gibson’s theory of perceptual development....................................................................34
Ways of studying perceptual development in infants...........................34
The development of the senses...........................................................35
Touch.............................................................................................................................. 35
Taste............................................................................................................................... 35
Smell............................................................................................................................... 36
Hearing........................................................................................................................... 36
The development of vision..................................................................38
Visual acuity.................................................................................................................... 38
Color vision..................................................................................................................... 38
Pattern perception.......................................................................................................... 39
Object perception............................................................................................................ 39
Face perception.............................................................................................................. 40
Depth perception............................................................................................................ 40
2
, Intermodal perception..................................................................................................... 40
Perceptual development across the life span.......................................41
Chapter 7: Theories of cognitive development..............................42
Introduction.......................................................................................42
Piaget’s Theory of cognitive development...........................................42
An overview of Piagetian theory: key concepts...............................................................42
The sensorimotor stage..................................................................................................43
Early understanding of object permanence.....................................................................45
The preoperational stage................................................................................................45
The concrete operational stage.......................................................................................46
The formal operational stage.......................................................................................... 46
Criticisms of Piagetian theory.......................................................................................... 47
Educational applications of Piaget’s theory.....................................................................48
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of cognitive development....................48
The zone of proximal development.................................................................................49
Language and play.......................................................................................................... 50
The implications of Vygotsky’s theory for education.......................................................50
Criticisms of Vygotsky’s theory.......................................................................................50
Information Processing Theories.........................................................51
The information processing system................................................................................51
A neo-Piagetian theory of cognitive development...........................................................52
Connectionism................................................................................................................ 53
Chapter 8: Cognitive Processes...................................................53
Introduction.......................................................................................53
Attention...........................................................................................54
Aspects of attention........................................................................................................ 54
Attention strategies........................................................................................................ 54
Attention as a cognitive resource....................................................................................54
Memory.............................................................................................54
Retrieving memory......................................................................................................... 55
Memory stages................................................................................................................ 55
Metacognition....................................................................................56
Problem Solving.................................................................................56
Chapter 9: The Development of Language and Communication......57
Introduction.......................................................................................57
Theories of Language Development....................................................57
Learning theory............................................................................................................... 57
Nativist theory................................................................................................................ 58
Interactionist views......................................................................................................... 59
3
, Preverbal communication...................................................................60
Phonological Development.................................................................60
Categorical speech perception........................................................................................61
Semantic development.......................................................................61
First words...................................................................................................................... 61
Theories of semantic development.................................................................................61
Errors in early semantic development.............................................................................62
Semantic development beyond the preschool years.......................................................62
The development of syntax/grammer..................................................62
First sentences................................................................................................................ 63
The development of pragmatics..........................................................63
Becoming an effective communicator.............................................................................63
Speech act theory........................................................................................................... 64
Conversational implicature.............................................................................................64
Nonliteral language......................................................................................................... 65
Metalinguistic ability....................................................................................................... 65
Chapter 10: Emotional Development............................................66
Introduction.......................................................................................66
The development of emotional expressions.........................................66
Early emotions................................................................................................................ 66
Emotional development beyond infancy.........................................................................67
The development of emotional understanding.....................................68
Using emotional information: social referencing.............................................................68
The development of complex emotions..........................................................................68
Understanding multiple emotions...................................................................................68
Emotion scripts............................................................................................................... 68
Emotion regulation.............................................................................69
Emotional intelligence..................................................................................................... 69
Culture and emotion....................................................................................................... 70
The development of attachment.........................................................70
Bowlby’s theory of attachment.......................................................................................70
The development of the attachment relationship...........................................................70
Quality of attachment and the strange situation.............................................................71
The stability of attachment.............................................................................................72
The consequences of attachment relationships..............................................................72
Attachment and culture..................................................................................................72
Temperament....................................................................................72
Defining temperament.................................................................................................... 72
The measurement of temperament................................................................................73
The continuity of temperament.......................................................................................74
Goodness of fit................................................................................................................ 74
Temperament and adjustment........................................................................................74
4
