Child Development FIFTH EDITION Robert S Feldman University

Chapter 1 Key Questions • What is child development? • What is the scope of the field? • What are the key issues and questions in the field of child development? • What is the future of child development likely to hold? Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Child Development • Child development is the scientific study of the patterns of growth, change and stability that occur from conception through adolescence. Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

The Scope of the Field Child development includes: • Physical development • Cognitive development

Approaches to Child Development Page 6 Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright

Physical Development Physical development examines: • the brain • nervous system • muscles • developmental milestones • needs for food, drink, and sleep Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Cognitive Development Cognitive development examines: • learning • memory • problem solving • intelligence

Personality and Social Development • Personality development includes the stability and change of enduring characteristics that differentiate one person from another. • Social development examines how social relationships grow, change, and remain stable over the course of life. Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Age Ranges and Individual Differences • Researchers divide childhood and adolescence into broad ranges: – Prenatal (conception to birth) – Infancy and toddlerhood (birth to age 3) – Preschool period (ages 3 – 5) – Middle childhood (ages 6 – 12) – Adolescence (ages 13 – 19) • However, there are substantial individual differences in the timing of milestones -- age ranges are averages. Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Developmental Diversity • In understanding today’s world we must consider children: – With Broad Cultural Situations – From Different Ethnic, Racial and Socioeconomic Backgrounds – Gender Differences RACE= Bio and physical ETHNIC = Cultural, Nationality, Religion and Language Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Cohort Influences on Development • Cohort - A group of people born at around the same time in the same place • Cohort effects provide an example of • Normative history-graded influences, which are biological and environmental influences associated with a particular historical moment. • In contrast, Normative age-graded influences are biological and environmental influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group, regardless of when or where they are raised. Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Sociocultural-graded Influences • Development is also affected by Normative sociocultural-graded influences, which include: – ethnicity – social class – subcultural membership – other factors Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Non-normative Life Events • Finally, non-normative life events also influence development. • Non-normative life events are specific, atypical events that occur in a particular person’s life at a time when such events do not happen to most people. Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

What’s Your Cohort? Identify your year of birth_______ Normative History Normative Age How impacted your Development? Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010 Normative Socio-Cultural Non-Normative

Children: Past, Present, and Future Early Views of Children: • Locke (English Philosopher) considered a child to be a tabula rasa—which is Latin for “blank slate. ” In this view, children entered the world with no specific characteristics or personalities. Instead, they were entirely shaped by their experiences as they grew up. • Rousseau (French Philosopher) argued that children were noble savages, meaning that they were born with an innate sense of right and wrong and morality. Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Baby Biographies • Among the first instances in which children were methodically studied came in the form of baby biographies, which were popular in the late 1700 s in Germany. • Observers—typically parents—tried to trace the growth of a single child, recording the physical and linguistic milestones achieved by their child. Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Baby Biographies, cont’d • It was not until Charles Darwin, who developed theory of evolution • Observation of children took a more systematic turn. • Darwin was convinced that understanding the development of individuals within a species could help identify how the species itself had developed. • Alfred Binet – Intelligence • Stanley Hall- Targeted Adolescence Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Contributions of Women • Women made significant contributions to child development. • Leta Stetter Hollingworth – one of the first psychologists to focus on child development Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Major Issues in Child Development Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright ©

Continuous Change vs. Discontinuous Change • In continuous change, development is gradual. • Discontinuous change occurs in distinct steps or stages. Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Distinguishing Sensitive vs. Critical Periods • Critical periods are specific times during development in which a particular event has its greatest consequence. • Plasticity or degree to which a developing behavior or physical structure is modifiable. Early deficits can be overcome. • Sensitive periods are particular times when an organism is susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environment. Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Life Span Approaches Versus a Focus on Particular Periods • Early developmentalists tended to focus on the periods of infancy and adolescence, largely to the exclusion of other parts of childhood. • Today, however, the entire period encompassing conception through adolescence is now regarded as important. Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

Influence of Nature and Nurture on Development • Nature – traits, abilities, and capabilities inherited from one’s parents – Nature = Genetic – Allows Maturation, or the process of the predetermined unfolding of genetic information • Nurture – environmental influences that shape behavior – Nurture = Environment Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

The Future of Child Development • Specialization – new areas of study and perspectives will emerge • Genetics – the explosion in information about genes and the genetic foundations of behavior will influence all spheres of child development • Diversity – the increasing diversity of U. S. population will focus greater attention to related issues Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010

The Future of Child Development • Research in child development will find uses in numerous other fields • Public interest issues will increasingly be influenced by child development research Feldman / Child Development, 5 th Edition Copyright © 2010