1. Studying a Child’s World :
Chapter 1
Studying a Child’s World :
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2. Major points to consider
The scientific study of child development began during the late 19th C and has evolved to become part of the study of the full life span.
Developmental scientists study change and stability in the physical, cognitive and psychosocial domains.
Development is subject to internal and external influences.
Important contextual influences on development include family, neighborhood, socioeconomic status, culture, ethnicity and history.
In this section, we begin our understanding of children and their development by considering how perspectives of development have changed through the centuries leading up to our current study and beliefs about children and human development. Some of the major points from this chapter include:
The scientific study of child development began during the late 19th C and has evolved to become part of the study of the full life span.
The basis of the study of human development is to examine change and stability, across three domains: physical, cognitive and psychosocial.
Development is subject to internal and external influences.
Important contextual influences on development include family, neighborhood, socioeconomic status, culture, ethnicity and history.
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3. Big Picture What are your assumptions about the nature of development
and
the factors that contribute to it?
Stop for a moment and consider your own development or that of someone close to you. We would say that that child developed - but what does that mean? What are your own assumptions about the nature of development? What occurs during development? What might influence it?
Your textbook offers a vignette of Victor, The Wild Boy of Aveyron. In this example you can see the combined impact of the natural child and the effects of society. Rousseau believed that a child is born in a pure, natural state and society ruins him. However, in the case of Victor, he was wild because he had never been socialized. Also, there is a possibility that Victor was autistic, as many of his symptoms indicate, and that he was abandoned because he was not functioning normally.
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4. Developmental Assumptions
Development is age-related changes that are orderly, cumulative and directional.
There are qualitative and quantitative changes.
Later abilities, behavior and understanding emerge from earlier ones in systematic ways.
Development is both normative and individualistic
Development is the product of genes, environment and developmental history.
Three assumptions:
Development is age-related changes that are orderly, cumulative, and directional.
There are qualitative and quantitative changes. – There is qualitative change as behavior undergoes reorganization to become increasingly more complex.
Later abilities, behavior, and understanding emerge from earlier ones in systematic ways.
Normative development reflects typical behavior for the average child.
Individual development is coherent, reflecting continuity and change.
Child development is a field that is scientific, applied and interdisciplinary.
Study human constancy and change from birth to death
Domains:
Physical development
Cognitive development
Emotional and social development
Individual development as being continuous or discontinuous
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5. Domains of Development
Physical Development
Change in growth: body and brain, sensory capacities, motor skills, and health
Cognitive Development
Change and stability in learning, memory, moral reasoning, language, thinking, and creativity
Psychosocial Development
Change and stability in personality, emotional life, and social relationships
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6. The Whole Child PHYSICAL COGNITIVE PSYCHOSOCIAL
If a school was interested in teaching to the ‘whole child’ what might they do?
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7. Periods of Development
Prenatal period
From conception to birth
Infancy and toddlerhood
From birth to 2 years
Early childhood
From 2 to 6 years
Middle childhood
From 6 to 11 years
Adolescence
From 11 to 20 years
Periods of development
Based on subjective perceptions or assumptions
Varies among cultures
Varies over times of history
Western industrial societies: a sequence of five periods over the life span
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8. Basic Developmental Concepts
Normative development: typical or average development of all children
Individual development: variations around the normative course of development
Development is influenced by:
1) Genetics
2) Developmental history
3) Environment
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9. Normative ages - variation
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10. Individual development – individuals vary from the norm; continuity within each child’s individual developmental pathway over time
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11. Basic Developmental Concepts
Qualitative changes: novel ability emerges that can’t be measured with a previous standard of measurement
Ex: Babbling babies eventually learn to say actual words
Ex: Egocentric toddlers become young adults with empathy for others
Quantitative changes: when change can be measured using same standard of measurement before
Ex: Toddlers learning to walk eventually walk across the room
Ex: Attention span changes from 15 minutes to 50 minutes
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12. Historical Foundations for Understanding and Studying Development
Medieval times (6th – 15th C)
Reformation (16th C)
Philosophies of the enlightenment
John Locke (17th C)
Tabula rasa (children as blank slates)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (18th C)
Development unfolds naturally as society permits
Charles Darwin (19th C)
Through natural selection, humans have acquired common traits that have helped us to adapt and increase our chances of survival Natural selection
Scientific beginnings (late 19th C/early 20th C)
Influence on theories: Culture, Philosophies about children, Scientific progress
Theory on human development moved from belief to science
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
Provided a framework for examination of gene-environment interaction.
Organisms exhibit adaptation to environmental circumstances to increase chances of survival in a particular environment.
This process occurs via natural selection where advantageous genetic traits are passed on to one’s progeny.
The theory created interest in child development as researchers questioned human evolution and survival via structural changes over time.
Philosophically, the nature-nurture debate entailed two opposing views: Locke’s tabula rasa view where experience is the key to development and Jean Jacques Rousseau’s view that development unfolds naturally, normatively. [1-3]
Present views incorporate an interaction between genes and environment. Researchers explore the relative combination of genes and environment to various traits and behaviors (e.g., depression, intelligence, personality). [1-2]
Early Approaches
Baby biographies: journals of individual children as early as 1787
Darwin (1877) abstracts on development gave baby biographies scientific respectability
“Victor” added to nature and nurture debate
Hall (1904) pioneered adolescence studies
Gesell (1930s) studied child motor development
Fig. 1.1 names in child development through history
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13. The Study of Child Development
New Frontiers
Methods, questions, and proposals changed
Technology, e.g., cameras, videos, tape recorders, improved objectivity in studies.
Basic Research (to answer questions) versus Applied Research (to solve a practical problem)
Research findings impact on child rearing, education, health, and social policy
Basic Research gives us information about specific aspects of development without worrying about how the information can be used in “real-life.”
Applied Research sets out to apply that basic research in order to help solve problems in a practical way.
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14. An Emerging Consensus All development domains are interrelated
Normal development is very diverse
Children’s development: bidirectional effects
History and culture influences development
Children are remarkably resilient
Continuity between childhood and rest of life
Developmental domains are interrelated:
Different domains or aspects of development affect each other as they develop
A problem in one can affect development of the other
Development in one can enhance the development of the other
Normal development is very diverse:
All children differ in personality, temperament, talents, and abilities
Differences due to heredity and environment
Differences due to speed of maturation, gender, social interactions, or disabilities
Bidirectional influence on development:
Children affect the reactions of adults
Adults respond to and react to children
Culture and history influences:
Children develop within specific environments bound by culture, time, and place
History differs at each point in time
Continuity between childhood and rest of life:
Traumatic events or severely deprived childhood may have lasting consequences
Children are remarkably resilient to early trauma
Growth and development continue throughout the life-span
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15. Influences on Development
Heredity, Environment, and Maturation
Heredity: characteristics from biological parents
Environment: factors outside the self
Maturation: natural sequence of physical changes and behavior patterns in development
Rate and timing of development varies in each individual
The influences and interrelationships of heredity (nature) and environment (nurture) depend upon several variables. The more impaired the child is due to heredity or trauma, the less influential can be the environment. In cases of abuse or neglect, normal development can be prevented. If the trauma or abuse occurs during certain critical or sensitive periods, the effects are much worse.
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16. Influences on Development
Major Contextual Influences
Family structure and function have varied over history and societies
Family influences: nuclear and extended
Socioeconomic Status and risk factors
Neighborhood and population
Culture and Ethnicity
The Historical Context
The influences and interrelationships of heredity (nature) and environment (nurture) depend upon several variables. The more impaired the child is due to heredity or trauma, the less influential can be the environment. In cases of abuse or neglect, normal development can be prevented. If the trauma or abuse occurs during certain critical or sensitive periods, the effects are much worse.
Review the news article about the 8 year old boy bringing a gun to and shooting another child in a child care center. What are the influences on this child’s demonstration of social development?
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17. Poverty Hurts Children: Higher risks associated with living poor in the US
Health
Death in infancy
Premature birth
Low birthweight
Inadequate prenatal care
No regular source of health care
1.6X
1.8X
1.9X
2.8X
2.7X
Education
Math scores (ages 7-8)
Reading scores (ages 7-8)
Repeated a grade
Expelled from school
School drop-out (age 16-24)
5 pts lower
4 pts lower 2x
3.4x
3.5x
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18. Major Contextual Influences
Normative Influences
Normative age-graded influences: timing of biological events is fixed, while timing of social events is varied
Ex: puberty, entry into college
Normative history-graded influences: a historical generation may include more than one age cohort
Ex: AIDS epidemic; WWII
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19. Major Contextual Influences
Nonnormative Influences
Unusual or unexpected events that impact an individual
Events can be traumatic or happy
Young people can create nonnormative life events, actively participating in their own development
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20. Major Contextual Influences
Timing of Influences
Critical Period: Specific time when a given event, or its absence, has a specific impact on development.
Sensitive Period: Times in development when a child is particularly responsive to certain kinds of experience.
Plasticity: modifiability of performance.
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21. Major points to consider
The scientific study of child development began during the late 19th C and has evolved to become part of the study of the full life span.
Developmental scientists study change and stability in the physical, cognitive and psychosocial domains.
Development is subject to internal and external influences.
Important contextual influences on development include family, neighborhood, socioeconomic status, culture, ethnicity and history.
FMST 332