...TO CRITICALLY LOOK AT DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES? . The term development is very broad and multi-dimensional that it is a topic dealt with in almost every discipline. Psychology is also a multi-dimensional discipline, and when encompassing development it constructs a field of study known as developmental psychology. The main focus of this area is on human growth throughout the lifespan. Originally, developmental psychology was concerned with infants and children, but the field has since expanded to include adolescence, adult development and aging. This is due to the fact that although childhood is obviously a time of tremendous change, people also continue to grow and develop during the early adult, middle age, and senior years. Inclusive in this field are related topics such as child development, intellectual development, cognitive development, and the aging process. In simpler terms then, developmental psychology is defined as the scientific study of age-related changes that occur in human beings cross different domains over the course of life. The direct focus of developmental psychology on human growth involves thorough observation and examination in order to be able to categorise and label a being. This marking of belonging to a certain group is another transformation underwent by developmental psychology from being...
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...Observation #1: Children Observing people in an informal setting allows you learn more about who they are as a person. You can learn about what makes them uncomfortable, how well they handle social situations, and what they excel at. Observing children in an informal, unstructured setting gives you a glimpse into how they have developed and how well they handle social situations at their young age. Observation #1: Children details an observation made on a group of children during their recess time at a local elementary school and the connections made to previous readings and topics covered in class. Brief Overview This observation took place at an elementary school located in southern central Maryland. The school is set in an urban community, where most children qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program through the government. The observation group is a group of first grade students. Students in this group are approximately six years old to seven years old. They are of African, African-American, or Latino decent. There are 15 females and 6 males within the observation group. This group of students have varying home lives. The home lives range from a typical home to being homeless, to having only one parent, to having no parents, or to having little to no income. Observation Overview The students were escorted outside to recess at eleven-thirty in the morning. The students were walked down the sidewalk toward the equipment. Once their feet touched the grass, they were...
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...Methods Used for Modern Research Developmental scientists must determine how to incorporate age into their research design. There are three general strategies for doing so; the study of different groups of people of different ages, called a cross-sectional design, the study of the same people over a period of time, called a longitudinal design, and the combining of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs in some fashion in a sequential design. What are the strengths and limitations of each of these designs? Other research methods are; systematic observation, self-reports, the clinical method, and ethnography. What are the similarities and differences of these methods? Let us now examine these fascinating topics. Cross-Sectional, Longitudinal, & Sequential Designs Cross-sectional design studies groups of subjects that are selected at each of a series of ages. The results may seem to indicate that there are major changes based on age. However, cross-sectional data about adults can differ not only in age, but in cohort. Influences of this kind lead to cohort effects, findings that are the result of historical factors to which one age group in a cross-sectional study has been exposed. Cross-sectional studies cannot tell us anything about sequences of change over age, or about the consistency of individual behavior over time, because each subject is tested only once. Cross-sectional research is useful because it is relatively quick to do...
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...A. General Comments I conducted my observation at the CSUN Child and Family Studies Center on April 13, 2018 from 2:40 until 4:50 PM. When I arrived for the observation, the children were playing outside in several different areas. There were approximately 50 students between the ages of about 3 or 4 with about 8-10 teachers. There were a lot of children because it was their outdoor play time for two other classes. I spent time sitting by the sandbox, climbing structure, and swings. They were outside for about an hour before the classes split up for their own activities. I then observed a classroom setting for an hour with 4 teachers and about 10-12 children. There is a room with a one way window in which I can see the children and teachers...
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...very fast and insist on doing things their own way. They get upset easily and don’t want to change their minds once they start to do something. Quality care means developmental care that helps children develop both their minds and bodies in a safe and healthy place. In child care, it is not enough to see that children are fed, clean, and safe from harm. This custodial care meets only the child’s basic needs for health and safety. Developmental care tries to meet all the needs of the growing child for love, guidance, and learning. By the time children are 24 months old, they should be able to understand many of the words that are said to them every day. They usually say about 50 words, and some children can put two words together to make a little sentence. One child may talk better than another but; most children catch up quickly when they have caring adults who help. Twos talk about the things they sense- the things they hear, see, smell, taste, or touch- so teachers should talk about these things with them. Name people, things, and actions for Twos; Talk about what their senses tell them. Talk about the things that are part of their own world so that they will understand what you are talking about. Toddlers use the few words they say in many ways. They will use one word to mean a whole sentence. For example, a child may say “apple” to mean “there is an apple,” or “I want an apple.” One can figure out what Twos mean to say by closely watching what is going on in their...
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...development. In this paper I will be discussing and identifying three examples of major conditions in children, and their impact on development and learning, demonstrate a plan that would enhance an interest area, change in behavior or bring new knowledge to parents, children and staff, I will give examples of how assessments are applied in the early childhood classroom and how early childhood curriculum is used with assessment tools, and identify three assessment inventories used for birth through six the assessments that can be used for child developmental portfolios. The first type of major condition in children that has an impact on development and learning is autism. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) don’t tune into other people in the same way as typically developing children. For example, a child with ASD might not respond to his name, make eye contact, smile at caregivers, or wave goodbye without being told to. A child with ASD also might not use eye contact to get someone’s attention or communicate. Children with ASD find it hard to see things from other people’s perspective. They might have trouble understanding that other people can have different desires and beliefs from them. Children with ASD can struggle with focus, attention, transitions, organization, memory, time management, emotional control and frustration. Difficulties with these abilities can affect a child’s learning. For example, while solving a math problem, the child might know her facts well...
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...of research. Three designs for studying development are longitudinal, cross sectional and sequential designs. Each of them has strengths and limitations. Scientists interested in human growth and development require information about the way research participants change over time. They must extend correlational and experimental approaches to include measurements at different ages to answer questions about development. Longitudinal and cross sectional designs are special developmental research strategies. In each, age comparisons form the basis of the research plan. (Berk 34.) Longitudinal design is when participants are studied repeatedly, and changes are noted as they get older. This approach has two major strengths. The first one is since it follows the performance of a person over time; the scientist can identify common patterns as well as individual differences in development. The second is that the researchers are permitted to examine relationships between early and later events and behaviors. An example of this would be The Guidance Study; where it tracks to see if children with extreme personality styles retained the same dispositions as they became adults. (Berk 34.) There are also problems when conducting longitudinal research participants might move away or drop out of research. Also due to the repetition of the study; people may become aware of their own thoughts, feelings, or actions and revise them in ways that have little to do with age related change. The most...
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...diverse social science and life science researchers (collectively known as developmentalists) approach the monumental task of studying humans over the course of the life span. Our discussion includes the goals of the scientific community, the recognized framework for studying the life span, what aspects of development warrant extensive examination, and what scientific methods are used to conduct research with humans. Chapter 2 discusses the main developmental theories over the past 100 years, when social scientists, biologists, and chemists focused on studying discrete aspects of human development. Earlier introspective methods about subconscious experience and contemporary measurable evidence about microscopic genetic codes, neurons, and hormones all contribute to our understanding of the human condition. Contemporary researchers are focusing on how to integrate scientific findings and theory from across cultures into a more meaningful whole about human development. CHAPTER 1 Introduction Critical Thinking Questions 1. Developmental change takes place in three fundamental domains: physical, cognitive, and emotional-social. Which domain has been most important for your becoming who you are? Will any one of the domains become more important as you get older? 2. Make a list of three aspects of yourself that have changed over the last 10 years and three that have remained constant. How do you feel about both the “dynamic” and the “static” aspects of yourself? 3. If someone...
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...assigned text I am left with only one conclusion regarding the methods of observation and documentation that I would use to track early childhood development. This choice has been strongly influenced by the Pediatric Therapists that I have been involved with when dealing with the special needs of my youngest child and also my own experience as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Observation and Assessment; by observing a child in a neutral or if you will there natural environments and simply documenting there active daily living skills or what is more commonly referred to in the Health Care Profession A.D.L.’s you can gain understanding of where there strengths and weaknesses are. When you observe a child within their peer group you can quickly gain an understanding if there developmental skills are lesser than or equal to others of their peer group. Take for example my son he is 41 months old and appears at first glance to be appropriately physically developed with no disabilities. Placing him within his peer group and simply observing his behavior and interactions with his peers will immediately entice you to observe him in more detail. When walking away you will notice that his knees turn inward and he appear to be dragging his right leg and walking on the inner portion of his left foot, you will also notice that his right leg appear to stay in a flexed position when standing. Upon further observation you will notice that while he has a constant pattern with his speech that...
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...Student’s Name:____Jesus__Ramirez____________________________ Date______________________ Observation 2: The Toddler (13 – 24 months) Indicate for each question the first name and age (years-months) of the toddler you are observing. If you observe more than 1 toddler, be sure to include that name of an age of each toddler you observe. Describe each toddler individually, as each toddler exhibits unique actions, behaviors and vocalizations. Name: Brandon, Aaliyah, Jordan Age: 19months, 17months, and 17months Biosocial Development 1. How does the toddler compare in height and weight to developmental norms? Consult the height and weight chart at the rear of this manual. ______Brandon______ weighs __29.6__ pounds. According to the CDC developmental norms chart, he/she is in the ____90____th percentile for weight. ______Brandon______ is ___35__inches tall. According to the CDC developmental norms chart, he/she is in the ____95___ th percentile for length. _______Aaliyah_____ weighs __27__ pounds. According to the CDC developmental norms chart, he/she is in the ____90____th percentile for weight. ______Aaliyah______ is __32___inches tall. According to the CDC developmental norms chart, he/she is in the ____75___ th percentile for length. Motor Development: (pp. 145-146) 2. Describe the physical movement involved when the toddler throws a ball, pounds a toy with a hammer or pushes or pulls a toy. When Brandon would grab the ball and then throw it looked...
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...The purpose of this assignment is to show which influences affected the life of Paul McCartney from the perspective of developmental psychology. To be sure, this assignment may have been effective examining any person, for according to Jean Piaget, an early pioneer in the study of cognitive units of knowledge, or schemas, developmental psychology is both instinctive, and learned, and is not unique to any specific person (McLeod, 2009). McLeod (2009) encapsulates this supposition by stating, "According to Piaget, children are born with a very basic mental structure (genetically inherited and evolved) on which all subsequent learning and knowledge is based" (Jean Piaget). Nevertheless, McCartney lives an extraordinary life, one that shapes his personality; thus; McCartney's genetic predispositions and environmental experiences as he matures influence his developmental growth and adjustment. Finally, McCartney's unique life events certainly shape his personality related to the Five Factor Model, which explains McCartney's distinctive traits. Theories of Personality "Personality is the way our motives, emotions, and ways of thinking about ourselves, others, and the world interact in particular situations to produce ways of responding that are characteristically ours" (Kowalski & Westen, 2011, p. 436-437). As a youth attending school in Liverpool, England Paul McCartney was a savant. McCartney mastered an exam known as The Scholarship, which secured him a place in the prestigious...
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...Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget is a Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. Piaget believed that children play an active role in the growth of intelligence. He regarded children as philosophers who perceive the world as he or she experiences it (ICELS). Therefore in Piaget’s most prominent work, his theory on the four stages of cognitive development, much of his inspiration came from observations of children. The theory of cognitive development focuses on mental processes such as perceiving, remembering, believing, and reasoning. Through his work, Piaget showed that children think in considerably different ways than adults do and as such he saw cognitive development as a progressive reorganization of mental processes resulting from maturation and experience (1973). To explain this theory, Piaget used the concept of stages to describe his development as a sequence of the four following stages: sensory – motor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations. There are three elements however to understanding his theory of cognitive development. They are schema, the fours process that enable transition from on stage to another, and finally the four stages themselves. He began his studies by making naturalistic observations. Piaget made careful, detailed observations of children, typically his own children or their friends, from these he wrote diary descriptions charting their development...
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...1. What did I learn about the whole child? A. What did your observations teach you about this child's personality, preferences, interests, development? Give specific examples. Yani is a demanding child, she likes thing her way and when she doesn’t get her way she sometimes throws a fit. However on the other hand Yani can be very caring towards the ones she loves such as her daddy and her friends. When I went to visit her several times she had other little girls at the house with her, either playing house or painting finger nails. Yani love to laugh and have fun and she is very energetic, as seen in my observation at the Park. B. Is he/she on time, ahead or delayed compared to other children of the same age per domain (physical, cognitive, emotional-social)? Give specific examples from your observations. Yani seems to be right on time with others compared to her age group. She is counting she knows her colors and she speak fairly well. Yani illustrates egocentric thought, as in one observation where Yani threw her father’s girlfriend’s coat. Yani also told her that she didn’t want to share the seat with her in a rude tone. Yani does not yet realize the her actions impact others. did not like the fact the Yani did that and was a little upset at the fact, however Yani does not yet take in to account others viewpoints (Feldman Ch 9. pg 211) Yani also demonstrates the fine motor skills expected of a little girl, she is playing house, drawing, cutting...
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...High Scope Curriculum Flora Villalba CHD 411 February 9, 2013 Professor: Ruth Monroe Abstract The highScope curriculum is an early childhood education program for children from birth to 5 and sometimes to 8 years old. This program can be for children with or without special needs and for diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnicities. The program goal is to increase children’s cognitive, socioemotional, and physical development, giving children skills that will help them do well in school and be more constrictive and more responsible in their lives. The curriculum is based on the work of constructivists, such as Jean Piaget, High/scope’s founder David Weikart and others, who believed that children learn best when they build understanding through direct experiences with people and real life objects around them (DeVries and Kohlberg (1987) and Kammi and DeVries (1978) Based upon the fundamental premise that children are active Learners who learn best from activities that they plan and carry out themselves as well as what they hear and see, The classroom is set up into different areas, these are set up in a way that allow children to choose, find, use, and return the materials they use on their own. The High/Scope curriculum uses a procedure called the plan-do-review sequence (Hohmann & Weikart, 1995). Children are encouraged to plan their task and have them carryout their plans and later reflect on what they learned. Children have the opportunity to be involved...
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...Abstract 3 Autism 4 Videogames and young people with Developmental disorders 10 Funding of Applied Behavior Analysis 11 Executive function in individuals with sub threshold Autism traits 12 Conclusion 14 References 15 Abstract The increasing number of individuals with Learning Disabilities (LD) and psychiatric disorders presents a key challenge to their assessment and treatment in mental health services. Children and young people with LD are more likely to experience mental health than the general population (Allington-Smith, 2006). There is a close relationship between autism spectrum disorder and learning disability. Epidemiological studies suggest that autism is more frequent in people with LD, nearly 40% of people with LD also have autism on the other hand, and nearly 70% of people with autism also have LD (La Mafa, 2004). The strong association between autism and LD (Bradley, 2004) also associates an increased risk of mental health problems. It is suggested that adults with LD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience symptoms of anxiety at a greater level than the general population; however, this requires more conclusive evidence in relation to the prevalence of anxiety disorders in adults with LD and autism. Autism Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three...
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