Summary of Child Development

Summary of Child Development (Infancy to Age Ten)

The development of children differs from individual to individual, depending on their unique temperament, learning style, family upbringing (Kagan, 1999, p. 164). Nonetheless, many research theorists such as Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson have endeavored to organize child development into universal predictable sequences of growth that typically occurs for most children. In this summary of child development from infancy to age ten, the belief of research theorists that child development is a predictable phenomenon will be assessed. In order to provide a clear summary of child development, the paper will be divided into the following age groups.

From the psychological point of view, the bond that is forged between the infants and their parents lies at the heart of the infants' initiation into society. According to Erikson's (1993) model of the eight ages of man, infants learn to develop trust towards their primary caretakers in the first stage called "Basic trust vs. basic mistrust." Through the regularity and predictability of the interaction between babies and their mother figures, they come to expect that their needs will be met. Furthermore, they believe that any separation from their mother figures will lead to a reunion. Failure to develop this trust will lead to mistrust (pp. 247-51).

Similarly, Field's (1996) review of the research done on infant attachment demo

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t," the children's assertiveness extends into the emulation of adult activities. During this stage, parents begin to impose limits and morality on the children. Here, it is essential for the children to learn to direct their energies towards socially acceptable activities (Erikson, 1993, pp. 255-7). Beyond the universal characteristics of Erikson's model that describe the behavior of preschoolers, researchers have discovered the importance of gender in shaping the development of young children. According to these findings, preschoolers begin to congregate in same-sex groups. While girls engage in cooperative and social play activities, boys prefer rough physical activities that involve control and competition (Johnson, Christie, & Yawkey, 1987; Maltz & Borker, 1983 in Neppl & Murray, 1997, p. 382). Furthermore, girls like to engage in activities that have a definite purpose and plan. Compared to their male counterparts, they show considerable sophistication in pretend play. For example, they do not need to use concrete objects in order to create their fantasy. On the other hand, boys perform activities that require repeated motion and provide space for exploration (Johnson et al., 1987 in Neppl & Murray, 1997, p. 382). Therefore

Category: Psychology - S