PSYB20H3 Chapter 1: Chapter 1 notes
Chapter 1: Introduction to Child Development
Child development: the scientific study of systematic processes of change and stability in
human children
Periods of Development:
Social construction: concept about what is real based on societally shared perceptions or
assumptions
- Due to the various aspects of the child development spectrum, impact on one aspect
may send a ripple effect through the rest of the stages
1. Prenatal Period
a. Physical developments: basic organs form, vulnerable to environment
b. Cognitive developments: development of abilities to learn, remember and
response to stimuli
c. Psychosocial developments: likes mom’s voice and responds to it
2. Infancy and Toddlerhood
a. Physical developments: physical growth and motor growth is fast, organs work
to a certain complexity, brain is growing (complexity and influence)
b. Cognitive developments: language development is rapid, can solve problems by
2nd yr., can learn and remember
c. Psychosocial developments: attachment occurs, self-awareness, interest in
other kids, independence autonomy
3. Early Childhood
a. Physical developments: growing, fine and gross mote skills and strength
improve, sleep problems are common
b. Cognitive developments: sorta care about other people’s perspectives,
intelligence=predictable, immaturity=illogical ideas about the world
c. Psychosocial developments: gender identity develops, understanding emotions
becomes complex, altruism, aggression, fear is common, and social life is family
and a few kids
4. Middle Childhood
a. Physical developments: growth slows, more athletic, best health stage, but
respiratory problems are common
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b. Cognitive developments: think logically and concretely, may show educational
needs/strengths
c. Psychosocial developments: self-concept starts impacting self-esteem, peers
become more important
5. Adolescence
a. Physical developments: risk of behavioural issues rise (drug abuse and eating
disorders), PUBERTY BITCHES, physical growth is fast
b. Cognitive developments: can think more abstractly and w scientific reasoning,
prep for uni/college/vacay
c. Psychosocial developments: peers are influential, sexual identity and identity
overall is forming, and relationships w parents is kinda good (varies)
Early Childhood Educators:
- ECEs provide an environment that promotes kids to learn and develop in a healthy way
and to a healthy potential
- Provide activities that helps them develop in different areas that should be developed for
their age range
Domains of Development:
Physical development: growth of the body and the brain, including biological and physiological
patterns of change in sensory capacities, motor skills, and health
Cognitive development: pattern of change in mental abilities, such as learning, attention,
memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity
Psychosocial development: pattern of change in emotions, personality, and social
relationships
Influences on Development:
Individual differences: differences among children in characteristics, influences, or
developmental outcomes
- Every child is different and were raised differently
- Therefore, their development will be impacted by hereditary, environment, and
maturation
- Timing is a key aspect
- Normative and non-normative influences are significant
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Nature vs. Nurture:
- Scientists have seemed to find the contribution of hereditary and environment and their
influence on certain traits in a population
- Interested in seeing how both factors work together, instead of seeing which one has the
greater influence
- Typical changes of infancy and early childhood are tied to maturation
oMaturation: unfolding of a universal, natural sequence of physical and
behavioural changes
- Maturational processes are tied in with hereditary and environment
- Depending on their personal characteristics and environment, children find themselves
adapting to circumstances depending on how nature and nurture make them
Contexts of Development:
1. Family
a. Nuclear family: 1 or 2 parents, with biological, adopted, or step-children
b. Modern family: single or divorced parents, stepparent and stepsiblings or a
live-in partner
b.i. Unmarried and homosexual couples with children
c. Extended family: grandparents, aunts, etc.
2. Culture, Ethnicity, and Race
a. Culture: a way of living decided by a group of social group including;
customs, traditions, laws, knowledge, beliefs, values, language
b. Ethnic group: group united by ancestry, race, religion, language, or national
origin that contributes to a sense of shared identity
c. Minority status: the groups within ethnic groups that have different
nationality/roots compared to the rest
c.i. Face discrimination and prejudice
d. Can have diversity within ethnic groups
e. Immigrant children do as well or even better than Canadian-born children by
the end of elementary school
e.i. Probably because they must adapt and learn an entire culture to
survive in Canada
f. The difference between two people on the opposite ends of a distribution
within one race are larger than the differences between 2 people of different
races
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Document Summary
Child development: the scientific study of systematic processes of change and stability in human children. Social construction: concept about what is real based on societally shared perceptions or assumptions. Infancy and toddlerhood: physical developments: physical growth and motor growth is fast, organs work to a certain complexity, brain is growing (complexity and influence, cognitive developments: language development is rapid, can solve problems by. Eces provide an environment that promotes kids to learn and develop in a healthy way and to a healthy potential. Provide activities that helps them develop in different areas that should be developed for their age range. Physical development: growth of the body and the brain, including biological and physiological patterns of change in sensory capacities, motor skills, and health. Cognitive development: pattern of change in mental abilities, such as learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity. Psychosocial development: pattern of change in emotions, personality, and social relationships.
