Category: Child Development

The issues surrounding growth and development of children have been a matter of concern for a long time as individuals and groups try to investigate what shapes individuals as they grow. In this regard, aspects of a child’s development like the nature and nurture have been a central area of debate as scholars highlight their different views on the issue, thus resulting in controversy.

Over the years, the disciplines of psychology, philosophy, and sociology have developed different theories that seek to explain the nature versus nurture theories of children development. In this light, the nature aspect refers to the genetic and hereditary elements that determine the traits of an individual. This aspect encompasses physical appearance and personality traits.

On the other hand, the nurture aspect entails environmental factors that influence people as they grow. Two philosophers, viz. G.W Leibniz and John Locke, have given their thoughts on the nature vs. nurture issue based on their innate and empiricism perspectives respectively. The following is a debate between Locke and Leibniz on the background of the nature vs. nurture issue.

Leibniz: I think the time has come for us to settle the debate on nurture vs. nature.

On this issue, I subscribe to the Platonic school of thought that both human conduct and knowledge are affected by innate factors. Considering the aspects of children development, this assertion means that individuals are born with all the knowledge that they require for growth and development of their personality and well-being. I refute the role of the environment in adding value to one’s knowledge.

Locke: Well, philosophically, I am an Aristotelian student and thus I subscribe to nurture.

I believe that individuals are born with a tabula rasa, which means a blank state that acquires knowledge through experience. In my view, the environment plays a central role in determining one’s behavior and knowledge, and thus it is essential for personal growth and development. The application of the Aristotelian ideas can be important in understanding the nature vs. nurture debate.

Leibniz: I contend that individuals think and act based on internal mechanisms, which are wired genetically. Hereditary genes are responsible for the formation of different thoughts in children, thus resulting in actions that are identical to their parents’ behaviors.

This aspect implies that natural factors are responsible for the character development of children due to the genetic connection to their parents. I do not see the significance of environmental factors in shaping one’s thoughts, thus resulting in actions as depicted in the various stages of children development.

Locke: I refute the existence of internal mechanisms that facilitate the formation of thoughts that are manifested by actions. Nurture aspects that exist in the external environment are the sole factors that influence individuals to think and act in a particular way.

In this regard, the depiction of knowledge in children is attributed to unique experiences that the blank slate acquires. Children not only think and act like their parents, but also emulate the ideas of other members in society to make their decisions. Therefore, I acknowledge the essence of external mechanisms in the development of behavior in children.

Leibniz: Beliefs and judgments are due to innate factors that build an individual’s personality. Biological aspects of individuals shape up their belief systems based on their genetic endowment. In this respect, children tend to acquire cultural values naturally based on the genetic linkages that exist in their family.

Therefore, beliefs develop among individuals due to affiliation to a particular genetic background. Consequently, judgments are formed by determining what the belief system regards as right or wrong. In this respect, I believe that children’s moral values are based on inherent genetic factors.

Locke: I firmly believe that unique experiences account for the development of beliefs and judgments within individuals. Basing my argument on empiricism, children acquire certain beliefs from the environment in which they are brought up. In this sense, socialization takes effects as various agents including parents, schools, and religious institutions.

In turn, the agents of socialization contribute to the formation of beliefs that depict their culture. Consequently, children develop judgments based on what the environment that they reside in regards right or wrong according to the inherent belief systems.

Leibniz: I believe that individuals possess inherent solutions to problems that face them. Innate mechanisms lead to the development of ideas that seek to solve issues that affect individuals. For instance, when an individual is faced with a challenging financial situation, the mind provides solutions on how to develop means of generating income.

In the case of children, hunger requires one to find ways of getting food. Therefore, a toddler will find an item to put in the mouth in a bid to solve the hunger issue. Therefore, nativism accounts for the generation of innate solutions that depict the survival instincts of individuals.

Locke: I strongly oppose the idea that individuals derive solutions to their problems from innate processes. Since knowledge is acquired through experience, the application of knowledge is meant for the resolution of problems affecting individuals. In this regard, I argue that the environment contributes majorly to the creation of appropriate solutions to problems affecting humanity.

Basing my argument on the case of a hungry child, his/her efforts to find food are derived from observations on how to deal with such a situation, and thus s/he seeks items that would satisfy their needs. In turn, the ability to solve problems portrays the development of intelligence in children, thus fostering the application of knowledge, hence the wisdom that shapes one’s personality.

Locke: Well, as a supporter of the nurture aspects of children development, I believe that environmental factors have enormous implications for the development of an individual’s personality. Unique experiences lead to the formation of characters that depict the utilization of obtained knowledge in various situations. In this light, parents and caregivers should ensure that their children go through quality experiences that would have beneficial implications in their adulthood.

This move should encompass a favorable environment at home for the children’s upbringing, quality education, socialization to instill desirable values, and quality personal and interpersonal experiences. Have you ever wondered why if the father in a family is a businessperson the children also end up in business in most cases? Nurture explains this phenomenon. The children simply acquire business acumen from their parents through learning.

Leibniz: As a staunch nativist, I refute the empiricist ideas that the personality of individuals is based on environmental factors. I firmly contend that genetic influences have a significant bearing on the personality development in children. In this respect, hormonal, genetic, and neurological aspects of an individual play a significant role in the formation of the ultimate personality.

Therefore, factors such as heredity and nutrition influence the physical, psychosocial, and intellectual development of children, thus shaping their character from childhood through adulthood. The case that you have used on a family becoming businesspersons through learning is not universal. In some cases, children take different paths from that of their parents because they are wired differently genetically.

Locke: I think the role played by the environment in the development of skills for survival cannot be underestimated. Various social institutions instill relevant skills into children that would be applied in personal development. Knowledge derived from institutions such as schools equips individuals with skills, which are necessary for their growth in society.

I do not understand how a person would acquire skills naturally without engaging with other elements of his/her surrounding for gainful experiences. Undeniably, nature provides us with problems that need to be solved by the application of acquired skills from the environment. For this reason, the notion that innate factors lead to the development of competencies, which are necessary for personal growth, is not valid.

Leibniz: I disagree that the acquisition of skills for survival is based on environmental factors. I hold that genetic endowment contributes to quick and thorough acquisition of new skills, which are essential for survival.

I maintain that strong genes, good nutrition, and a supportive home environment are accountable for the acquisition of various skills that foster the development of children. In this sense, knowledge derived from innate mechanisms leads to the natural development of skills that enhance an individual’s chances of survival in a competitive society.

Child Development Web (http://www.childdevelopmentweb.com)

This website presents a lot of important information for those who are expecting a baby or have certain questions about the practices that are necessary to be used in order to make their daughters and sons happy, recognize and develop their talents. The information on the discussed website is devoted to the most common problems, and it is organized in a way that allows the users to find everything they need faster. What is more, the information presented touches upon the topics that are the most significant for parents: the stages of development of a child and signs that may indicate various problems related to the mental and physical health of the child. To continue, the website provides the users with information on a range of health services available in different parts of the United States.

I suppose that this information can be important both for future specialists studying developmental psychology and for common people who would like to extend their knowledge in order to become more responsible when it comes to taking care of their children. As for students who are interested in developmental psychology, they can retrieve a lot of significant information on the stages of development of a child and disorders that may cause difficulties for children. Although there are no visual materials on the website, the information presented is still sensitive.

As for strengths and limitations related to the discussed website, I suppose that the former is much more significant. To begin with, I suppose that the information is organized in a way that makes it easier to search for something specific. What is more, if we speak about the sections with information for parents, the actions that are to be taken in case of various disorders are described in detail. As for weaknesses, I believe that it would be better if different pictures and schemes were used. At the same time, I cannot consider it as a real weakness because this website fulfills its main function even without such materials.

ThinkersBox (http://www.thinkersbox.com)

There is a lot of important information presented on this website. In general, the website is devoted to special programs for children that are implemented in Singapore. Although this source focuses more on describing the services proposed by the specialists from this development center, there is also a lot of theoretical information in their blog. For instance, there are many posts about methods of education that were used in the past and the reasons why they cannot be regarded as effective. What is more, there are many materials devoted to problems of children with arrested development. The latter can be very helpful for the parents of such children who would like to understand the differences between their child and his or her peers. The website is also helpful for those parents who want to know whether they make certain mistakes while helping their children to develop essential skills. Also, it is necessary to notice that there are different types of content such as articles, videos, and images.

I believe that this website can be useful for students who are interested in particular measures that can be taken in order to make the education process more interesting for children. I guess that this information can help future pediatric psychologists because it allows them to understand the nature and the reasons for the mistakes that parents make.

Personally, I consider this website to be very good because the information presented is quite detailed, and almost all the articles contain a few images that help to understand the material better. At the same time, it can be said that the articles presented are not always easy to read because some of them just list separate facts, and it does not help to see the aggregate picture of the problem.

Parents Action (http://www.parentsaction.org)

The given website is devoted to the activity of this organization and its contribution to the development of newer methods helping children to learn new information and develop both physically and mentally. Besides the posts devoted to the findings of the researchers working for the organization, there are some booklets and other resources that can be downloaded from the site. According to the information presented, there are many opportunities for both companies and individuals to collaborate with the discussed organization. There are various services for different types of clients; for instance, the organization helps different companies to create campaigns in order to attract people’s attention to the problem of early development and proper measures that are to be taken by parents.

I suppose that this information can be important for those studying developmental psychology because there are many sources located on the website that can help to extend the knowledge related to developmental problems. Furthermore, the information is presented in different languages, and this is why more people can use it. What is more important, the information can be used by parents who would like to know how to treat their newborn baby to prevent possible problems in the future. Users who visit this site in order to help their children are provided with helpful manuals for parents.

As for the strengths and weaknesses of the website, I suppose that the latter is manifested in the fact that there are not too many publications and books. Although it is so because the organization was not established a long time ago, it may be quite a strong reason for some users to search for another website that presents more sources. At the same time, the website is clearly organized, and it makes it more convenient for users.

Works Cited

Child Development Web, 2016.

ThinkersBox, 2013, Web.

Parents Action, 2016, Web.

First of all, it should be stated that the analyzed person is in the stage of adolescence. The psychological development of such a person will be analyzed. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model of Child Development presupposes the analysis of the development in the context of the environmental factors and, in order to undermine any likelihood of misunderstanding, only the environment, where a child spends at least 10% of his or her time, should be analyzed.

Originally, the analyzed person (Jake Martins, 17, aged) spent most of his time in the school and sports section (karate-do). On the one hand, the lack of communication with friends gives him an opportunity to spend more time on self-education and get prepared for the university. Nevertheless, such a rhythm in his life made him a bit unsociable. Social, emotional, and creative aspects of his life are undeveloped, as he keeps all the feelings and emotions to himself. The main claim of environmental development is that a person can not develop in isolation. Jake was isolated from any creative activity, expression of emotions, and free communication with friends. Thus, the result of such isolation is the unsociable person who wishes to be an engineer. Nevertheless, he and his parents do not take into consideration the fact that engineering is often teamwork. Consequently, it will be difficult for Jake to achieve success.

In accordance with Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model, it is the greatest ever mistake to restrict at least one aspect of the developing personality. And this development should be balanced and entail Social, Emotional, Language and Cognitive, Physical and Creative aspects of the environment.

Person Between 40 and 65 Analysis

This person (Samantha Blackwood, 58 years aged) will be analyzed from the perspective of Erik Erikson’s theory of personal development. Originally, in distinction with Freud, Erikson elaborated more on adulthood stages, and in accordance with him, S.B. is in the stage named Late adulthood (the early stage). He emphasized that people of this age generally start analyzing their lives from the perspective of the use they brought to the world, their relations with the surrounding people, etc. Samantha lived a very interesting life: she is a Doctor of Medicine, a sportsman (has more than 500 skydive jumps), and adores hiking, traveling, and swimming. She has two children and three grandchildren. In spite of her retirement, she still keeps her medical qualification at a high level by reading medical publications and consulting her younger colleagues.

In accordance with Erikson, this is a psychologically developed and full-fledged person who has achieved considerable success in her life. There is a strong necessity to emphasize his statement on this point:

As older adults, we can often look back on our lives with happiness and are content, feeling fulfilled with a deep sense that life has meaning and we have contributed to life, a feeling that is called integrity. Our strength comes from the wisdom that the world is very large, and we now have a detached concern for the whole of life, accepting death as the completion of life. (Feldman, 2007, p. 208)

Finally, it should be stated that the original value of psychological development is covered in the notion that developed personalities are simply happier. They have lesser restrictions or do not have them at all. They just live to live and enjoy their life.

Bibliography

Doolittle H. (2009) “Tribute to Bronfenbrenner” New Directions.

Feldman, R.S. (2007) “Development Across the Life Span” Prentice Hall, 5th edition.

Approaches to upbringing are the important aspects of a child personality’s formation since those rules of behavior and the study of the environment, which are established by parents, serve as a background for future experience. When evaluating different styles of education, it is essential to note that at an early age, the key practice is a play and its variations. The styles mentioned by Steinberg et al., in particular, symbolic and exploratory plays, may be considered (132). In each of the varieties, there are unique features that, according to the authors, manifest themselves through typical cultural characteristics (Steinberg et al. 132).

As an example, the approaches of Japanese and American parents may be taken into account. In the country of the rising sun, the symbolic type of upbringing through games is encouraged when children are taught the interactive ways of studying the world. In American culture, an exploratory principle is more developed when the focus is on the functionality of games.

Based on personal experience, my parents resorted to the practice of exploration and taught me to gain new knowledge through self-development. I believe that I will stick to the same type of child-rearing about my children. At the same time, most friends from my circle also follow this practice, and, judging by the current results, all children acquire appropriate skills and learn new things quickly enough.

The effects considered are consistent with the results of theoretical studies and confirm the play theory described by Steinberg et al. (132). Certain factors have an impact on what style parents tend to follow. A cultural aspect is one of the main criteria determining the nature of children’s interaction with the environment, and the traditions of a particular country influence it significantly.

Works Cited

Steinberg, Laurence, et al. Development: Infancy Through Adolescence. Cengage Learning, 2010.

Admittedly, children go through several developmental stages, and at every stage they obtain new skills. There are several theories concerning the development of children. Theorists and researchers identify stages which can slightly differ. Though, it is necessary to note that all of these theories provide a quite similar evaluation of behavioral development of children at different stages of life. It is also acknowledged that children need specific support of their close ones and they expect a parent (or any of their relatives) to devote him/herself to their needs (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). It is possible to consider the behavior of the four children to define major peculiarities of behavioral development at different stages.

In early childhood, children only start learning about the world and acquiring the necessary skills to live in society. At this stage, children are very attached to their families and spend a lot of time together, engaging themselves in a variety of activities (Families – early childhood, 2014). The boy, as well as his relatives, do not think much a lot about his future, but they help the child with his school tasks. Notably, the child does not think about the way he fits into society, and his close ones do not teach him what it is like to be a good person. At this stage, the child and his relatives are more concerned with development more specific skills (reading, doing sums, doing sports and so on).

In middle childhood, children are more integrated into society, though they are still attached to their close ones. They spend quite a lot of time with their family. However, relatives tend to invest less time as their older siblings often take up this role. Notably, this is the period when children are taught “good things” and the ways to behave in society (Families – middle childhood, 2014). Parents tend to help the child with studies, but they focus on teaching strategies rather than simply doing tasks. The child learns how to be more independent.

In early adolescence, parents invest the same time. For instance, they help their adolescents to study. However, at this stage, parents do not simply help to study but also teach adolescents to be more responsible (Families – early adolescence, 2014). Adolescents understand the role of their parents and teachers. They see that adults help them develop. At this stage, adolescents start thinking about their future, and even though they may not have precise plans, they may understand that they need to study to be able to make that plan. Clearly, at this stage, parents often tell them about being a good person, and adolescents try to fit into society and become good people.

In late adolescence, adolescents become integrated into the society (school, extracurricular activities, friends, and so on), but they still need care, support, and protection of their close ones. For instance, the girl, whose father does not live with them, has an elder brother who fulfills the role of the father in the family (Families – late adolescence, 2014). At this stage, adolescents understand who they are, and they already have a certain plan concerning their future. They know what is good and what is wrong, though their parents keep talking with them about this matter.

In conclusion, it is possible to note that children go through several stages of development, and they obtain new skills and knowledge. Their parents and close ones help them to fit into society and find their place in the world.

Reference List

Families – early adolescence. (2014). Web.

Families – early childhood. (2014). Web.

Families – late adolescence. (2014). Web.

Families – middle childhood. (2014). Web.

McDevitt, T.M., & Ormrod, J.E. (2013). Child development and education. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Description

• Childhood development is a crucial concept allowing educators to develop efficient teaching strategies and contribute to a faster knowledge acquisition by learners;
• A profound understanding of the student’s current developmental stage is imperative for meeting their needs successfully and creating a favorable academic environment;
• Piaget’s theory can be deemed as one of the most popular iterations of the phenomenon of childhood development; it provides a deep insight into the nature of cognitive functions and the way in which they are acquired.

Definition

• Schema: a key element of Piaget’s theory and the primary building block of the mental model that will allow for the further acquisition of the relevant knowledge and skills, as well as the interpretation of the reality;
• Assimilation: the process of identifying unique experiences and processing them carefully so that they could be stored in the child’s memory for the further usage in a similar scenario;
• Accommodation: the stage of analyzing the newly acquired data so that it could become the foundation for and an integral part of a new schema that will serve as the tool for the child’s interactions with the environment and people around them (Siegler 131).

Background

• Jean Piaget: born in Switzerland, excited about the idea of exploring the specifics of brain functioning and cognitive functions thereof;
• Known for the active promotion of Constructivist principles as the foundation for his interpretation of childhood development;
• Introduced the idea of viewing childhood development from the perspective of both biological and social standpoints;
• Assimilation and accommodation became the cornerstones of Piaget’s developmental theory;
• Equilibration process was introduced into the set of key terms as the concept describing the ability to navigate among the range of available schemata.

Historical Information

• Mother (Rebecca Jackson): encouraged Piaget’s enthusiasm about learning and promoted his further academic development extensively;
• Father (Arthur Piaget): inspired Piaget to be enthusiastic and passionate about the opportunities of learning.

Theory Description

General Principles

• Piaget’s theoretical framework serves as the tool for developing a better understanding of how children acquire knowledge and skills;
• The theory is aimed at describing the key stages passed by a child during the process of cognizing the world around them;
• Schema is viewed as the primary building block that allows connecting the key concepts within the theory;
• The theoretical framework designed by Piaget can be used efficiently in a diverse classroom setting;
• Thus, the needs of learners can be identified and met successfully.

Schemata

• A combination of schemas is known as schemata;
• Schemata contribute to the development of the child’s social skills and the further development of independence in the learning process;
• Different types of schemata exist (e.g., self-schemata, people schemata, event schemata, etc.) to describe the vast variety of social interactions (Kolb 207);
• Stimuli are crucial for launching the process of developing a schema as the means of interpreting the signals retrieved from the contact with the environment;
• The stimuli affect the child’s five primary senses, therefore, allowing the student to engage in the active process of cognizing the world around them.

Assimilation

• The contact described above leads to the acquisition of a specific experience (e.g., a visual, tactile, aural, or kinesthetic one);
• Stimuli-related data is recognized and stored successfully (assimilation).

Adaptation

• The developed assimilation is recognized and incorporated into the range of strategies used by a child to interact with the world (accommodation);
• A particular behavioral pattern is produced so that similar instances of contacting with the stimuli in question could lead to the desired outcomes in the future;
• A child learns the lesson and is ready to acquire new skills and knowledge that will support the newly acquired information and serve as the foundation for building the further knowledge.

Discussion

Weaknesses

• The concepts of accommodation and assimilation are rarely viewed apart from each other;
• Instead, they are conflated into a single concept that serves as the means of embracing the continuity of the process;
• The combination of assimilation and accommodation is termed as the process of adaptation;
• Adaptation is viewed as central to the cognitive development in Piaget’s theory;
• Adaptation serves to produce new schemata so that a child could develop the skills necessary for communicating and addressing various social issues.

Strengths

• The strengths of Piaget’s framework include the opportunity for developing a uniform approach that can, later on, be customized to meet the needs of diverse learners;
• The framework also sets the prerequisites for designing a coherent teaching strategy allowing learners to engage in the active process of learning;
• The approach provides a range of opportunities for motivating students and inspiring them to become active learners, as well as engage in the lifelong learning process independently.

Current Thinking

• The weaknesses of Piaget’s framework include the lack of emphasis on the importance of a student’s intellect;
• There is a glaring absence of the theory that explains the development of people in their adolescence;
• The theory cannot be used to meet the needs of students with disabilities (Kolb 203).

Conclusion

• Nevertheless, the framework can be shaped so that innovative approaches toward teaching could be introduced into the curriculum;
• The theory also provides deep insight into the nature of learning;
• The framework promotes active meta-cognition, which is essential for learners in the contemporary environment of multiculturalism and diversity (Liben 107).

Works Cited

“Jean Piaget.” Biographgy. 2016. Web.

Kolb, David A. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. FT Press, 2014.

Liben, Lynn S. Piaget and the Foundations of Knowledge. Psychology Press, 2014.

Siegler, Robert S. “Continuity and Change in the Field of Cognitive Development and in the Perspectives of One Cognitive Developmentalist.” Child Development Perspectives, vol. 10, no. 2, 2016, pp. 128-133.

Introduction

The development of the child’s personality and the formation of basic communication, social, cognitive, and other skills occur in childhood. From birth, people constantly gain new experience and learn to perceive the world according to how they see it. The first years of life play an essential role in this process. Initial skills are acquired and assimilated in this period, and necessary experience is gained. In order to analyze the characteristics of children’s development in the earliest period, it is possible to use a scholarly book by Robinson or rather use one of her book’s chapters. The basis of this research paper will be the chapter describing the origins and features of child development in the first year of life. The evaluation of information will help to highlight the main ideas proposed by the author and assess the importance of the study from the point of view of everyday life and the upbringing of children by parents.

Main Ideas of the Chapter

The chapter is devoted to studying the features of children’s development in the first year of their life and considering those skills that they can and should master during this period. Also, some ideas are given about what factors influence the formation of the baby. According to Robinson, imitation is considered one of the basic features inherent in children (91). The chapter provides a system that reflects the child’s skills in a certain month of the first year of life and provides the description of those attainments that need to be developed by a specific age (Robinson 93). Such properties as a reaction, mobility, emotions, movement skills, and other factors are considered and explained. All the arguments have theoretical support. Conclusions are logical and supported by quotations from other authors.

Factors Influencing Development

In order to assess the development of children, it is essential to have an idea of ​​what attainments should be evaluated. According to Robinson, “there still remains the controversy as to what skills and abilities babies are already equipped with” (80). It means that the process of the children growing up in the first year of life raises issues about what volume of experience he or she should have and whether there is a unified approach in this case or not. When assessing this judgment from a critical point of view, it is possible to assume that there are certain norms that determine the physiological and mental development of children. Nevertheless, a number of factors can influence personality formation patterns – the environment, parents’ attitude, overall health indicators, and some other criteria.

Thus, for example, if parents are interested in the quick and correct development of their children, they constantly talk to them, do exercises, and perform other procedures aimed at speeding up the baby’s adaptation to the new world. However, such factors as family problems, poor living conditions, or the indifference of parents adversely affect the formation of basic skills, and some delays in development may manifest. In order to avoid it, it is significant to give the child proper attention because, as Robinson claims, at the initial stage of life, a person completely depends on the people around him or her (81). Therefore, appropriate upbringing and care will ensure full development from different points of view.

Imitation as One of the Primary Factors

One of the key and natural skills that are inherent in the child at the beginning of life is the ability to imitate people’s behavior. According to Robinson, in the second half of the first year, infants copy adults’ actions, intonation, and gestures (92). This type of behavior is understandable. The child at an early stage of his or her life does not have highly developed cognitive skills and cannot analyze the actions regarding their relevance in certain situations. This information can be useful for parents because when knowing about this property of infant development, they can control their behavior and strive to present any information in a form convenient for the child. Moreover, if adults intend to raise a baby in a personal example, it will help them to forget about bad habits in the presence of the child in order to avoid imitating them. Therefore, further studies may be devoted to the influence of adult behavior on the development of the child’s specific attachments and hobbies.

Another idea mentioned in the chapter is the recognition by the infant of self and others. The author is genuinely perplexed about how the baby begins to realize the difference between other people and himself or herself (Robinson 94). This property is also formed at the initial stage of life. A more detailed study of this phenomenon can allow both parents and psychologists to better understand the psyche of infants and to use this knowledge as the basis for the education of an altruistic personality.

Conclusion

The assessment of the chapter helps to identify key ideas related to the child’s first year of life and to make propositions concerning further possible research related to this topic. A number of factors influencing the development of infants should be taken into account to simplify the upbringing process. Imitation is one of the properties inherent in babies is their innate feature. Children’s ability to distinguish themselves from others can help in adapting to the world around them.

Work Cited

Robinson, Maria. Child Development from Birth to Eight: A Journey Through the Early Years. McGraw-Hill Education, 2008.

Many signals from the external environment can be disorienting for infants, so they choose the initial object of interest. Human faces represent a separate category of interest: e.g., parents and especially the mother. It is thought that the infant begins to explore the mother’s face as early as 12 hours after birth (Santrock et al., 2020). In addition, the faces of strangers are not of such interest to newborns.

Matching Voices and Faces

As they develop, infants perceive the world using all organoleptic systems. Particular attention is paid to the juxtaposition of visual and auditory information: for example, by 4 months of age, infants can associate the speaker’s voice with the speaker’s face (Santrock et al., 2020). Visualizing external information goes to another level: the differentiation between parents and others is now more explicit. The child distinguishes not only between male and female faces but can also determine the racial and ethnicity of a group according to the “friend-or-foe” principle.

Changing the Way of Receiving Information

The visual perceptual system is crucial to normal child development, and it changes as the child grows. Its changes are related to the amount of information coming in and how the child perceives it. Various studies have focused on recording eyeball movement (Santrock et al., 2020). It is the basis for determining which objects children pay attention to and how and why their orientations change.

Concentration on Faces Rather than the Environment

The different orientations are most likely related to how much information an infant can perceive from the environment. While at 3 months of age, infants perceive the general background without concentrating on people’s faces, the orientation changes by 9 months of age. It means that children can focus on facial expressions, emotions, and features (Santrock et al., 2020). At the same time, external stimuli (e.g., background in cartoons) are not a priority of interest.

Reference

Santrock, J. W., Deater-Deckard, K. D., & Lansford, J. E. (2020). Child development (15^th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Introduction

The emotional development of a person is one of the fundamental aspects of human growth as it impacts his/her life, relations with other people, and the ability to cooperate with peers or colleagues. It is an extremely broad domain, and the formation of the first responses to various stressors starts in early childhood when a child perceives the world around them and tries to express his/her feelings and emotions.

Moreover, as far as child psyche is flexible, and can easily adapt to various factors or alterations in the surrounding, this stage of people’s growth is considered extremely important for the formation of the appropriate behavioral patterns and development of the ability to cooperate with other individuals (Santrock, 2018). However, there are also multiple challenges that might be associated with this aspect as the appearance of various deviations, or problematic issues might pose a threat to future socialization.

Main body

The complexity of the given aspect attracts the attention of various populations. First, specialists working in the sphere and analyzing factors that shape emotional responses emphasize the fact that the formation of the correct representation of emotional development in children is vital for their evolution and growth. However, there is also another powerful actor that employs this theme because of its topicality and importance for people (Santrock, 2018). Media often adds this theme to movies that revolve around the development of a person, his/her relations with peers, and place in the community. Because of the growing popularity of this sphere and its ability to impact broad populations, children’s representation of emotional development becomes significantly affected by media in various ways.

For instance, the movie Jack can be considered an example of how the modern filmmaking industry might affect individuals. The main character of this work is Jack, a boy with Werner Syndrome (Mestres & Coppola, 1996). In other words, he is a boy living in the body of an adult man. This characteristic of the main character impacts the whole movie as Jack has to face multiple challenges arising because of his appearance. The film reveals the complexity of his relations with peers who first fail to accept this forty-one-year-old man. However, with the development of the story, they start to use him for various purposes, such as to get adult magazines, deal with bullies, or win a basketball match (Mestres & Coppola, 1996).

All these activities evidence that Jack remains a child in the body of an adult, or, his emotional development does not correspond to his appearance. In the first half of the movie, it seems that Jack does not suffer from this disease, and his psyche remains stable.

With the development of the story, one can see that the existence of this incongruity is a serious problem for the main character. His attempts to behave as a normal person fail because of his age and inappropriate appearance. Additionally, the accident in the bar with Dolores and his imprisonment become serious stress resulting in Jack’s undesired to leave his rooms (Mestres & Coppola, 1996). Only the intervention of the whole school and his friends helps him to recover and return to his usual activities.

In such a way, the movie perfectly shows the importance of the emotional development of a person. From the perspective of a child, a person who behaves in a specific way can be related to a particular cohort, and they do not see a problem in the divergence between the appearance and psyche. However, looking at people’s responses and their ways of communication with such a person, they start to realize the existence of a certain deviation and complex issues (Santrock, 2018).

The movie shows that it is important for children to understand the existing interdependence between the age of a person, his/her emotional status, and appearance. As far as in normal situations, the body represents the real developmental stage of any individual, his/her behavior should correspond to it.

The movie influences children in several ways. First, it shows the importance of emotional development and problems that might appear when a person fails to form appropriate responses and behavioral patterns. Jack tries to behave like a normal child and play with his peers. Unfortunately, in some situations, it does not work because of his appearance. Children can understand the fact that emotionally, he remains a small boy, which becomes the main force impacting all his actions, attitudes, and decisions. For a person with the body of an adult man, it might result in the appearance of serious problems in all spheres of his life, both personal and professional. That is why young viewers can understand that it is critical to evolve appropriately and form responses that correlate with age.

Second, it emphasizes the necessity of support that should be provided to people with problems in this sphere. Emotional development is a social process that is impacted by all individuals who cooperate with a person. Any human being is a social creature, which means that there are behavioral patterns and responses that are considered a norm. In other words, acts acceptable for a child are not allowed for an adult. This comes from the existing standards of emotional development and the peculiarities of people’s psyche that evolves along with an individual and should possess certain qualities at different developmental stages (Santrock, 2018).

It is taken as a guarantee of successful cooperation and the ability to create sound relations with peers. For this reason, emotional development can be accepted as a fundamental aspect of the life of any individual. The existence of problems in this sphere might deprive a person of a chance for future evolution and happiness. From this perspective, the end of the movie emphasizes the critical need for support that can be provided by the community to show that a person is still welcomed, regardless of his/her problems in particular spheres.

Conclusion

Altogether, one should accept the fact that the discussed aspect is one of the fundamental elements of human growth. There are multiple factors that impact the formation of children’s ideas of emotional development and their responses to various triggers. Media is one of these triggers as its popularity provides multiple ways in which the young generation can be influenced. There are many movies, such as Jack, which outline problems in the emotional sphere and their importance.

Speaking about this very film, it can be taken as a successful example showing children the role emotions, and psyche of a person plays in his/her growth and socialization. Using Jack and his life as an example, one can prove the importance of peers, surrounding, and their impact on a child and his/her socialization. It also can teach children sympathy and outline correct behavioral patterns that can be employed to help people who have some delays in their development.

References

Mestres, R. (Producer), & Coppola, F. (Director). (1996). Jack [Motion Picture]. United States: Buena Vista Pictures.

Santrock, J. (2018). Life-span development (17th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education.

Chris is a five year- and three-months-old boy who is the only child in the family now. As obtained from observation and conversations with the father and grandmother, the boy lives with his father and grandparents. They live in a spacious house with a large backyard in the suburbs with minimal traffic. Christopher’s parents are divorced, but they have come to an agreement concerning the child’s custody.

Their marriage broke when Chris was three and a half years old after his younger brother Mathew had died in his sleep of a sudden infant death syndrome. The children’s mother, who has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, was not able to help herself and, overwhelmed with grief, began abusing alcohol, which led to family tensions and quarrels. When the atmosphere turned completely unhealthy, the family split apart. Currently, Christopher’s mother is undergoing medical and psychological treatment; there is still hope that she might cope with the situation.

As for Christopher’s father, he fought in the Iraq war in 2003; presently, he is a U.S. marshal. As he spends most of his time at work, the only caregivers are Christopher’s grandparents and an occasional babysitter. His grandmother is an accomplished artist who has dedicated herself to the only grandchild in need. His grandfather is a former lawyer, retired, who loves the boy very much. Christopher attends a kindergarten five days a week for 3-4 hours.

When the case study began, Chris was three years old. He lived with both of his parents in the same neighborhood. His mother was about to give birth, and the family atmosphere seemed quite promising and healthy. Christopher used to spend much time in the backyard playing ball and having fun with the four pet-dogs. The turbulence that was to follow changed the boy’s life drastically, causing setbacks, misunderstandings, and worries.

Physically, Christopher is a well-developed, sturdy, and strong boy as he attends a karate school three times a week. He is in good health and spends most of his free time in the backyard in active play. He is learning to swim and roller-skate, climbs fences and runs with the dogs. There is a big indoor swimming pool in the house where Christopher likes to practice swimming with his grandfather. Christopher’s social skills have stuck as he enjoys being alone rather than socializing with his peers. Though he is happy to spend time with his grandparents, who cherish him, he looks satisfied to be involved in his own activities.

Up to now, Chris has not developed skills sufficient enough to start or join in the play with others. Sometimes, he fights in kindergarten, which has a tremendously negative impact on his relationship with other kids. They do not eagerly invite him in play, and he does not wish to adjust his behavior, which tends to create a vicious circle. Emotionally, Christopher is struggling because all of those events that affected his life to a great extent.

Cognitively, Christopher is showing a great ability to learn. He is under his charismatic grandmother’s influence, who takes him to exhibitions and spends much time telling him about great artists, masterpieces, and the process of creating artworks. While playing and talking to the child early development specialist, Christopher shows a strong ability to manipulate and retain information for completing new tasks.

When talking to his grandfather, Christopher demonstrates his inquisitive mind asking numerous questions about the world around him, his parents, and everything that worries him. However, he is not so open with strangers or peers. Verbally, Christopher does not show strong skills, which makes another reason why his socializing gets behind. His language development is being fostered by his grandmother’s efforts, who has a Hispanic origin. Most of the time, she speaks Spanish with Christopher; he prefers speaking English.

Based on the assessment, the plan of action can be suggested. Christopher’s ultimate need is to understand and accept all the changes that have occurred in his life. He has to find and realize his place in his new family of divorce, where the main caregiver is his grandmother. His father could contribute to Christopher’s psychological adaptation immensely by engaging more in the son’s life, spending more time together. To see a child psychologist would benefit Christopher’s emotional state, help him navigate his life turbulences, release tension, and overcome his aggression at kindergarten. His inability to socialize requires to be addressed as well. His caregivers have to make efforts to provide him with a safe, relaxing, and supportive environment.

Another ultimate need of the child is that he should be prevented from introverting. His development is dependent on his emotional state (according to the family system theory) and all his setbacks are conditioned by his family situation. Christopher needs to create strong attachments to build upon so he could progress well and master new skills and knowledge. It would be beneficial to engage in activities with other families, from the karate school, for example. His zone of proximal development lies within sports – karate and football might become keys to his inner world and help him start communicating (Follari, 2015).

He needs a strong role-model, which might be his father if he does not fail. Also, it would be beneficial to organize the day with the help of daily routines that are targeted at stress release and building relationships with other children.

Reference

Follari, L. (2015). Foundations and best practices in early childhood education: History, theories, and approaches to learning. 3^rd Edition. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Higher Education.