Issues in Development

It is really great that a child is developing. We all want our children to develop as they should so they can become the best people that they can be. However, with development, there are possible issues that can occur. There are three issues that can occur with development:

• Nature-Nurture Issue
• Continuity-Discontinuity Issue
• Early-Late experience Issue

Nature-Nurture Issue: It is to be determined if development is influenced by nature or nurture.  Nature refers to an organism's biological inheritance, nurture refers to environmental experiences. No one really knows if development is explained by nature or nurture. It has been claimed that both nature and nurture have a heavy influence on development. 

Continuity-Discontinuity: It is to be determined if development involves gradual cumulative change (continuity) or distinct changes (discontinuity). In other words, it has to be determined if development is done continuously or does it just have certain stages that it occurs. 

Early-Late Experience Issue: The focus is to see to a certain degree if early experiences(infancy) or later experiences are the key to the child's development. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNvx225p8Hg

Source: Santrock, J. W. (2019). Children. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Periods of Development

Hey guys,  there are about 5 periods of development (not stages). These periods are based on approximate age ranges similar to how the 8 stages have age ranges but not quite. These periods are mostly used to explain a child's development from Infancy to Adolescence. The periods are as followed: Prenatal, Infancy, Early Childhood, Middle and Late Childhood, and Adolescence. 

Prenatal Period: Is from the time of conception to birth. This is when the single cell grows into an organism with a brain and behavioral capabilities.

Infancy: the development period that goes from birth to about 18 to 24 months of age. Infancy is when the time is important for the dependence on adults. Psychological activities are starting to begin, like speaking, to coordinate sensations, and physical actions, to think with symbols, and to imitate and learn from others.

Early Childhood: This period infancy ends. This start at about 5 to 6 years old, this can be known as the preschool years. Young children will be able to learn how to be more self-sufficient and to care for themselves. School readiness skills start to develop (following directions, identifying letters, etc.), and they spend a lot of hours playing with peers.

Middle and Late Childhood: This period begins at 6 to 11 years old. This is known as the elementary school years. Children will begin to master the fundamental skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and they are exposed to a larger world as well as culture. 

Adolescence: This is the transition from childhood to early adulthood, ends at 10-12 years old and end at 18 to 22 years old. Adolescence begins with physical changes at a rapid pace. There is a pursuit of independence and an identity are prominent features of this period of development. More time will be spent outside the family.

Source: Santrock, J. W. (2019). Children. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Erikson's 8 Developmental Stages Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYCBdZLCDBQ&vl=en

Erikson's Theory on Child Development

Hey, guys here is a little bit more information on child development,

Erik Erikson is a well-known psychologist who is known for his theory on a human's psychological development. Erikson created eight stages of development. To me, Erikson's stages are kind of a reflection of Freud's five stages of developments which are known as psychosexual stages. It is said that we do not necessarily develop psychosexually, however, we do develop psychosocially.

The 8 Stages are the following:
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust
- This happens during the first year of life. This is where the infant is learning to trust the environment (the world) around him or her.
Stage 2: Autonomy vs Shame&Doubt (1-3 years old)
 -After the infant begins to trust his or her caregiver, the infant begins to discover his or her very own behavior. A sense of independence(autonomy) is starting to develop. Shame and doubt can

start to develop when the infant may start to restrained too much or is punished too harshly. 

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt (3-5 years old) 

- Children start to explore the social world around them. They will be faced with many challenges. They will start to develop responsibility for their bodies, behavior, toys, etc. If the child is irresponsible, a sense of either guilt or anxious can happen. 

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority (5-13 years old) 

- This is when the child moves towards middle and late childhood. He or she will start to master knowledge and intellectual skills. This is the only time the child will be excited about learning new things. Also, toward the end of the early childhood period, an expansion of imagination happens within the child. The problem with developing a sense of inferiority is feeling incompetent and unproductive. 

Stage 5: Identity vs Identity Confusion ( 10 to 20 years) 

-Adolescents are now facing many new roles that they may not be accustomed to. Some roles can be in a healthy manner and can be a path that led to positivity in life. Furthermore, he or she can achieve a positive identity. The downside is that if the parent(s) pushes identity onto the adolescent, he or she will not be able to explore many roles that are brought upon them, which can lead to identity confusion.
Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation (21-39 years old)
-This is when the individual is facing a developmental task of forming intimate relationships. The individuals can lose oneself when finding oneself in another. Meaning, if healthy friendships and an intimate relationship are formed intimacy can be developed. However, if intimacy is not developed, isolation would then occur.
Stage 7:  Generativity vs. Stagnation ( 40-65 years old)
- Generativity is helping the younger generation to develop and lead useful lives. Stagnation is feeling as if nothing has been done to help the next generation.
Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair( 65 and older)
- The individual tends to reflect on the past. They have developed a positive outlook on either most or all the stages of development (life to sum it up) Overall, the individual will review his or her life either a with a sense of satisfaction which leads to integrity. If not, despairs tend to happen.

In my opinion, this can somewhat be accurate because everyone tends to develop at different rates depending on exposure. Some individuals may lack behind or some may advance in development. However, Erikson does give a general idea on how the develomental stages are. These stages can be helpful to a parent, educator, psychology students, or just anyone curious about child development.

Why is Child Development important?

Development: is the pattern of change that begins at conception and continues throughout the life. (Santrock, 2018, pg.5)

Santrock, J. W. (2019). Children. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

It does not matter if you are a parent or teacher and/or want to a parent or educator, knowing how a child develops can be helpful to become a better educator or parent. Looking into child development can help an individual gain insight into how someone's or your childhood helped shaped the person you or someone else is to this very day. Child development begins from the point of being conceived to an adolescence.