Child Psychology: Motor, Sensory, and Perceptual Development - Essay Example

The dynamic systems view is an approach used in the study of development, which grows from the understanding of complex and nonlinear system in mathematics and physics (Thelen and Smith 258). The system is new, has been applied only in recent times to replace a traditional system, and is categorized into two entities, which are theories of development and general systems theories. As such dynamic stems view presents the concept that development can only be comprehended as the numerous, joint and uninterrupted interaction of all levels of a developing system.

It also states that development can only be implicit as processes that unfold over numerous timescales ranging from short periods to extended ones.Motor skills develop over extended periods, where they start from a very young age with the first movement of the neck and arms. Fine motor skills, on the other hand, involve how one uses his or her fingers and hands, as well as arms in cases of grasping, manipulating objects and reaching and this too develops from infancy and only improves towards middle childhood and adulthood.

At 0 to 4 months, arms and hands are moved together covering for gross motor skills rather than fine motor skills, where children attempt to bat at objects or other forms of visual stimuli (“Fine Motor Development 0 to 6 Years” 1). From 4 months onwards, the child develops increased control over their gross motor skills, which contributes towards enhanced fine motor skills following voluntary movement such as squeezing objects and holding them in closed fists. The entire period covered for the development of motor skills, which is both fine and gross begins from childhood/ infancy until one is around 6 years old for most motor skills to develop, but not to get to perfection.

Sensation and perception are two closely related aspects of human development, both with profound differences to set them apart from each other. As such, sensation can be referred to as the method of sensing the environment in which we live through the five senses. (“Sensation and Perception”). After all information about the environment is collected, it is sent to the brain for it to interpret the different sensations, which is called perception. As such, perception remains dependent on sensation and the brain for it to come into existence and play.

One such way in which perception is dependent on sensation is in the application of sound, where one person speaks and another understands. In this case, the speaker produces sound waves to communicate an idea to another individual, who uses his or her ears to collect the information the process that we shall sensation. The data is then sent to the brain for interpretation after recognition, which is perception. In this case, perception is the deciphering of the sound to bring out the message and understand the meaning.

In conclusion, the development of a child takes place through numerous processes, especially for motor skills that emerge to be dependent on each other. This is then followed by sensations and perception, which are dependent on each other; or rather, perception is built around sensation. Works cited“Sensation and Perception”. Allpsych online. n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. “Fine Motor Development 0 to 6 Years”. Skill builders. n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. Thelen, Esther and Smith, Linda. Dynamic Systems Theories. 2005. Web. 3 Feb. 2013.