Child Psychology in Modern Society - Essay Example

Child Psychology “Children arent coloring books. You dont get to fill them with your favorite colors” argues Khaled Hosseini1. It means that we are to perceive children as individualities with its own way of development and progress. The process of their growth is highly complicated issue which requires a lot of efforts and a wide range of factors to fulfill it properly. Historically, children usually are considered as smaller variants of adult people. And when resent investigations are made, and humanity has studied that children thinking and way of behavior are rather different from an adult one, such branch of science as child psychology appears. This science focuses on the children’s behavior and minds from geniture to adultness. The main attention is paid on mental, social and emotional development of children and the changing of their conducting manner through the growth process. Today contributors recognize this science as a serious and a huge one. It has a vital impact in the area of psychological sciences. Investigators apply to big questions in the field of child psychology, such as what investigations are more relevant earlier or later ones, whether nurturing or nature has influenced children development more, or abnormal behavior can be just the reflection of individual peculiarities of a child. Due to Cherry (n.d.) child psychology may be observed through different contexts. We may underlie three of them, which are the most important and magnificent. Each of these contexts provides a huge influence on a psychological aspect of a child development. The first one is social context, which is rather logical as child is viewed as an inalienable part of the society. Child relationships with the parents, peers, friends and other people are laid through the area of this question. It is obvious that family, school, place of living and fellows are considered to be an important social factor in child’s development, and we cannot neglect it. The next context of child’s development is cultural. It is essential because of great influence on a child. Its cultural norms determine the baby’s relationship with the parents and level of their decorum which reflect child’s behavior and way of thinking. Some cultural traditions are laid genetically, while some of them are acquired in the process of upbringing of a person and its surrounding. Anyway, cultural aspect is considered to be influential and predetermines child’s behavior in some cases. The third influential factor is socioeconomic. This determines the statues of a person in the society and constantly has an impact on child’s growth. It provides habits, tastes and privileges of a personality in the society. The materialistic status designates person’s education, habits and environment, which are significant points in child’s development and psychology. It cannot but mentioned that this there contexts are interacting with each other and they are constantly combined in the question of child’s development. And only the appropriate correlation of these factors can ensure accurate progress in the sphere of child psychology and its evolution. Also, three major theories can be suggested in the field of child psychology. Jarvis and Chandler (2-21) argue due to this point, and suggest the proper list, which includes: Psychoanalytic theory Social learning theory Cognitive theory Psychoanalytic theory is based on Sigmund Freud investigations in the field of psychology. He suggests that subconscious mind and childhood experiences are of the high importance in the development of child’s mind. Moreover, subconscious level makes prompts for our decisions, actions and way of thinking. He provided the basis to psychodynamic approach and his investigations are made on the therapy practice which he is experienced. Also, he suggests that “much of a childs personality is completely established by the age of five” (Cherry, n.d.). There are no doubts that his contributions are important and relevant, but some fresher editions provide critics to concrete aspects of his investigations. The next contribution is named social learning theory, and its main investigator is considered to be Albert Bandura. According to his researches there are four requirements occurred through the process of child’s development. They are attention, retention, reproduction and motivation (Jarvis and Chandler, 10). It is naturally that any educational process needs a high attention level. Children are born to learn how to exist and develop in this world, so attention must be involved in the model of learning. The next stage is retention, which is fully logical, as it is naturally to retain the information or model of behavior learned through experience. Acquired skills should be maintained and preserved in a child’s mind. Reproduction goes next, and means that the observer is to be capable to reproduce the acquired experience. Actually this experience is needed for proper reproduction in the future. The last point is motivation, which underlies that child must have reasonable goal to achieve. There are no results without straightforward motivation, so it is considered to be strictly important issue due to the social learning theory. The last profound theory is called cognitive with the main contributor, whose name is Jean Piaget. His theory based on “genetic epistemology” (Shaffer and Kipp, 243) and define brain computer as a primary function which helps the child to achieve the process of adaptation to the surrounding in a proper way. He represents children as active examiners who construct schemes “to establish cognitive equilibrium” (Shaffer and Kipp, 244) which is appeared between their intellect and experience. The processes of organization and adaptation are the main issues for building and modification of these schemes. Piaget promotes four main phases of intelligible evolution of a child. They undergo the age group from birth to twelve years old and every stage represents its own peculiarities and features of development. Moreover, Vygotsky is proposed a suggestion for cognitive development theory. It is based on the “sociocultural” approach (Shaffer and Kipp, 245). Hence, this scientist put the emphasis on social and cultural effect in the process of mental progress of a child. He suggests that children acquire some cultural practice and ethnic believes in the context of reciprocal dialogue with the skillful participants of society who are more adapted because of their age peculiarities. Vygotsky also advances to evaluate cognitive development through the four steps, but they are shown under the various from Piaget prospect. He proposes interrelated levels which deal with children’s environment. They are: “microgenetic, ontogenetic, phylogenetic and sociohistorical” (Shaffer and Kipp, 245). This researcher believes that any culture provides an influence on the person’s development since his/her childhood and provide person with the instrument for adaptation model. Nevertheless, these two theories of cognitive development suggest different approaches to the field of investigation. It is strongly believed that they are both absolutely relevant and important in the sphere of cognitive learning. And by using these two approaches we may achieve prosperous results in child education. One of the most essential questions of child psychology and the most curious for parents is whether the behavior and progress of the child is normal. It modern society a wide range of psychological theories is represented which can provide a helping hand to any parents and easily determine the stage of development of a baby and level of its adequacy. Some of them are specified on an inappropriate behavior and designate problems in child’s development, while the others deal with the individual peculiarities and help to bring up child in a proper way. The most widely spread problems which occurs with the child evolution are problems with a sleep, anxiety disorders and disruptive behavior. Also, autism is apposite trouble which children may suffer from. “Mental retardation, learning disorders, communication skills disorders and pervasive developmental disorders appear to have biological components” (Franklin). Some psychologists deal with these disorders and specialize on treatment of them and training for its correction. Also we can name attention-deficit and anxiety disorders with are based on hyperactive behavior of children. They can be fixed through different methodologies, expedients, means and educating games which are designed by current psychologists and are based on gained relevant investigations. All in all child psychology is a relevant field for investigations, as our life starts with a childhood it is strictly important to educate a child in a proper way. Children social environment and cultural education determines its future development and incipience of a personality. It is constantly evident that child development is different from the adult one. Moreover, there are a lot of factors which provide an influence on development of a child. Nowadays psychology has a wide range of investigations for making help with a child’s development. Still, the doors for improving are also open and wait for its investor. Reference List: Cherry, Kendra. What Is Child Psychology? A Brief Overview of Child Psychology. Web. Available From: http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/child-psychology.htm Jarvis, Matt and Chandler, Emma. Angles on Child Psychology. Breat Britain: Scotprint, 2001. Print. Franklin, Donald. Childhood Disorders.2010. Web. Available From: http://www.psychologyinfo.com/problems/children.html Shaffer, David and Kipp, Katherine. Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. 2nd edition, USA: Cengage Learning, 2014. Print. Smith, Laura L. and Elliott, Charles H. Child Psychology and Development For Dummies. UK: Wiley Publichers, 2011. Print. Tandon, R.K. Child Psychology. New Delhi: APH Publishing Corporation, 2008. Print Read More