| Imagine a child of one and half years of age playing | | | | by studying children's learning and methods of |
| with his toys, this child would not interact with other | | | | assessing intelligence (Hetherington et al, 2006). |
| children except may be scream if one of the child | | | | Moreover, the field of cognition i.e. the way the human |
| takes his toy. At this age the child does not have the | | | | mind acquires, remembers and learns to use |
| capacity to take into consideration others point of | | | | knowledge forms an integral part of the field and has |
| view, but as he grows up to be six or seven, he will | | | | a wide range of implications. From devising teaching |
| engage in group play and understand different people's | | | | methods in schools to big organisations employing it to |
| perspective and progressively as he enters into his | | | | create a learning environment for its employees the |
| teens he would feel the need to develop positive | | | | field has had a far reaching effect. |
| human relation-ships (Hetherington et al, 2006). The | | | | The nature of the subject is such that it has seen a |
| intriguing question is what accounts for this progressive | | | | flurry of theories, one contradicting the other, especially |
| and steady evolution of the child's ability to perceive | | | | in the area of Cognitive development |
| and describe complex relationships and learn new | | | | (Papers4you.com, 2006). There have been several |
| things efficiently? The quest for its answer and | | | | different approaches to cognitive development like |
| research into the area has lead to the inception of the | | | | Jean Piaget's theory, which emphasizes developmental |
| field of developmental psychology (Papers4you.com, | | | | changes in the organisation or structure of children's |
| 2006). | | | | thinking process or the Lev Vygotsky's socio-cultural |
| Developmental psychology is the scientific study of | | | | theory of cognitive development, which attributes the |
| progressive psychological changes that transpire in | | | | advancement in the child's thinking and learning to his |
| human beings as they age (Margaret & Butterworth, | | | | her interaction with the social world (Hetherington et al, |
| 2002). Child development is its rapidly emerging | | | | 2006). |
| sub-field of study, which seeks to account for the | | | | The field has limitless implications especially in improving |
| gradual evolution of the Childs's cognitive, social and | | | | children's functioning and opportunities for development |
| other capacities, first by describing changes in the | | | | in important areas of their lives, especially in |
| child's observed behaviours and then by uncovering | | | | relationships with their family, friends, peers and |
| the process and strategies that underlie these changes | | | | personal development. There is no doubt that child |
| (Hetherington et al, 2006, p4). Although field has seen | | | | psychology is a field on the move. |
| rapid developments recently, it's relatively young with | | | | References |
| the first theories coming up just a century ago. | | | | Hetherington, E. et al. (2006). 'Child Psychology: A |
| Proposing one of the first theories on the children's | | | | contemporary viewpoint'. 6th ed. McGraw-Hill, London. |
| emotional development was none other than the | | | | Margaret, H & Butterworth, G. (2002). 'Developmental |
| legendary Charles Darwin, who based most of his | | | | Psychology: Student's handbook'. Psychology Press, |
| work on his son's earliest emotional expressions. Alfred | | | | Hove. |
| Binet was another individual who pioneered in the filed | | | | |