| Imagine a child of one and half years of age | | | | remembers and learns to use knowledge forms |
| playing with his toys, this child would not | | | | an integral part of the field and has a wide |
| interact with other children except may be | | | | range of implications. From devising teaching |
| scream if one of the child takes his toy. At | | | | methods in schools to big organisations |
| this age the child does not have the capacity | | | | employing it to create a learning environment |
| to take into consideration others point of | | | | for its employees the field has had a far |
| view, but as he grows up to be six or seven, | | | | reaching effect. |
| he will engage in group play and understand | | | | |
| different people's perspective and | | | | The nature of the subject is such that it has |
| progressively as he enters into his teens he | | | | seen a flurry of theories, one contradicting |
| would feel the need to develop positive human | | | | the other, especially in the area of |
| relation-ships (Hetherington et al, 2006). | | | | Cognitive development (Papers4you.com, 2006). |
| The intriguing question is what accounts for | | | | There have been several different approaches |
| this progressive and steady evolution of the | | | | to cognitive development like Jean Piaget's |
| child's ability to perceive and describe | | | | theory, which emphasizes developmental |
| complex relationships and learn new things | | | | changes in the organisation or structure of |
| efficiently? The quest for its answer and | | | | children's thinking process or the Lev |
| research into the area has lead to the | | | | Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory of cognitive |
| inception of the field of developmental | | | | development, which attributes the advancement |
| psychology (Papers4you.com, 2006). | | | | in the child's thinking and learning to his |
| | | | her interaction with the social world |
| Developmental psychology is the scientific | | | | (Hetherington et al, 2006). |
| study of progressive psychological changes | | | | |
| that transpire in human beings as they age | | | | The field has limitless implications |
| (Margaret & Butterworth, 2002). Child | | | | especially in improving children's |
| development is its rapidly emerging sub-field | | | | functioning and opportunities for development |
| of study, which seeks to account for the | | | | in important areas of their lives, especially |
| gradual evolution of the Childs's cognitive, | | | | in relationships with their family, friends, |
| social and other capacities, first by | | | | peers and personal development. There is no |
| describing changes in the child's observed | | | | doubt that child psychology is a field on the |
| behaviours and then by uncovering the process | | | | move. |
| and strategies that underlie these changes | | | | |
| (Hetherington et al, 2006, p4). Although | | | | References |
| field has seen rapid developments recently, | | | | |
| it's relatively young with the first theories | | | | Hetherington, E. et al. (2006). 'Child |
| coming up just a century ago. | | | | Psychology: A contemporary viewpoint'. 6th |
| | | | ed. McGraw-Hill, London. |
| Proposing one of the first theories on the | | | | |
| children's emotional development was none | | | | Margaret, H & Butterworth, G. (2002). |
| other than the legendary Charles Darwin, who | | | | 'Developmental Psychology: Student's |
| based most of his work on his son's earliest | | | | handbook'. Psychology Press, Hove. |
| emotional expressions. Alfred Binet was | | | | |
| another individual who pioneered in the filed | | | | Papers For You (2006) "P/PS/67. Disclosure of |
| by studying children's learning and methods | | | | sexual abuse in children", Available from |
| of assessing intelligence (Hetherington et | | | | [20/06/2006] |
| al, 2006). Moreover, the field of cognition | | | | |
| i.e. the way the human mind acquires, | | | | Papers For You (2006) "S/PS/50. |