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