Child development is a field of study devoted to understanding human constancy and change from conception to adolescence.
There are three broad domains in developmental psychology:
1) Physical development: changes in body size, proportions, appearance, brain development, motor capacities, and physical health
2) Cognitive psychology: development of thought processes and intellectual ability, including attention, memory, problem solving, creativity,
3) Emotional and social development: emotional communication, self-understanding, ability to manage feelings, personal skills, friendship, and behavior.
Each of these domains influences and are influenced by others.
Child development is also segmented into five periods:
1) Prenatal period: from conception to birth, this is where the most rapid change occurs.
2) Infancy to toddlerhood: from birth to two years. Dramatic changes in the body and brain support emergence of motor skills, intimate ties with others. Infancy is the first year and toddlerhood is the second.
3) Early childhood: two to six years: body becomes longer and leaner, motor skills are refined and the child becomes more self-controlled.
4) Middle childhood: six to eleven years. Children learn about the wider world and master new responsibilities.
5) Adolescence: from 11 to 20. This is the bridge between childhood and adulthood.
A theory is an integrated set of statements that describes, explains, and predicts behavior. Continuous development is a view which states development occurs gradually. Discontinuous development is the view which states that development occurs in stages that emerge at specific times. A stage is a qualitative change in thinking, feeling, and behaving that characterizes a specific period of development. Nature vs. Nurture is the disagreement among theorists about whether genetics or the environment factors are more important determinants of development a...