Exploring Child Development

ILLUSTRATED WALK THOUGH

To the Student

The goal of this book is to help you become familiar with the complexities and mysteries of child development from conception through adolescence. In addition to describing developmental changes, we emphasize the processes that underlie them. We consider the dynamic and diverse factors that influence infants, children, and adolescents and how they come to be the way they are.
The dynamics of development are reflected in the words and behaviors of infants, children, adolescents, and the significant adults in their lives. By using personal stories, an informal style, and a warm tone, we tried to make the material engaging and meaningful. You may even find that the stories remind you of yourself, your siblings and friends, your children, or children you know. Children’s words and actions illustrate the themes of the text and provide vivid and memorable evidence of developmental processes.
Themes of This Textbook

Every aspect of development, as well as every change in behavior and thinking, can be understood only within the context in which it is embedded. These contexts are complex, dynamic, and diverse. We place particular emphasis on human relationships as a context for development, because it is through relationships with others that individuals derive meaning and purpose from their lives.
Development in the Context of Human Relationships

Individual development is affected by relationships, and these relationships, in turn, are affected by development. The story of each child’s development is partially written by the other people in his or her life. In this way, development and relationships are mutually dependent, and helping you to understand the significance of this mutual interdependence is the principal goal of this textbook. Understanding the central role of relationships in development may lead you to new insights into your own childhood as well as the lives of infants, children, or adolescents who may be in your care.
Development and Diversity

Children come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and vary in their abilities, personalities, and traits. They come from different cultures, have different histories and family backgrounds, and hold different values, expectations, and preferences. Identifying and understanding the major dimensions of diversity in children is a way to broaden and enrich the study of development.
One of the major themes of this book is that development stems from the interplay among the many qualities that children bring to their environments and the variety of environments in which they live their lives. The dynamic interplay among diverse and changing individual and environmental characteristics means that children’s developmental outcomes (such as their physical and psychological health) are influenced by many factors. Development is complex, and no single factor’s presence or absence will always determine a specific course of development.
Our focus on diversity is evident in our emphasis on understanding development in children with various biological, familial, social, and cultural backgrounds—children who differ, for example, in the dimensions of gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class. The focus on diversity also is seen in the variety of topics and issues covered in this textbook. A diversity logo in the text margin identifies a discussion where the theme of diversity is interwoven into the text narrative.
Scientific Inquiry

The main source of information for this book is the body of research on child development. Knowing how developmental scientists conduct research is essential for understanding infants, children, adolescents, and the environments and people with whom they interact. This research-based text introduces you to the scientific method, which involves using objective, replicable procedures to reduce subjective and biased assumptions. The scientific method provides a framework through which issues concerning development can be tested and verified, sometimes revealing evidence that is contrary to popular belief.
In this book, you will be encouraged to think critically so that you can become a better consumer of scientific information. Critical thinking involves the ability to judge the validity, authenticity, accuracy, and value of information. Identifying biases, distinguishing statements of fact from value judgments, and recognizing inconsistencies are hallmarks of critical thinking. Critical thinking mandates a certain frame of mind and set of attitudes, as well as a set of skills. This text aims to promote critical thinking by

fostering a willingness to question assertions and claims about development
encouraging consideration of a variety of viewpoints in thinking about child development
pointing out meaningful applications of scientific knowledge to everyday life
providing structured opportunities to respond to critical thinking questions within the text

Organization of the Textbook

This textbook is divided into seven parts, based on the sequence of developmental changes from conception through adolescence.
The Parts

Part 1 introduces the key themes and terminology in the study of child development, including the conceptual, historical, and scientific foundations of the field. A basic orientation to the major issues concerning development, research methods in the study of development, and general theories of development is presented. Part 1 also outlines the transactional approach to understanding human development, which serves as the conceptual foundation for this book. According to this approach, the process of human development is shaped by a continuous interplay between individuals and their ever-changing environments. Woven into the transactional approach are the important influences of human relationships.
Part 2 discusses the origins of development, including heredity and genetics; how life begins; the course of prenatal development; and childbirth. Part 3 focuses on the astonishing changes and accomplishments of infants and toddlers. Special attention is given to understanding these accomplishments as they occur within the context of early relationships, especially caregiving relationships.
Part 4 focuses on early childhood and includes perspectives on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development during the preschool years. Part 5 covers the period of childhood from the time children enter school until they begin puberty. The chapters in Parts 4 and 5 highlight the abilities that expand and develop during childhood and their links to the broadening scope of relationships found in peer and school environments.
One of the unique features of this book is that we distinguish between early and late adolescence. Although a 13-year-old and an 18-year-old are both adolescents, their developmental tasks are very different. Part 6 provides in-depth coverage of early adolescent development, and Part 7 focuses on later adolescence. The chapters in Parts 6 and 7 discuss in detail the dramatic physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes that accompany the transitions of early and late adolescence. Emphasis is given to the changing nature of interpersonal relationships during these stages. Integration and Application
Each of the seven parts weaves the themes of the book into a visual and personal synthesis of developmental trends that illustrates the continuity of development. A part begins with a brief personal story, which introduces the main issues and orients readers to the topics taken up in the accompanying chapters. The part opener includes a list of specific learning objectives. Each part ends with “Grasping the Whole,” which synthesizes and integrates the information through a “Benchmarks” chart and other learning aids. Child development involves complex changes in related processes and behaviors; it is not a product of isolated transformations. Physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development are intimately interrelated. “Grasping the Whole” brings together the different aspects of development presented in separate chapters and helps to personalize them. In each “Grasping the Whole,” a Status Report figure identifies critical issues and presents statistics regarding the current status of the age group discussed in that part.
“Grasping the Whole” ends with suggestions for obtaining more information about the issues discussed in the chapters. Included are suggested readings and addresses of Websites that contain valuable information for students of development. Chapter Organization
Each chapter starts with an introductory vignette and chapter outline. Main chapter headings are framed as key questions, which are then answered in the subsections that follow.
Important terms and concepts are boldfaced in the narrative where they appear and then are defined in the margin. These key terms are also listed at the end of the chapter with page references and included in an end-of-book Glossary. Figures, tables, and photos are designed to increase comprehension. End-of-chapter summary points provide meaningful ways to analyze and synthesize the information presented in the chapter.
To enhance your appreciation of how the science of child development relates to everyday life, we present many examples of practical applications of the information as it is discussed. Chapter closing activities provide meaningful opportunities for relating to chapter content. These applications and activities are designed to make the material more personally and professionally relevant. Features
Along with the pedagogical elements embedded in the chapter, each chapter includes three kinds of text features that support the themes of the book.

IN EVERYDAY LIFE suggests ways of applying research findings on development to decision making and problem solving in real-life contexts.
IN RESEARCH FOCUS presents findings from current scientific research. The features highlight how scientists tackle issues relating to infants, children, and adolescents. The research is presented in an engaging and informative style and followed by “Thinking It Through” questions that call for critical thinking.
AT ISSUE focuses on contemporary social and research debates concerning child development. The issues represent critical points of controversy in the field. “Thinking It Through” questions encourage you to analyze and express opinions on these issues. By answering these questions, you will gain a better understanding of the issues and develop the skills needed to evaluate research, policy, and media issues related to child and adolescent development.