Child Development

Child Development

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Child Development

Language Development

John Watson delved deep into the controversial debate on nature versus nurture. His quote leaned more on the side of nurture. He stated that the he can train a healthy child to become a specialist in any field. The theory of nurture believes that indeed genetic influence on human traits exists (Knight & Ember 43). However, it does not take precedence over the environmental factors. A child is born with genetic traits from genes but the traits have to be activated by the environment for them to manifest. The argument for nurture is evidenced strongly by the analogy of a set of twins raised in different environments. Obviously, they are going to exhibit both different and same character traits.

The theory of nature believes that the coding of genes is in the cell of humans determines the physical traits as well as the character traits. There is no controversy on the part about the physical traits. However, it is very difficult to ascertain the effect of genes on the behavioral attributes of a child. Abstract traits such as intelligence and personality cannot be quantified. Therefore, one cannot measure the worth a child is born with. In the case of language development, I believe that both sets of theories apply. Language development in a child is determined by both physical and abstract attributes. The physical attributes are applicable because they determine how a child is going to pronounce some words, for example, the shape of a child’s mouth. The abstract attributes such as intelligence determine whether a child is going to learn how to speak quickly or slowly. Therefore, I do not agree with the quote by John Watson. A child can be trained but one cannot ascertain how quickly they are going to grasp what they are being taught.

Attachment

            The pre-attachment behavior of a child begins to exhibit in the first six weeks of a child’s life. During that phase the child is does not show any signs of an attachment (Davies 19). After the six weeks the first phase begins and it is about eight months. The infant begins to bubble and smile in order to get the attention of the caregiver. In the second phase the infant begins to discriminate the adult care givers. The child only clings to people that are familiar. The third phase is between six months and two years.  The child becomes more goal oriented and he or she demands attention only for the purposes of meeting certain targets. Infant exploration is greater when the caregiver is present.

             An attachment is the emotional bond that is created between a parent and the child. An attachment is formed between a child and a care giver as a result of the child’s need for security, safety and protection (Davies 19). An attachment is developed instinctively and it is regulated by various levels of the phylogenic scale. The behavior is goal corrected meaning that it changes as the child develops. As the child grows the needs of the child also change and the instincts begin to adapt differently. Therefore, it can be said that attachments in infants not driven by love and affection as it is widely thought. Breast milk is also one of the factors that are said to promote the bond and attachment between a mother and the child. However, it is difficult to ascertain whether the chemical composition of the milk is the trigger or it is the need of the child for milk.

A healthy attachment is one that is secure. An infant is securely attached to the parent because the parents will be there for the long term. Parents who respond to their children’s need form very good attachments with them. The reason is that the children are always certain that the parents are dedicated to make them comfortable. A negative attachment is one that is irregular.  A child is not sure whether the person will be available the next day.

Cognitive Development

The behaviorist approach is deals with matters concerning the common mechanics of learning. The psychometric approach is concerned with measuring the intelligence of people quantitatively. On the other hand, the Piagetian approach is a description of the qualitative stages as far a cognitive reasoning is concerned (Bornstein & Lamb 370). The psychometric approach would asses the issue of Santa clause very differently to the other approaches. The approach would first analyze the knowledge base of the person who is talking about Santa. For example, children up to a certain age are allowed to have such conclusions. However, it would be very difficult to understand an adult who still thinks that Santa exists. In such situations, the approach results to analyzing the attitudes and personality traits of the person.

Parenting Styles

            The environment that parents create in homes determines the relationship that they will have with their children and the development of the ability of those children to face challenges in life. The family structure determines the kind of discipline that is dispensed. In a family with a father as the head of the family the children look up to him on guidance on how to behave. Child abuse and neglect distorts the development of children. They begin to develop violent tendencies and their performance in school and other activities is distracted. Children who are abused should be taken through a psychiatric rehabilitation first before being taken to a new family. Spanking with an intention of correction is an appropriate form of punishment. However, care should be applied so as not to injure the child.

Works Cited:

Bornstein, Marc H., and Michael E. Lamb, eds. Cognitive development: an advanced textbook. Taylor & Francis, 2011.

Davies, Douglas. Child development: A practitioner’s guide. Guilford Press, 2010.

Knight, Elizabeth Brestan, and Ember L. Lee. A Guide to Teaching Development Psychology. John Wiley & Sons, 2009.