
Delve into child development, from nature and nurture to epigenetics, tracing prenatal to adolescence and the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial growth across stages.
The lecture explains what child development means and why early experiences, responsive relationships, and healthy environments shape brain architecture and resilience across physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains.
Explore major psychology perspectives—from structuralism and functionalism to cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, and cognitive neuroscience—and examine how levels of analysis reveal nature and nurture shaping behavior.
Explore how environmental experiences and epigenetic mechanisms shape gene expression, debunking genetic determinism and highlighting the interactive nature of nature and nurture in child development.
Explore physical development milestones in infants and toddlers, including growth patterns, motor skills, growth charts, signs of delays, and the role of early screenings.
Explore four types of child maltreatment: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional maltreatment, and learn the signs, risk factors, and potential long-term consequences for child development.
Examine how self-concept and self-esteem develop in early childhood, and learn nine practical strategies—unconditional love, independence, chores, and balanced technology use—to boost your child's confidence.
Explores puberty as rapid physical and sexual development in adolescence. Highlights hormones, primary and secondary sex characteristics, growth spurts, fertility, and puberty timing.
Explore Erikson's identity versus role confusion in adolescence, where teens seek self, values, and goals. See how supportive relationships and peer influence shape identity formation and prevent role confusion.
Explore emerging adulthood as a distinct life stage from ages 18 to 25. Identify five distinctive features: identity exploration, instability, self focus, feeling in between, and broad future possibilities.
The science of early childhood is a source of new ideas that could be used to develop more effective policies & services focused on the early years of life. Child Development is the scientific study of processes of change and stability in human children.
Science tells us that early childhood is a time of both great promise and considerable risk. Having responsive relationships with adults, growth-promoting experiences, and healthy environments for all young children helps build sturdy brain architecture and the foundations of resilience.
In my lectures for this course, I will review the Five Periods of Child Development:
· Prenatal Development (conception through birth)
· Infancy and Toddlerhood (birth through to age 3)
· Early Childhood (3 to 6 years)
· Middle Childhood (6 to 11 years)
· Adolescence (11 years to about 20)
Course Description: This course will study human development from conception through adolescence. It will focus on the theories of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth along with research methodologies in child development. Hereditary and environmental influences are explored.
Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course, the student will:
1. Discuss, compare, and contrast each of the major theoretical perspectives that describe development from conception through adolescence.
2. Discuss the contributions of Erikson, Freud, Piaget, and Vygotsky in the understanding of child development.
3. Describe language development through infancy, toddlerhood, and childhood.
4. Explain the effects of nature and nurture on the development of the child.
5. Examine and analyze stages of development to merge them with the domains of development.
6. Identify and discuss some of the cultural, cross-cultural, and subcultural factors involved in human development.