Infant Psychosocial and Cognitive Development

By Nicole Rios

Unit 4 Project

Developmental Stages Chart Using the charts on milestones of development found

in our text along with other unit material, create a chart of your own. This chart needs to combine some landmarks in each of the following stages from birth to three years of age:

physical and motor development psychosocial development cognitive development

Unit 4 Project cont…. When creating your chart, choose a reasonable

sampling from each area; these could be milestones of development that strike you as most meaningful.

Expected developmental milestones are based on the idea that children tend to follow similar developmental patterns.

When doing this activity, keep in mind that current thinking about expected patterns of growth and development tells us that multiple biological and environmental influences affect both the sequence and timing of motor skills.

In addition, include a one-paragraph analysis addressing the fact that individuals develop at varying rates.

Unit 4 Project Rubric

You used the charts on milestones of development found in the text along with other unit material to create a chart. A paragraph reflected current thinking about expected patterns of growth and development, that multiple biological and environmental influences affect both the sequence and timing of motor skills ___/15 points

The chart combined some landmarks and a reasonable sampling of meaningful milestones from each area in each of the following stages from birth to three years of age: physical and motor development; 20 points psychosocial development; 20 points and cognitive development 20 points___/60 points

Project was free of grammar, usage, mechanics and spelling errors ___/10 pointsTotal

Points out of a possible 100___/100 points

Psychosocial Development

Milestones and Theories…

Question:

What are some social and emotional milestones for infants?

Psychosocial (Social and Emotional) Development Milestones

Birth to Age 1 Shows trust and attachment to

primary caregiver Recognizes familiar voices Shows feelings Responds positively to family members or

caregivers May suffer from separation anxiety or stranger

anxiety Enjoys social games (such as peek-a-boo)

Question:

What are some ways to promote social and emotional development in infants?

Promoting Psychosocial (Social and Emotional) Development in Infants

Be nurturing and responsive to their needs to ensure healthy attachments develop

Be empathetic and accepting of the infant’s needs

Provide predictable care for the infant Provide opportunities for exercise and play

in social environments Talk, sing, read to and play with infants

Psychosocial Theories

Erickson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

Attachment TheorySocial Learning Theory

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

According to Erikson, the shaping of the self is marked by: The search for identity The individual’s relationships The role of culture The passage through developmental

stages (which begin at birth)

Erikson’s Theory: Infancy Stage

Trust vs. Mistrust (Birth to age 1) Infants develop trust when:

They encounter nurturing, warm, and predictable interactions with their caregivers Their needs (physical and emotional) are met

Infants develop mistrust when caregivers neglect, reject, or fail to respond to infants

Question:

Based on Erikson’s theory, how can we help infants develop trust?

Attachment Theory

Infants form loving, emotional attachments with parents

John Bowlby is a psychiatrist who studied attachment. He focused his studies on children who were raised in institutions.

Attachment Theory:Findings of John Bowlby:

Infants who had formed strong relationships with their mothers and were separated from their mothers for extended periods of time developed resistance to close relationships

Children raised in institutions were unable to form lasting relationships with others In these institutions, all of their physical needs

were met, however they were not necessarily cared for in a nurturing and affectionate manner.

Question:

What does attachment theory tell us about the emotional needs of infants?

Social Learning Theory:

Role models shape the development of human beings

Socialization is a process that influences the behaviors, values, interactions, etc.

An infant’s development depends on their social interactions and environment

Question:

What are the implications of social learning theory on our interactions with infants?

Cognitive and Language Development

Milestones and Theories…

Question:

What are some cognitive and language milestones for infants?

Cognitive and Language Development Milestones

Birth to Age 1 Communicates through crying, cooing,

whimpering, and facial expressions Smiles and laughs Uses gestures to communicate (waving,

clapping, baby signs) Produces vowel sounds with some

consonants Produces words (closer to 1 year old) Looks at books and interacts with toys

Question:

What are some ways to promote language and cognitive development in infants?

Promoting Cognitive and Language Development in Infants

Birth to Age 1 Talk, sing, read to, tell stories, and play

with infants Provide lots of interaction Provide age-appropriate toys Use child-directed speech Create a safe environment in which

infant can explore Provide stimulating experiences (but

avoid over-stimulation)

Cognitive Theories

Piaget’s Theory Information Processing

TheorySocial Interactionist TheoryContextualist Theory

Cognitive Development: Piaget’s Theory

Cognitive development results because we are constantly trying to make sense of the world.

Four factors influence our cognitive development—biological maturation, activity, social experience, and equilibration (our effort to organize information and fit it into our knowledge schemes)

Cognitive development takes place in stages

Piaget’s Theory:The Infant’s Stage of Development Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years)

0-1 month: reflexes develop with sensory experiences and human interactions

1-4 months: motor activity becomes purposeful and intentional

4-8 months: infants develop simple cause and effect understanding (Ex: if they hit water in the tub, it will splash)

8-12 months: infants develop object permanence (they know that an object exists even if they cannot see or touch it)

12-24 months: infants develop symbolic representations (thinking before acting, imagination)

Question:

How can we promote cognitive development in the sensorimotor stage?

Cognitive Development: Information Processing Theory

Cognitive development is based on inputs, throughputs, and outputs Inputs: Infant gathers information

though their senses Throughputs: Infants process the new

information by comparing it to other information already stored

Outputs: Infants respond to new information through motor and verbal responses

Question:

Based on this theory, what types of activities or interactions would support the cognitive development of infants?

Cognitive Development: Social Interactionist Theory

Infants learn new information through: Observations of others Imitating others Social situations

Question:

In your opinion, does nature (biological and genetic influences) or nurture (social and environmental influences) have a greater effect on cognitive development? Why?

Cognitive Development: Contextualistic Theory

Development in all domains (not only cognitive) is a result of reciprocal influences: The child influences the environment as

he/she develops and the environment influences the child as he/she develops

Child development is an interactive process between the child and his/her social and cultural influences

Weekly Quote

Example isn't another way to teach, it is the only way to teach."

~Albert Einstein

References

Puckett, M. & Black, J. (2005). The Young Child. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.