Psychology
is the study of mental processes, behavior, and the relationship between them.
Mental processes include skills like learning, reasoning, emotion, and
motivation (Erikson, E.1968) .
Development in the context of psychology is the series of orderly
progression towards maturity that implies overall qualitative changes resulting
in the improved function of an organism.
Child psychology, also
called child development, the study of the
psychological processes of children and, specifically, how these processes
differ from those of adults, how they develop from birth to the end of
adolescence, and how and why they differ from one child to the next (Berk,
L. E.2009) .
Principle is a law or rule that
has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an
inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the
way that a system is constructed. Its users as the essential characteristics of
the system, or reflecting system’s designed purpose understand the principles
of such a system, and the effective operation or use of which would be
impossible if any one of the principles was to be ignored.
Significant principles
underlying in the process of growth and development .There are certain significant
principles underlying in the process of growth and development that is
Cephalous caudal principle, proximal distal principle and maturation principle.
Also other principle can discussed as follows:
Development follows a pattern. The
process of development is not haphazard but gradual and regular. We will find a
particular pattern or sequence of development. In the cephalous-caudal sequence,
that is. Development proceeds from head to toe and proximal-distal sequence in
this pattern direction of development proceeds from centre to the other parts
of the body.
Growth is
continuous and gradual. Growth always brings about certain
change in the organism. However, these changes do not take place suddenly. It
is a continuous process. All the parts of body continue to grow gradually until
they reach their maximum through infancy early childhood, late childhood.
Growth
proceeds more rapidly during early years. The rate of growth is
not uniform. The child grows more rapidly during early years and slowly during
the later years. Growth during early years is so rapid that it is easily
noticeable and growth becomes slow at the later stages.
Development proceeds from general to specific.
The child first shows general responses as a whole. Then gradually he gives
specific response to specific stimuli. The child moves his whole hand to
indicate certain thing instead of one finger. In the emotional aspect he
responds through only general response like crying & smile to denote,
hunger, pain & Joy and the baby produces general babbling sounds, before he
can speak words.
Development is a product of heredity and environment.
Heredity and environment have considerable impact on the growth and development
of the child. The child is born with some genetically endowments and develops
by interacting with his environment. Neither heredity nor environment is the
sole factor responsible for the development of a child. Nutrition, home climate
and school environment regulate social, emotional and intellectual development
while child inherits physical stature and different traits from his parents.
Most of the traits are correlated.
The physical and the mental development of the child are mostly correlated to
each other. A child who has a good physical health is also above average in
intelligence. A child whose intelligence is above average is also so in health
size, sociability, attitudes and aptitudes. But this may not be always true.
Growth is not uniform. Different
parts of body grow at different rates. Not all parts of body can grow at the
same rate. At birth, head is one fourth of the body in length. Later other
parts of body grow very fast until it reaches maturation.
Development is
predictable. In many cases, it is possible to predict the type
of probable development a child will follow, because the rate of development
follows a Pattern. As it is possible to predict intelligence of a person with
the help of an intelligence test given in earlier years. 'X'-rays of the bones
of different parts of the body will tell approximately, what will be the
ultimate size.
Therefore, although there child
developmental principle in psychology .this does not mean that every child
should grow in the same procedure and this means it can vary from one child to
another. Example one can grow from the center of the body to another parts
(proximal distal) and one can proceed from head to the toe (cephalous caudal).
REFERENCES
Berk,
L. E. (2009). Child Development. Eighth ed. United States of
America: Pearson Education, Inc.
Erikson
E. (1968). Identity, Youth, and Crisis. New York: Norton
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