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_Child Development _
By: jojo
Chapter 9: Developmental Psychology I Teratogens are any medication, chemical,
infectious disease or environmental factors that interfere with the normal
development of a fetus that can result in a loss of pregnancy, birth defect,
or a pregnancy complication. A wide variety of factors include: drugs,
alcohol, and viruses. Through techniques of ultra sound and amniocentesis, one
can determine the health of the fetus and determine whether terotagens have
had any effect. Ultra sound involves directing high-pitched sound waves toward
the fetus. A computer converts the waves into a sonogram (outline image of the
fetus, uterus, placenta). Amniocentesis is the withdrawal and analysis of
amniotic fluid to detect genetic abnormalties in the fetus. Diana Baumrind :
Parenting Styles Parenting styles in the U.S. have been thoroughly researched
by Diana Baumrind. Trained observers kept records of childrens behaviors in
nursery school. Through these observations, 3 contrasting parenting styles
were identified: authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive. Authoritarian
parents tend to be low in nurturance and high in parental control. They set
absolute standards of behavior for their children that are not to be
questioned or negotiated. Forceful discipline is favored and prompt obedience
is demanded. They are less likely to use gentle methods of persuasion such as
affection, praise and rewards with their children. Authoritative parents tend
to be high in nurturance and moderate in parental control when it comes to
dealing with child behavior. They possess more knowledge, skill, control
resources, and physical power than their children. They explain rules,
decisions, and are willing to listen to the childs point of view even when
not accepting it. They are not likely to use physical punishment and stress
absolute obedience. Permissive parents tend to be moderate to high nurturance
but low in parental control. They place few demands on their children and are
likely to e inconsistent disciplinarians. They are accepting towards child
impulses, desires, and actions. Morever, they are less likely to monitor their
childrens behavior. Children raised in this manner tend to lack knowledge of
appropriate behaviors for ordinary social situations and take little
responsibility for their own misbehavior. Jean Piaget: Theories of Child
Development Piaget discovers processes by which children gain new knowledge.
Assimulation is the method of incorporating information into our accustomed
way of thinking. Thus, a child can constantly create and reacreat his own
model of reality. Accommodation is the process of altering ones ways of
thinking to include new information that does not fit into existing ways of
thinking. Hence, mental growth can be achieved by integrating simpler concepts
into higher level concepts. Four stages within these developments can be
traced. Sensorimotor stage occurs during the first two years of a childs
life. It is concerned with mastering their own inherited physical reflexes and
extending them into pleasurable or interesting actions. They experience the
world in a direct manner and learn basic lessons before preceeding to more
complex thoughts. Preoperational stage occurs roughly from age 2 to 7 where
the child learns to manipulate their own environment symbolically through
inner thoughts about the external world. Thus, they become less dependent on
physical stimuli and physical reactions to guide their behavior. During this
stage one learns to represent objects by words and themselves. Concrete
operational stage occurs from age 7 to 12 by the beginning of logic in the
childs thought processes. The initiation of classification of objects bye
their similiarities and differences can be established. The child begins to
grasp the concepts of time and number. Formal operational stage begins at the
age 12 and extends to adulthood. It is characterized by and orderliness of
thinking and a mastery of logical thought. The child learns in this final
phase to manipulate abstract ideas, make hypotheses, and see implications of
their own thinking and of others.
Word Count: 627
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