This course on the psychological development of children looks at the development of very young children. It deals with topics such as the development of perception, knowledge, skills and relationships. The way in which biological, social and cultural influences interact in a child’s development is a central theme, examined from different points of view in modern psychological research and theory.
This distance learning Child Psychology Course is divided into two distinct parts, and the diploma covers some of the major concepts in the field. The first part deals with the physical, social and behavioural development of the child and the influence that family, friends and their environment have in their overall development. The second part deals with understanding the child as an individual. In this you shall study various aspects such as moral development, development of gender roles, aggression in children, behavioural modification, and more.
Child Psychology is the branch of psychology that studies the social and mental development of children. Understanding how children develop can aid in the understanding of how to raise well-balanced, productive individuals as well as provide some universal insights into human nature.
Jean Piaget, a Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children, suggested that children actually think differently than adults. Before Piaget’s work, the common assumption in psychology was that children are merely less competent thinkers than adults. According to Piaget, children are born with a very basic mental structure (genetically inherited and evolved) on which all subsequent learning and knowledge is based. Today, psychologists recognise that child psychology is unique and complex, but many differ in terms of the unique perspective they take when approaching development.
