Child psychology is one of the manybranches of psychology.
Also often referred to as developmental psychology, this particular branch focuses on the mind and behavior of children.
That includes everything that happens fromprenatal developmentthrough the end of adolescence.
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In the past, kids were often viewed simply as “mini-adults.”
It’s only been fairly recently that we’ve started to think of childhood as a distinct period.
This influences their ability to learn new things and develop new abilities.
Cognitive Development
Piaget suggested that children go through a series of cognitive stages of development.
During the early stages, children acquire knowledge through their sensory experiences.
They then progress through increasingly complex stages, where they learn to think symbolically, logically, and abstractly.
Through their interactions and experiences, kids become better at understanding and managing emotions.
During adolescence, kids develop a sense ofidentity, independence, andempathythat can foster greaterbelongingnessand social connection.
As kids grow, they begin to forge social connections with others in the community, particularly their classmates.
They learn to cooperate, share, and resolve conflicts.
However,developmentinvolves much more than the influences that arise from within an individual.
Environmental factors such as social relationships and the culture in which we live also affect how kids develop.
There are three majorcontextsthat we need to consider in our analysis of child psychology.
Families, schools, and peer groups all make up an important part of the social context.
Socioeconomic Context
Social class can also influence child development in critical ways.
Such factors can have a major impact on child psychology.
Remember, all three of these contexts are constantly interacting.
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