Child and Adolescent Development

Child Development

Refers to the biological, psychological, and emotional changes that occur from birth to the end of adolescence.

Dependency to Autonomy

The progression of a child from being reliant on others to becoming independent.

Maturationist Perspective

A theory that states development is biological and occurs in predictable stages, developed by Arnold Gesell.

Adolescent

A young person in the period between childhood and adulthood, derived from the Latin word 'adolescere', meaning to grow into maturity.

Growth

A progressive increase and advancement from birth to maturity characterized by physical changes during puberty.

Development

The gradual unfolding of individual characteristics through successive growth stages, implying increasing maturity.

Constructivist Perspective

A theory that emphasizes learning through interaction with the environment, advanced by Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.

Cognitive Developmental Perspective

A theory proposed by Piaget consisting of four stages of intellectual development: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational.

Behaviorist Perspective

A perspective based on theories by Watson, Pavlov, and Skinner that focuses on observable behaviors and environmental influences.

Sociocultural Perspective

Developed by Lev Vygotsky, emphasizes cultural influences on development and introduces the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).

Developmental/Ecological Systems Perspective

A theory by Urie Bronfenbrenner that considers multiple environmental systems affecting development such as microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.

Lifespan Perspective

Proposed by Paul Baltes, it suggests that development continues throughout the entire life span, from conception to death.

Multiple Intelligences Theory

Developed by Howard Gardner, it proposes various types of intelligence beyond traditional IQ.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

A concept introduced by Vygotsky referring to the range of tasks that a child can perform with help from a more knowledgeable other.