CONTENTS
Preface = xi
1. Introducing the Study of Child Development = 1
Conceptual Issues = 2
Children''''s Place in History and Culture = 2
The ''''Biological'''', ''''Social'''' and ''''Individual'''' ''''Causes'''' of Development = 4
Continuity and Discontinuity in Development = 12
How Conceptualising Child Development Leads to Researching Child Development : Some Methodological Issues = 15
Scientific Answers to Questions About Child Development = 15
Cross-Sectional Studies-''''Getting Age Differences'''' = 18
Longitudinal Studies = 19
''''Stages'''' in Development = 21
Systems Theories = 22
Bronfenbrenner''''s Bioecological Theory of Developmental Systems = 22
Multiple Factors at Multiple Levels = 28
Individuals Are Active Producers of Their Own Development = 31
2. Biological Bases of Child Development : Evolution and Genes = 33
Evolution and Child Development = 34
Adaptation = 35
Neoteny, Heterochrony and the Timing of Developmental Events = 37
''''Evo-Devo'''' : Developmental Psychology and Evolutionary Theory = 38
Humans Have Evolved to Be Social = 39
Humans'''' Reproductive Strategy Implies They Will Invest in Their Offspring = 40
Genes and Child Development = 43
Genes and Experience as Influences on Development = 47
Genetic Anomalies and Different Development = 49
Gene Expression = 50
Epigenesis = 51
Early Experience, Gene Expression and Development Over Generations = 53
Smoking, Gene Expression and Development = 56
Deprivation of Maternal Care, Gene Expression, Serotonin and Psychological Disorders = 57
Phenylketonuria : An Example of Why Even Gene-Caused Disorders Are Not Solely Caused by Genes = 59
Summary = 60
3. Biological Bases of Child Development : Brain Development = 61
Some Basic Points About Brains and Their Role in Child Development = 62
An Introductory Description of the Brain = 62
Brain Development and Developmental Psychology = 66
Brains, Bodies and Stress = 70
Stress and the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) = 72
Stress and the HPA Axis : Cortisol = 73
Stress and the Immune System = 74
Stress and the Social Brain = 76
Developmental Fine-Tuning of Stress Systems = 77
Stress and Parenting = 82
Stress and Peers = 83
Stress and Executive Functions = 84
Emotion Regulation = 84
Testosterone and Sex Differences in Behaviour = 86
Psychoneuroendocrinology and Child Development : A Summary = 87
4. Big Developmental Theories : Piaget, Information-Processing, Vygotsky = 89
Cognitive Development : Piaget, Information-Processing and Vygotsky = 90
Piagetian Theory = 91
Causes of Cognitive Development = 92
Equilibration = 93
Stages = 94
Information-Processing Approaches = 97
Capacity, Processes and Knowledge = 98
Representations = 99
Inhibition and Flexibility = 100
Rules, Algorithms and Efficiency = 102
Developmental Mechanisms = 103
Cognition and its Social Construction = 105
Language and Thought = 109
The ''''Zone of Proximal Development'''' = 110
Cognitive Development is Socio-Cultural = 112
5. The Development of Cognitive Skills = 113
Perception = 114
Methodology in Perceptual Development = 114
Perceptual Behaviour = 116
Findings About Perceptual Development = 117
Executive Functions : Attention, Memory and Metacognition = 119
Attention = 119
Memory = 120
The Basic Structure and Processes of Memory = 120
What Develops in Memory? Organisation of Detail, Inferential Links and Memory Strategies = 122
Metamemory = 124
Infantile Amnesia, Episodic Memory and Autobiographical Memory = 126
Metacognition = 128
Teaching Thinking Skills = 130
Social Cognition = 132
Diagnosing Mental States = 132
Moral Reasoning = 136
Children''''s Moral Reasoning = 136
Links Between Moral Reasoning, Identity and Emotion = 141
6. Language Development = 143
Infants'''' Perception of Speech Sounds = 145
Infants'''' Production of Speech Sounds = 146
Beginning to Use Words = 148
Words and Their Functions : Using Words as Names = 150
Constraints on Learning New Words = 153
The Growth of Vocabulary = 156
From Single Words to Sentences = 156
Language Acquisition Devices = 158
Language Acquisition Principles = 159
Language Acquisition Support Systems = 161
Children''''s Metalinguistic Behaviour = 164
Children With Specific Language Impairment = 166
Biological Bases of Language Development = 168
7. Cognition and Education = 170
Reading : Linking Written Word, Sound and Meaning = 171
Learning to Read in a Literate Environment = 172
Component Skills of Reading = 174
Children With Reading Problems = 176
Biological Bases of Dyslexia = 179
Numeracy = 179
8. Personality, Emotion Regulation and an Introduction to Developmental Psychopathology = 185
Stress = 187
Physiological Systems for Stress Management = 187
Experiential and Developmental Differences in Coping With Stress = 188
Mechanisms for Developmental Differences in Self-Regulation = 189
Developmental Changes in Reaction to Stress = 193
Emotional Self-Regulation = 194
Emotional Self-Regulation and Psychosocial Disorders = 195
Personality Development and Life Events : Stage Models = 197
Temperament = 197
The Self Concept = 198
The Existential Self = 199
The ''''Me'''' : The Categorical Self Concept = 200
Functions of Self Concept = 200
The Development of Self Concept in Childhood = 201
Self Concept in Adolescence = 203
Self Concept, Success and Strategies : Entity and Incremental Theories = 205
Self-Conscious Emotions : Pride, Shame, Guilt, Embarrassment and Low Self-Esteem = 206
Emotion, Social Development and the Development of Well-Being = 207
Mastery = 209
Developing a Sense of Mastery = 209
Depression = 210
Depression and Daily Life Stresses, Brain Development and Personality = 210
Social Support and Depression = 211
Early Life Events and Depression = 211
Macrosystem Issues and Depression = 211
Anxiety = 212
9. Social Relationships and the Family = 213
Infant-Adult Interaction = 214
Parenting = 216
Bonding and Maternal Instinct = 218
Attachment = 220
Describing Relationships = 222
Early Experience and Later Effects = 222
Methodological and Conceptual Problems = 223
''''Maternal Deprivation'''' and ''''Maternal Privation'''' = 223
Child-Rearing Techniques = 224
Dimensions of Parenting = 227
Warmth and Responsivity = 227
Discipline and Control = 227
Adoption = 228
Sibling Relationships = 229
Genetic and Experiential Factors in Sibling Resemblance = 230
Birth Order and Sibling Socialisation = 230
Sibling Reciprocity and Complementarity = 233
Sibling Relationships and Family Conflict = 235
Sibling Relationships and Fairness Issues = 236
Sibling Relationships in Adolescence and Adulthood = 237
Summary = 237
10. Peers and the Child as Social Person = 239
Development of Peer Relations = 240
Attachment and Parent Influences on Peer Relationships = 244
Peer Group Popularity and Teachers'''' Views = 245
Peer Difficulties and Externalising Problems = 245
Peer Difficulties and Internalising Problems = 246
Adolescents and Their Peers = 246
Popularity and Unpopularity with Adolescent Peers = 248
Adolescents and Romantic Relationships = 248
Bullying and Aggression = 250
Developmental Experiences Associated with Risk of Becoming a Bully or a Victim = 252
Gender = 254
Socio-Cultural Theories of Gender = 256
Development of Sex Differences in Children = 257
Infancy Differences = 258
Differences in the Preschool and Early School Years = 258
Influences on the Development of a Gendered Social World : Parents = 260
Influences on the Development of a Gendered Social World : Siblings = 261
Influences on the Development of a Gendered Social World : Peers = 261
Influences on the Development of a Gendered Social World : Schools = 263
Learning the Social World of School = 264
Children and Their Fellow Pupils = 268
Children and the Media = 269
Media Use, Decline in Physical Activity, Diet and the Obesity Epidemic = 270
Media Use and the Development of Cognitive Skills = 271
Media and Violence = 271
Psychological Processes in Children''''s Response to Media Violence = 273
11. Play = 275
Defining Play = 276
Theories of the Causes of Play = 278
Some Possible Functions of Play = 280
Arousal Modulation = 280
Practising Adult Activities = 281
Allowing Behavioural Recombination = 281
Emotional and Social Functions of Play = 281
The Development of Play Behaviours = 282
On the Importance of Play = 284
Play = 285
Key Terms = 286
Bibliography = 295
Index = 337
