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What Factors Affect Psychological Development in Childhood?

Susan Abe
Susan Abe

Psychological development refers to reaching psychological, emotional, social, and cognitive milestones as part of an individual's personal growth. Although adults have their own psychological challenges as they move through life stages, psychological development in childhood is a series of particularly intense and rapidly encountered milestones. These processes are also closely related to physical growth and the appearance of physical skills that are necessary for children to reach higher developmental levels. For instance, an infant learning to manipulate toys and other objects helps that baby develop a sense of self as opposed to other. In addition to physical growth, additional factors that influence a child's psychological development include prenatal care and nutrition, childhood nutrition, maternal bonding, and parenting skill and style.

Prenatal care and its subsequent influence on prenatal development can have an enormous influence on the psychological development of a child. Adequate maternal nutrition — as provided by food and supplemental maternal vitamins — supplies the necessary building blocks for a fetus' growth and progress. In addition to a minimal amount of nutrition, there are also foods and substances the a mother should avoid or limit as the fetus' growth continues. Certain prescription and over-the-counter drugs and alcohol should be avoided completely and other foods that may allow toxins to accumulate in the body — including tuna and other types of fish — should be limited. Medical monitoring of the pregnancy can also help prevent complications, such as gestational diabetes, from harming the health of the mother and the child.

Attachment between mother and baby promotes healthy psychological development.
Attachment between mother and baby promotes healthy psychological development.

Positive psychological development in childhood continues to be strongly related to optimal nutrition after the child is born. An infant's brain and nervous system grows exponentially in the first few years of life and adequate nutrition is necessary to sustain this rapid development. Breastfeeding during infancy is said to promote an infant's immune system, provide excellent nutrition, and promote maternal-child bonding and an infant's sense of security. An infant's first relationship should be based in trust and security as this is thought to promote subsequent positive interactions with people and establish the very beginning of social skills. Continued positive relationships with parents and caretakers help promote continued socialization.

Parents and primary caregivers can help young children learn to recognize and deal with often turbulent emotions.
Parents and primary caregivers can help young children learn to recognize and deal with often turbulent emotions.

Parenting skill and style is another factor that influences a child's psychological development. Consistent parenting in what the child perceives as a safe environment encourages trust and exploration. Inconsistent supervision or a family atmosphere of constant turmoil and upheaval can lead to anxiety disorders and behaviors related to mistrust and avoidance. Parental limits consistently applied to a child's behavior help to encourage experimentation with novelty within known limits.

Discussion Comments

browncoat

@pleonasm - I think most people just didn't think about it. It's easy to say that people didn't understand something, but I'll bet a lot of mothers back then who had gone through having a half dozen children and dozens of grandchildren would have been able to tell you at what point a child will stop being amused by peek-a-boo and when they will begin to lie.

pleonasm

@umbra21 - Yeah, I would hate to think what it would be like to be an adult and truly have no Theory of Mind. It goes along with understanding object permanence as a vital part of being able to negotiate the world.

In fact it took a while for scientists to even realize that children had to develop these things, because they took them so much for granted. I believe the original theory was simply that babies were dumb, rather that they didn't have the framework to understand that when something disappears it still exists.

umbra21

When I was at university and taking a beginner's psychology course with some friends we joked about the idea that I had never developed a Theory of Mind. This is the stage of development in childhood where a toddler realizes that other people have their own minds and don't experience everything that the toddler does. Basically, it's the point where a toddler learns they can lie, because their mother won't automatically know whether something is true or not.

Obviously I do have a Theory of Mind but I was prone to blurting things out because I thought that everyone already knew what I knew and/or would react the same way when they heard it.

I guess it was my friends' way of telling me I was childish.

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    • Attachment between mother and baby promotes healthy psychological development.
      By: Svetlana Fedoseeva
      Attachment between mother and baby promotes healthy psychological development.
    • Parents and primary caregivers can help young children learn to recognize and deal with often turbulent emotions.
      By: Tom Wang
      Parents and primary caregivers can help young children learn to recognize and deal with often turbulent emotions.
    • The type of discipline that a young child receives can have a great influence on her emotional development.
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      The type of discipline that a young child receives can have a great influence on her emotional development.
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      Positive psychological development in childhood is strongly related to optimal nutrition after the child is born.
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    • The extent of prenatal care can have an impact on a child's psychological development.
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      The extent of prenatal care can have an impact on a child's psychological development.