Child Development
Concepts and Theories
- Jean A. Mercer - Stockton University, USA
April 2018 | 256 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
Understanding child development is essential to ensuring a full and rounded psychological grounding, but given the complex nature of the topic it can be a real challenge.
Child Development: Concepts and Theories takes a step back to focus just on the key concepts of child development that all students must learn. With this book, their first encounters with theories and their applications will mean that they can move on with a firm foundation in child development. Central to this, is understanding how these theories or concepts are applied in the real world and how psychologists engage with them in research. This book gives clear and detailed examples to bring the subject to life. Each chapter features case studies that run throughout the chapter and develop as the students' own understanding does.
Written for undergraduates, the book will become essential to any student wanting a key to unlock the world of child development.
Jean Mercer is Professor Emerita of Psychology at Stockton University, New Jersey, and writes a blog, “Childmyths”.
Child Development: Concepts and Theories takes a step back to focus just on the key concepts of child development that all students must learn. With this book, their first encounters with theories and their applications will mean that they can move on with a firm foundation in child development. Central to this, is understanding how these theories or concepts are applied in the real world and how psychologists engage with them in research. This book gives clear and detailed examples to bring the subject to life. Each chapter features case studies that run throughout the chapter and develop as the students' own understanding does.
Written for undergraduates, the book will become essential to any student wanting a key to unlock the world of child development.
Jean Mercer is Professor Emerita of Psychology at Stockton University, New Jersey, and writes a blog, “Childmyths”.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Some basic concepts of child development
Chapter 3: Concepts related to genetic factors and prenatal development
Chapter 4: Concepts of physical growth and development
Chapter 5: Development of cognition and perception
Chapter 6: Concepts of emotion and personality
Chapter 7: Social development and formative experiences
This book looks at the areas of development in a way that gives that practical application - the practical purposes boxes are particularly helpful in joining up the learning to practice. Also the research examples are useful as students progress through their course and begin to consider topics for dissertation
School of Education, Northampton University
July 24, 2019