Project Title: Important aspects of cognitive and social development in infants
This planet consists of various species including humans. Humans are unique in their own way. They are physically, and socially immature by birth in comparison to other species. The most fascinating field of study has been to understand the development of human brain which initiates within the mother’s womb. Learning about adults is still an easier task when compared to infants whose understanding is limited to movements and sensations. For them actions such as gasping, sucking, listening define the world (Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development). It is during this sensorimotor stage that the infants acquire their development through sensory experiences and object manipulation. Every interaction they have with the world helps them in making new discoveries about the world functioning.
The cognitive development which occurs during the sensorimotor period is a relatively short period of time. However, it has a great impact on the growth of the individual. The start learning about physical actions such as walking and also about the language with which they can communicate with other individuals during their life span for their survival. The knowledge about object permanence is a major source for the infants to learn that objects have an existence of their own which plays a major role in associating different individuals with different names and consecutively identifying them.
The case study of Alexis as well suggests that she has been from the actions surrounding her. She is being breastfed by her mother and she requires her constant nurturing during her development. Alexis’ mother is tired of constant breastfeeding. However, her mother’s constant support and care is required for a healthy cognitive development of Alexis.
Infants are fast learners. The sensorimotor stage is subdivided into further stages. Each of this stage lasts for about 2 months. There is some development in the infant behavior every day based on its interaction with the surrounding environment. This development occurs every now and then. With each passing second after birth of a child the brain grows and develops. This causes the brain to produce more number of neurons, thus producing a larger brain (Finlay & Darlington, 1995 as cited in Bjorklund & Pellegrini, 2002). A larger brain itself indicates a higher memory, resolving power, a longer life and a better survival (Raviv, 2017).
Humans are social animals. A developed brain shall help them developing connections with varied people. It initiates their adaptability to work together with other members and to compete with them. This ultimately creates intelligent individuals in the modern world which is filled with competititon and requires an utmost ability to survive (Alexander, 1989; Bjorklund & Harnishfeger, 1995; Byrne & Whiten, 1988; Geary & Flinn, 2001; Humphrey, 1976 as cited in Bjorklund & Pellegrini, 2002). This makes the individuals responsible towards their duties and it allows humans to try practical adult roles (Bjorklund & Pellegrini, 2002).
There are many factors which play an important role in the growth and development of a child. Infants are dependent on the care that is given to them and their growth is dependent on the capacity of their caregivers. Lacking personalized care during the childhood days of life has a devastating effect on the child’s growth, health, cognitive capacity, personality adjustment and social status (Ali, 2013).
Cognitive development and language play an important role during the first six months to three years of infant life. When the children spend their early years in an ineffective, less stimulating environment, their development is hindered and causes cognitive and social delay. Babies learn from every small sensation they feel from their caretakers. Their nurturing environment has a direct influence on their brain development. The feeling of attachment in infants is primarily subjected to proximity of the attachment figure in situations of distress (Bowlby’s theory of Attachment). Infants develop a sense of attachment towards their caretakers for their survival. It is based on this theory that individuals develop an adaptability towards long term social relationships among humans (Qu & Ligneul, 2017). In the long run this human behavior essentially develops an attitude towards the betterment of the individual throughout their life span.
The immaturity in human behavior has essentially helped in the development of a healthy better individual. The extension in the developmental stage from infant to adult helps the individual to undergo a series of stages in life. The life transitions cause a step by step development of human brain with utmost power and ability to survive in the worst possible scenario. In contrast, if the brain didn’t have enough time to develop, the brain size would have been small. Consequently, the memory of the brain would be less and its plasticity would be average resulting in an average human being whose survival strategy may not be up to the mark for the modern world.
Bibliography
Raviv, L. (2017). The developmental trajectory of children’s auditory and visual statistical learning abilities: modality-based differences in the effect of age. Developmental Science. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/desc.12593
Ali, S. (2013). A brief review of risk-factors for growth and developmental delay among preschool children in developing countries. Adv Biomed Res., 2(91). http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/2277-9175.122523
Qu, C., & Ligneul, R. (2017). An Integrative Interdisciplinary Perspective on Social Dominance Hierarchies. Trends In Cognitive Science. http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2017.08.004
Usha Goswami (2015). Children’s Cognitive development and Learning. Cambridge Primary Review Trust.
David F. Bjorklundand Anthony D. Pellegrini (2002). Child Development and Evolutionary Psycology. http://dx.doi.org/0009-3920/2000/7106-0018.