Child Development: meaning and nature

Human development refers to the biological and psychological developme of the human being throughout the lifespan. It consists of the development from infancy, childhood, and adolescence to adulthood. The scientific study of psychological human development is sometimes known as Developmental psychology.

Human development is a lifelong process of physical, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional growth and change. These two terms, growth and development are used interchangeably. Both relate to the measurement of changes occurred in an individual after conception in the womb of the mother.

However, in the strict sense of terminology, these two terms have different meanings:

Growth: can be defined as an increase in size, length, height and weight or changes in quantitative aspect of an organism/individual.

Hurlock has defined Growth as "change in size, in proportion, disappearance of old features and acquisition of new ones.

Development: is a series of orderly progress towards maturity. It implies overall qualitative changes resulting in the improved functioning of an individual.

According to Crow and Crow (1965) development is concerned with growth as well as those changes in behavior which results from environmental situation."

Growth refers to physiological changes.

Development refers to overall changes in the individual. It involves changes in an orderly and coherent type towards the goal of maturity.

Growth is one of the parts of developmental process.

Changes take place in particular aspect of the body and behavior.

Growth stops once maturity is attained.

Development is a wider term and growth is one of its parts.

Changes in the organism as a whole.

Development is a continue process: from womb to tomb.

Changes may be measured. As in case of height or always weight.

Changes in the quantitative respect is termed as Can't be measured.

Growth is one of the parts of developmental process.

Changes take place in particular aspect of the body and behavior.

Growth stops once maturity is attained.

Changes may be measured. As in case of height or weight.

Changes in the quantitative respect is termed as growth.

Growth occurs due to the multiplication of cells.

Not affected by leaning

Development is a wider term and growth is one of its parts.

Changes in the organism as a whole.

Development is a continue process: from womb to tomb.

Can't be always measured.

Development changes in the quality along with quantitative aspect.

Development occurs due to both maturation and interaction with the environment.

Learning and experience effects development

May or may not bring development. A child may is also grow in terms of height and weight but this growth may not bring any functional improvement/development.

Development possible without growth

2.2 Principles of growth and development

From the scientific knowledge gathered through observation of children, some principles have emerged. These principles enable the parents and the teachers to understand how children develop. What is expected of them? How to guide them and provide proper environment for their optimum development? It seems that the process of development is operated by some general principles. These rules or principles may be named as the principles of development. Some of these principles are briefly explained below:

1. Principle of Continuity: Development is a process which begins from the moment of conception in the womb of the mother and goes on continuing till the time of death. It is a never ending process. The changes however small and gradual continue to take place in all continue to take place in all dimensions of one's personality throughout one's life.

2. Principle of Individual differences:

Every organism is a distinct creation in itself. Therefore, the development which undergoes in terms of the rate and outcome in various dimensions is quite unique and specific. For example, all children will first sit up, crawl and stand before they walk. But individual children will vary in regard to timing or age at which they can perform these activities.

3. Principle of lack of uniformity in the developmental rate: Though development is a continuous process it does not exhibit steadiness and uniformity in terms of the rate of development in various dimensions of personality or in the developmental periods and stages of life. Instead of steadiness, development usually takes place in fits and starts showing almost no change at one time and a sudden spurt at another. For example, shooting up in height and sudden change in social interest, intellectual curiosity and emotional make- up.

4. Principle of uniformity of pattern: Although there seems to be a clear lack of uniformity and distinct individual differences with regard to the process and outcome of the various stages of development, yet it follows a definite pattern in one or the other dimension which is uniform and universal with respect to individuals of a species. For instance, the development of language follows a somewhat definite sequence quite common to all human beings.

5. Principle of all human beings proceeding from general to specific: While developing in relation to any aspect of personality, the child first picks up or exhibits general responses and learns to show specific and goal- .directed responses afterwards. For example, a baby starts by waving his arms in general random movement and afterwards these general motor responses are converted into specific responses like responses like grasping or reaching out. Similarly when a new born baby cries, his whole body is involved in doing so but as he develops, it is limited to the vocal cords, facial expression and eyes etc. In development of language, a baby calls all men daddy and all women mummy but as he grows and develops, he begins to use these names only for his own father and mother.

6. Principle of integration: By observing the principle of proceeding from general to specific or from the whole to the parts, it does not mean that only the specific responses are aimed for the ultimate consequences of one's development. Rather, it is a sort of integration that is ultimately desired. It is the integration of the whole and its parts as well as the specific and general.

7. Principle of interrelation: The various aspects of one's growth and development are interrelated.

What is achieved or not achieved in one or the other dimension in the course of the gradual and continuous process of development surely affects the development in other dimensions. All healthy body tends to develop a healthy mind and an emotionally stable and socially conscious personality. On the other hand, inadequate physical or mental development may results in a socially or emotionally maladjusted personality. That is why all efforts in education are achieving darralanmont always directed towards harmonious growth and development in all aspects of one's personality. 8. Principle of interaction: The process of development involves active interaction between the forces within the individual and the forces belonging to the individual. What is inherited by the organism at the time of conception is first influenced by the stimulations received in the womb of the mother and after birth, by the forces of physical and socio- psychological environment for its development.

Therefore, at any stage of growth and development, the individual's behaviour or personality make-up is nothing but the end-product of the constant interaction between his heredity endowment and environmental set-up. 

9. Principle of interaction of maturation and learning: Development occurs as a result of both maturation and learning. Maturation refers to changes in an organism due to unfolding and ripening of abilities, characteristics,traits and potentialities present at birth. Learning denotes changes the behaviour due to changes in training and experience.

10. Principle of predictability: Development is predictable, which means that, to a great extent, we can forecast the general nature and behaviour of a child in one or more aspects or dimensions at any particular stage of its growth and development. Not only such prediction is possible along development of general lines but it is also possible to predict the range within which the future an individual child is going to fall. For example, with the knowledge of the development of the bones of a child it is possible to predict his adult structure and size.

11.Principle of and proximodistal tendencies: Cephalocaudal and proximodistal tendencies are followed in maintaining the orderly sequence and direction of developments.

 cephalocaudal found to be cephalocaudal ie. head to foot. For example, before it becomes able to stand, the child first gains control over his head and arms and then on his legs. In terms of proximodistal the near to the distant and the parts of the body.

12. Principle of spiral versus linear advancement. The path followed in development by the child is not straight and linear and development at any stage never takes place with a constant or steady pace. At a particular stage of his development, after the child had developed to progress a certain level, there is likely to be a period of rest for consolidation of the developmental achieved till then. In advancing further, development turns back and then moves forward again in a spiral pattern.