Overview of Developmental Psychology of Children

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Within the field of psychology, the psychology of children has become a fairly new subspecialty that developed in the turn of the 20th century. Even under the subspecialty of Child Psychology, there are even more specific subspecialties based on the modern needs of children and mental health. A child psychologist studies the different developmental stages of children from birth to adulthood. When choosing a college or university, a prospective student should consider, which subspecialty they would like to be involved in. For example, the science of social behavior or the sciences of cognitive behavior are both subspecialties that focus on different aspects of a child’s behavior.

In the field of child development, a set of normal standards must be used in order to measure the development of a child being tested for abnormal behavior, language, growth, and cognitive development. This set of standards were developed through research of seemingly normal children and used as a measuring instrument to compare children of the same age, height, and weight. A Developmental Psychologist will study the norms and use them to compare children with abnormal behavior or cognition. Several assessments can be done in order to measure a child’s actual developmental stage in the areas of social, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts.

Developmental Psychology of Children Contexts

Social Context: Many child behaviors are observable when watching how a child reacts to other children of the same age and/or adults that influence a child’s behavior. A Child Psychologist will be observant of a child’s behavior at school, at home, or in other social settings.

Cultural Context: Every child comes from a different cultural background that teaches them the social, religious, cultural, values, and customs within the family unit. These beliefs that have been taught within the family unit will affect the behavioral and social aspect of a child’s behavior.

Socioeconomic Context: Many times, the behavior of a child will depend on the type of socioeconomic environment the child lives in. Different socioeconomic groups have different sets of standards on raising children. A child who lives in a wealthy environment and has everything he or she wants may be taught that he or she does not have to work for what he or she wants. On the other hand, a child who is brought up in a poor community may struggle with schoolwork and may be exposed to violence and the need to work for a living. Each child will have different psychological needs that need to be assessed by the Child Psychologist. Each child will be faced with different circumstances and expectations from the adults he or she comes in contact with.

When choosing which field of Child Psychology to major in, keep in mind that there are several choices. According to About.com, popular areas of Development Psychology include Genetics, Environmental Influences, Prenatal Development, Social Growth, Personality Development, Language, Gender Roles, Cognitive Development, and Sexual Development. While, Child Psychology focused on a limited number of anti-social behaviors, the field has become more advanced to cover several different subject areas and specialties. Tests, Interviews, and Assessments are done to pinpoint the specific area of abnormality in children. Once the problem is identified, a course of treatment can then be put into place.

Developmental Psychology of Children Careers

As our social structure advances, there is more need for Child Psychologists who understand the current culture. With the advancements in technology available to children today comes a need to relate to children when it comes to discussing these issues with a patient. Modern society has exposed children to sex, violence, and foul language. Social media is everywhere and children can communicate with one another through texts, blogs, instant messaging, Facebook, and cell phones. With this modern technology readily available, there arises a difficulty in children to relate to their peers face to face. Social media can also be used to invoke cyber-bullying, sexually implicit photos and adult language. If not under parental control, children can play violent video games or watch violence on television and the lines between games and reality can become blurred. Many times, the field of Child Psychiatry cannot keep up with the rapid growth of technology. For this reason, there is a need for Developmental Psychologists that study these issues as a subspecialty.

No matter which field of Developmental Child Psychology a student chooses to pursue, the important thing to keep in mind is that there are an abundance of children who need good role models and someone they can talk to without feeling threatened. It is truly important that an adult in the field of Psychology develop a good rapport with the child, so the child will begin to reveal the core problem that led him or her to a Child Psychologist in the first place. Once that positive relationship is established, the Psychologist will be in a place where he or she can be most effective in the healing process of a child in need.