Psy 375 - Infancy and Early Childhood Development

Infancy and Early Childhood Development

Try to picture a baby’s brain as if it were a sponge or a blank video tape, this does not change even as we grow into adulthood, but it takes on a different meaning and importance as an baby. Infants soak up all the stimulus in their environment; everything they see and hear has a profound impact on their development. All of the infant’s experiences are to be utilized at a later point in their life. The way parents and other family members interact with an infant, as an individual and as a family unit, affect the infant and how it will develop. Therefore, it is critical that we get it right the first time around because there is no do-over when it comes to raising our children. This is why it is vitally important to provide a nurturing environment for a baby to live and grow in.

Family Affect on the Development of Children

When an infant is born, the brain starts to immediately go through several developmental changes. This development is a result of the genes it inherited from its mother and father, the environment the infant is born into, and as a result the infant’s experiences. Early childhood experiences can be divided into two separate categories; experience-expectant and experience-dependent. Experience-expectant refers to situations in which the infant’s nervous system develops and is expected to develop in a certain way. Normal cognitive growth in a child is dependent on the right types of environmental exposures. In order for the experience-expectant to be within a normal range of development, barring any type of brain disorder; when an infant is exposed to light (as an example), then the infant should respond accordingly. This is an expected cognitive response, whereas experience-dependent growth refers to the encoding of new experiences that would occur throughout life (Gunnar & Nelson, 1992). This fosters new brain growth and is only enhanced when coupled with a constructive family environment. Any deprivation of either of these functions can seriously compromise an individual’s ability to thrive, both emotionally and cognitively.

A child’s parents or caregivers are significant in their early stages of development. If an infant is raised in a neglectful environment, he or she may experience lasting damage because of their parent’s lack of affection and care to their child. A child needs to have a sufficient amount of care, affection, attention and intellectual stimulation to develop at an optimal level. The caregiver’s role in a child’s life not only influences the child’s psychological development but can also affect the child’s biological development (Belsky, 2008). If an infant remains under stimulated for an extended period, he or she may experience difficulty developing proper sensations, motor skills, and perceptions. Even an adult cannot learn something new without being taught,