Developmental Psychology

Achieve Test Prep: Developmental Psychology

Chapter 6: Middle Childhood

Overview: This chapter will delve into the physical, cognitive, social development, and concerns which arise during middle childhood. While the chapters may seem to correlate together in topics, readers should focus on the particulars of the various stages. As a child ages, their growth and development change drastically. Objectives: By the end of this chapter, you should be able to recognize, understand, and explain: • The stages of physical development in the ‘school years’ • Piaget’s Concrete Operational Stage of Development, along with key principles of logical operations • Information Processing Theory and metacognition, learning disabilities, and theories of intelligence • Social cognition, self-esteem, and how peer and family relationships influence social development occurs without complications. Children grow taller and slimmer, muscles become stronger, and long capacity increases. Slower growth allows children to become more coordinated and further develop fine motor skills. Children begin to play team sports and exercise more rigorously. Exercise during this stage is crucial. Proper exercise teaches a child to exercise during their life and is the largest deterrent of suffering from obesity. In recent years, children have spent more time indoors for sedentary activities like watching TV or playing video games, which lead to more and more children being diagnosed as obese. In addition to the medical issues which arise from obesity (diabetes and hypertension), psychological problems may occur. Children who suffer from obesity may be bullied and experience depression and low self-esteem. Increasing awareness about the problem and its causes will help prevent problems in the future. Physical Development: Compared to infancy, Growth during middle childhood slows down. Generally, growth

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