Child development involves the biological, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the conclusion of adolescence.
A child using fingers to make a small, circular hole in the sand, 1997
Girl playing in a playground
Child playing with bubbles
Development of a boy from 10 to 17 years old
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult development, aging, and the entire lifespan. Developmental psychologists aim to explain how thinking, feeling, and behaviors change throughout life. This field examines change across three major dimensions, which are physical development, cognitive development, and social emotional development. Within these three dimensions are a broad range of topics including motor skills, executive functions, moral understanding, language acquisition, social change, personality, emotional development, self-concept, and identity formation.
Special methods are used in the psychological study of infants.
Piaget's test for Conservation. One of the many experiments used for children.
Charles Darwin
Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory