This paper is going to carry out a literature review on cognitive development in infants. The paper will review cognitive development in infants at different stages. Effects of early experience on mental development in infants will also be discussed. The research question and the hypothesis of the research will also be given.
Keywords: infants, development, experience
Cognitive Development in Infants
Introduction
Advancement made in regard to cognitive neuroscience has enabled a better understanding of the cognitive processes in infants. Studies have indicated that cognitive development in infants starts before they are born. In the eighth week of pregnancy, fetuses have the ability to hear. They become accustomed to their mothers’ voice and voices of close family members, fetuses also have the ability of listening to music. After they are born, millions of neurons interconnect in their brain, which enable them to think and learn. Scientists have established that experiences of infants in terms of touch, sight and perception in the first years of their existence, has the potential of affecting their brain development in the later years (Goswami, 1993, p. 157). This literature review is going to examine cognitive development in infants and how early experiences affects cognitive development.
Cognitive Development in Infants
Cognitive development is a term used to refer to the process through which infants or children develop language, thinks, gain knowledge, and solve problems. For example, when infants identify colors or differentiate things, they are performing cognitive tasks. Infants normally learn through interactions with objects and people, in addition to their senses. When infants interact with their world and ...
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...ackwell handbook of childhood cognitive development. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.
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Gauvain, M. (2006). The social context of cognitive development. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
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Oakley, L. (2004). Cognitive Development. New York, NY: Routledge.
Ruffin, N. J. (2009). Understanding Growth and Development Patterns of Infants. Virginia Cooperative Extension. Retrieved April, 17, 2012 http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/350/350-053/350-053.html
Wachs, T. D., & Gruen, G. E. (2006). Early experience and human development. New York, NY: Plenum Pr.
Slater, A., and Muir, D., (1998). The Blackwell Reader in Developmental Psychology. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers, Ltd.
Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2014). Infancy. In Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence (p. 158). Australia: Wadsworth.
Infants are born aware of their environment from the moment of birth. This suggests that at birth the visual and auditory systems of infants are intact and fully functional.
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... (2009) The science of development. In R.V. Kail & A. Barnfield (Eds.), Children and their development (pp. 8 – 22). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
It has been proven that a child’s early years are the peak at which the mind can bend and shape, creating the foundation for a life. We know now that even before birth, the mind is a delicate matter that if improperly taken care of could alter a person’s entire life. Nourishment and stimulation before and after the birth of a child mold’s the brain in its most malleable state. Medical and scientific institutes paired with parenting information organizations have made information readily available for parents, childcare providers, and students to advise them of the importance of childhood brain development. This information is not only critical for the child, but for the person they will become in the future.
Thus, all infants at this particular stage get involved or attempt to involve themselves with learning all about the new environment around them. This preliminary stage has a solid bond with environmental stimuli. The various situations/things that infants experience during this time has a powerful influence on his/her growth, both mental and physical, which carries out throughout his/her entire life.
Over time, there has been an expansion in our knowledge of the ways in which humans develop and learn. It is now known that babies are beginning to learn even before they are born. I often find myself wishing I had known these things when my children were developing. We all want our children to be the best that they can be; with some knowledge of how children learn and the sequential steps they must go through in many areas of development, we can provide many experiences at home to help them reach their potential. When educators discuss children 's development, they usually talk about physical, mental, social, and emotional development.
Cognitive development is the growth in children's ways of thinking about and interacting with their environment. Young children initially learn about the world through active, physical exploration and then gradually develop the ability to think symbolically and logically about their experiences. Children are curious explorers, and their cognitive development involves learning new concepts and testing a variety of ideas.
Cognition is the ability to gain knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. There are essentially four stages of cognitive development; sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. The sensorimotor stage is from birth to around 2 years old and during this stage you know the world only by movements and sensations. The next stage, preoperational, happens between 2 and 7 and is when you start to think symbolically and use words and pictures for objects. The third stage, concrete operational, is from 7 to 11, and you begin to think logically. The final stage, formal operational, happens at the ages 12+. This stage you begin to reasonably think about hypothetical problems. This is how cognition normally develops, but there are certain ways that cognitive development can be affected.
Language acquisition during early childhood could be determined by a biological explanation. This may show how the brain is wired so children can acquire language ev...
Berger, K. S. (1980). 4: Prenatal Development and Birth. The developing person (pp. 93-121). New York, N.Y.: Worth Publishers.
The first two years of a infants development is crucial. They are dependent on their caregivers to provide them with enough nutrition, nurturing, attention, love, and experiences to not only learn about their surrounding world but how to interact with it. Without these experiences a babies brain isn’t given the chance to grow and develop the way that is was designed to. Unfortunately in many circumstances if these experiences don’t happen early on children suffer
Development begins in the womb. The fetus develops organs and grows many times its size during this time. Once the child is born it is even more important that the environment helps with normal infant physical and mental growth. At birth, infant senses function through eyes, ears, nose, and tongue. Through these senses they explore their world and sensations occur. Perception occurs when the brain processes these sensations. Infant movements are involuntary (reflexes). Reflexes help the infant survive until they gain control of their body and can make movement for themselves. Infants experience the majority of their growth during the first year. During this time gross and fine motor skills develop. Understanding what these terms mean are very important and a key to your child's successful progression.
Craig, G. J., & Dunn, W. L. (Ex.: 2010). Understanding human development (2nd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.