Child Growth and Development 05-06

UNIT 1. Conception to Birth 1. Brave New Babies, Claudia Kalb, Newsweek , January 26, 2004 Advances in fertility technology are giving couples the power to choose the sex of their baby. Claudia Kalb discusses the technology and ethics of " sex selection ." 2. Inside the Womb, J. Madeleine Nash, Time , November 11, 2002 The author gives a detailed description of development from conception to birth and what it means for the expectant mother. By examining the link between mother and child, the article emphasizes the importance of prenatal care to the growth of a healthy fetus. 3. Treating the Tiniest Patients, Claudia Kalb, Newsweek , June 9, 2003 Medical advances in surgical procedures for in utero patients are changing the way people view the earliest stages of life. Due to such improvements in science and medicine, unborn babies are now considered treatable patients, though there are ethical complications as to whether the benefits outweigh the costs. 4. Grade A: The Market for a Yale Woman's Eggs, Jessica Cohen, The Atlantic Monthly , December 2002 Jessica Cohen, a college undergraduate, describes a first-hand account of her unsettling experience in the egg donation process. The secret behind this solution to infertility is the highly competitive industry of donor selection. Cohen learned that not only is the physical process grueling, but the selection process can be just as painful. UNIT 2. Cognition, Language, and Learning Part A. Early Cognition and Physical Development 5. Crib Death: A Biobehavioral Phenomenon?, Lewis P. Lipsitt, Current Directions in Psychological Science , October 2003 More babies die from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) in developed countries than from all other causes combined. Prominent psychological scientist Lipsitt describes neurobehavior transitions during the first year of life, especially between 2 and 5 months of age, that affect infants' vulnerability to SIDS. 6. Long-Term Recall Memory: Behavioral and Neuro-Developmental Changes in the First 2 Years of Life, Patricia J. Bauer, Current Directions in Psychological Science , August 2002 This leading scientist describes research demonstrating that babies have long-term memory to recall past events well before their verbal skills develop. Babies' memory skills may be based in their brain development. 7. Gender Bender, Sadie F. Dingfelder, APA Monitor on Psychology , April 2004 The author describes recent research evidence on the role of genes and prenatal hormones in gender identity and gender-related behaviors . These findings help illuminate the interplay between nature and nurture in boys' and girls' behavior. 8. Representation of Objects and Events: Why Do Infants Look So Smart and Toddlers Look So Dumb?, Rachel Keen, Current Directions in Psychological Science , June 2003 Is it possible that children regress in their knowledge of the physical world? This question arose due to the recent and counterintuitive finding that 2- and 3-year-olds' knowledge of continuity and solidity laws was worse than infants' knowledge. Developmental scientists are trying to determine what causes such a surprising discrepancy. 9. The Origins of Pictorial Competence, Judy S. DeLoache, Sophia L. Pierroutsakos, and David H. Uttal, Current Directions in Psychological Science , August 2003 When do children understand what pictures represent? The authors describe experimental research on the emergence of young children's pictorial competence and the crucial role of dual representation in this form of symbolic development . Part B. Learning in School 10. Preschool: The Most Important Grade, W. Steven Barnett and Jason T. Hustedt, Educational Leadership , April 2003 The benefits of preschool education have gained recent attention from parents, educational experts, and public policy makers. From a reduction in special education placement to better jobs and a lower crime rate, a quality preschool education is an increasingly valued commodity. The challenge remains, however, to make such programs available to all children. 11. The 'Re-Engineered' Child, Andrea Petersen, The Wall Street Journal , April 8, 2003 Children misbehave, but which behaviors should a parent or teacher allow and which should be monitored or eliminated? Recent studies on the lasting effects of teasing have prompted some schools to crack down on such behaviors as mean looks and name-calling in order to "make childhood nicer." UNIT 3. Social and Emotional Development Part A. The Child's Feelings: Emotional Development 12. Emotional Intelligence: What the Research Says, Casey D. Cobb and John D. Mayer, Educational Leadership , November 2000 Success in life may have more to do with how we understand ourselves and others, whether we have empathy, and how well we interact with others. This emotional intelligenceEQ is more important than IQ, some say, and the authors present the debate on whether EQ really exists, how it is measured, and whether it can be taught in schools? Part B. Entry Into the Social World: Peers, Play, and Popularity 13. Friendship Quality and Social Development, Thomas J. Berndt, Current Directions in Psychological Science , February 2002 Do childhood friendships dictate future success in the social world? Recent research suggests that they do. Interestingly, when examining social development in children, the quality of a friendship does not appear to be an indicator of how much friends influence each other. 14. Loneliness and Peer Relations in Childhood, Steven R. Asher and Julie A. Paquette, Current Directions in Psychological Science , June 2003 Some children are chronically lonely. Research shows this dimension of children's social development is linked to being rejected and victimized by peers. The authors discuss how loneliness is related to children's emotional maladjustment and school problems . 15. Playing Ye Olde Way, Claudia Kalb, Newsweek , September 8, 2003 Children's lives are filled more than ever with videogames, TV, and technology . The author discusses research on children's imagination, playful social interaction, and the role of creativity in problem solving . 16. Gender and Group Process: A Developmental Perspective, Eleanor E. Maccoby, Current Directions in Psychological Science , April 2002 This psychologist describes how much of children's gender socialization occurs within same-sex sociBoyatzis, Chris J. is the author of 'Child Growth and Development 05-06', published 2004 under ISBN 9780073102245 and ISBN 0073102245.