The Development of Children's Thinking offers undergraduate and graduate students in psychology and other disciplines an introduction to several core areas of developmental psychology. It examines recent empirical research within the context of longstanding theoretical debates. In particular, it shows how a grasp of classic theories within developmental psychology is vital for a grasp of new areas of research such as cognitive neuroscience that have impacted on our understanding of how children develop. The focus of this book will be on infancy and childhood, and it looks at:
Theories and context of development
How developmental psychology attempts to reconcile influences of nature and nurture
Communication in infancy as a precursor to later thinking
Language development in primates and young children
Cognitive and social development, including the child's understanding of the mind
How studies of moral reasoning reflect upon our understanding of development
Chapter 1: Introduction: What is Human Thinking and How Does it Develop?
Chapter 2: The Role of Biology in Psychological Development
Chapter 3: Constructivist Approaches to Children's Thinking
Chapter 4: Sociocultural Approaches to Children's Thinking
Chapter 5: The Development of Communication and Social Understanding in Infancy
Chapter 6: Theories of Communication and Social Understanding in Infancy
Chapter 7: Animal Communication and Human Language
Chapter 8: Language in Human Communication and Thinking
Chapter 9: How Children Learn the Meaning of Words
Chapter 10: How Children Come to Control Their Behaviour
Chapter 11: Understanding the Social World
Chapter 12: Social Interaction, Language and Social Understanding
Chapter 13: Moral Reasoning and Action
Chapter 14: Recent Issues in Moral Development
