Child Psychology

CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
Presented By
UNBREEN KOSAR
Child Psychology
 Child psychology is a science that tries to
understand how a child grows and develops,
and how the role of the family and schooling
can impact on this (Gillibrand et al., 2016).
 It looks at how our behavior, our thinking

patterns, our emotions and our personalities
begin and change from birth to adulthood.
Significance
To gain insight into human nature.
To gain insight into the origins of adult behavior.
To gain insight into the origins of sex differences

and gender roles.
To gain insight the origins , prevention and
treatment of developmental problems.
To optimize conditions of development .

Theoretical Perspectives
 Child psychology theories are broadly
classified into:
 Psychoanalytic Perspective
 Biological Perspective
 Learning Perspective
 Cognitive Perspective
 Integrative Perspective
Psychoanalytic Perspective
The key assumptions of the psychoanalytic
perspective are:
 There are three levels of consciousness… the
conscious, the pre-conscious and the unconscious.

 The unconscious mind is key to understanding
human behavior.
 The unconscious mind houses our instinctual drives,
which strive to maximize our ability to survive.

 The core of our personality is determined by the age
of 5 or 6 years and will not change after this age,

even in adulthood.
Biological Perspective
The key assumptions underlying the biological
perspective are:
 Psychologists should study observable and
measurable behavior only.

 All behaviors are learned; we are not born with
any set of behaviors.

 Mental process cannot be observed or measured
and therefore cannot be studied scientifically.

 The adult personality can change but only as a
result of exposure to different experiences.

Learning Perspective
The key assumptions of the learning
perspectives on development are:
 Behavior change results from our interactions
with the world about us.

 Anyone can be trained to do anything.
 With the right system of reward, a behavior
can be encouraged, and with the right system

of punishment, a behavior can be inhibited.
Cognitive Perspective
The key assumptions of the cognitive
perspective on development are:
 Child development occurs through a series of
mental processes such as problem solving,

memory and language.
 These processes have to be learned.
 These processes become more complex with
increasing age and experience.

Integrative Perspective
 It integrates the biological, physiological effects of
development with social and environmental factors.
 For example, a young boy set fire to a car
 Social learning theories (does the child come from a

dysfunctional family?)
 Cognitive theories (is the child unable to understand
consequences of that action?)
 Environmental factor theories (does the child come
from poverty or a home physical environment that is
unpleasant?); and
 Biological development theories (is the child
experiencing strength and conflict from early-onset
puberty?).
Developmental
Psychology and Education
Major Developmental Disorders
 Specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia,
dyspraxia)
 Speech and language disorder
 Pervasive developmental disorders (e.g.
autism spectrum disorder)

 Genetic disorders (e.g. Down’s syndrome,
Turner’s syndrome)
 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD)
Specific Learning Ddifficulty
Common types of specific learning difficulty
Diagnostic Term Learning Difficulty Learning Problem

Dyslexia Difficulty processing Problems reading,
language writing, spelling,
speaking
Dyscalculia Difficulty with maths Problems doing maths
problems,
understanding time,
using money
Dysgraphia Difficulty with writing Problems with
handwriting, spelling,
organizing ideas
Diagnostic Term Learning Difficulty Learning Problem
Dyspraxia (sensory Difficulty with fine Problems with hand–eye

integration disorder) motor skills coordination, balance,
manual dexterity
Auditory processing Difficulty hearing Problems with reading,

disorder differences between comprehension,
sounds language
Visual processing Difficulty Problems with reading,

disorder interpreting visual maths, maps, charts,
information symbols, pictures
Speech and Language Disorder
Speech and Language Disorder
 Receptive language (understanding and
formulating spoken language)
 Expressive language (processing and
producing speech sounds)

 Speech (articulation)
 Dysfluency (repetition of sounds, or words,
sound prolongation )
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD)
Types
 a. Predominantly inattentive type.
 b. Predominantly hyperactive type.
 c. Combined type
Note: In order to reach diagnosis symptoms

must have onset before the age of 12 &
must be pervasive across settings (e.g. home
and school) with substantial impairment in
functioning (American Psychiatric
Association, 2013).
Emotional Issues in Children
 Conscious refusal to learn
 Overt hostility
 Negative conditioning to learning
 Clinging to dependency
 Quick discouragement
 Extremely distractibility and
 Absorption into private world
Common Correlates
School related stressors
 Fear of failure
 Test anxiety
 Performance anxiety
 Receiving poor grades
 Participation in classroom activities
 Interactions with teachers
 Peer relationships
 Peer pressure (appearance and dressing)
 Conflicts with peers(being teased, bullied, called
names, or not being invited to parties
 Teachers behavior (scream at children, favoritism,
mock, or make fun of children)
Interpersonal Stressors
 Negative experiences with peers & teachers
 Parental conflicts
 Parental issues (illness, depression, alcohol use)
 Parental rejection
 Parental lack of interest in child’s achievement
 Over demanding parents
 Parental separation or divorce or death
 Sibling rivalry
Child’s Developmental Related Stressors
 Hormonal changes
 Sexual identity
 Formal operational thinking skills
 Self enhancement skills (positive & negative
self-image, self-esteem etc)

 Psychosocial issues (like conformity,
dependency, and independence

Therapy and Intervention
 Psycho-education
 Psycho pharmacotherapy (Challenging behavioral
problems, such as tantrums, aggression and self-
injurious behaviors can be reduced with
Risperidone, an antipsychotic drug (McCracken et
al., 2002). Ritalin to reduce ADHD symptoms.
 Parent training and support
 Recognizing the mental health needs of the child
 Supporting the wider system
 Behavioral intervention
BEHAVIOR MODIFICATIONS
Behavior Modification Techniques
 Rapport Building
 Confidence Building
 Self-esteem Building Exercise
 Positive & Negative Reinforcement
 Time out
 Group/Class Rules
 Verbal Reprimand
 Talk of the Day
 Structured/ Appropriate Routine
 Overcoming procrastination & time management
 Affective study method
 Stress management
 Anger Management
 Social Skills Training
 Compliance Building exercise
 Assertive Training
 Puzzle and sort out technique
 Art & Craft Activities
 Physical exercise
 Attention & concentration building exercise
Activity Time
Case No. 1
Hamza is a 12 years old boy. Two boys in school are calling him
names and making fun of him. Those two boys also hit him in the
stomach and threatened to do it again if he told anyone.
What you can do to help Hamza? Outline some useful
strategies.
Case No. 2
 Aliya is an eight-year old girl who was emotionally stable and
had performed well in school. Her parents have recently divorced.

Due to this, she has become a very anxious child.
What can Aliya’s teacher do to help alleviate her anxiety
in the classroom?

Child Psychology

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CHILD PSYCHOLOGY

 It looks at how our behavior, our thinking

To gain insight into the origins of adult behavior.

To gain insight into the origins of sex differences

To optimize conditions of development .

conscious, the pre-conscious and the unconscious.

which strive to maximize our ability to survive.

of 5 or 6 years and will not change after this age,

measurable behavior only.

any set of behaviors.

and therefore cannot be studied scientifically.

result of exposure to different experiences.

with the world about us.

can be encouraged, and with the right system

mental processes such as problem solving,

increasing age and experience.

 Social learning theories (does the child come from a

autism spectrum disorder)

Diagnostic Term Learning Difficulty Learning Problem

Dyspraxia (sensory Difficulty with fine Problems with hand–eye

Auditory processing Difficulty hearing Problems with reading,

Visual processing Difficulty Problems with reading,

producing speech sounds)

Note: In order to reach diagnosis symptoms

self-image, self-esteem etc)

dependency, and independence

had performed well in school. Her parents have recently divorced.

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