If you are considering a career in the field of psychology, you are most
likely someone who is curious about what makes people tick. You probably
want to know what shapes our behavior, influences our development, and
how outside elements shape our personalities. By enrolling in a
psychology degree program, you will be on your way to learning about
these things and discovering how other psychologists came to their
conclusions about them.One field of psychology, developmental psychology,
deals with observing humans at different stages in their lives. Those who
enjoy being around very young children, use their knowledge and training
as a psychologist to look for similarities in behavior and development.
They also discover differences and try to determine what causes these
differences. Many will work with young children to form their theories.
Many child psychologists of the past developed theories that showed
environment plays as important a role as heredity, in shaping the kind of
adult a child grows up to be.One exciting aspect of experimental
psychology deals with psychosocial development. Some psychologists
believe that children develop certain social behaviors at the start
because of their surroundings. He also believed that these social
behaviors stay with them their whole lives. When children fail to develop
properly at these stages, it may cause what a famous psychologist called
an identity crisis, later in life.Psycho-social development begins at
birth and continues throughout a baby's first year. An infant develops a
basic attachment to his or her mother and learns to trust or mistrust and
learns to respond either way to the world around them and to other
people. In the second year of life, babies turn into self-sufficient
toddlers, walking, talking, and exploring the world around them. The way
in which a caregiver responds to these newly learned skills, determines
whether the toddler develops a sense of accomplishment and confidence, or
a sense of doubt and shame.To minimize a toddler's sense of shame because
parents constantly say 'no' or prevent them from exploring, psychologists
help to develop ways to child-proof homes where toddlers live. This way,
toddlers can explore the world around them without harming themselves and
while under the watchful but supportive care of an adult.Beginning in the
preschool stage, between the ages of three and five, children develop the
ability to start an activity and to finish it. With the proper amount of
encouragement, children at this stage develop self-confidence and
purpose. Discouraging preschool children from completing activities
causes them to harbor feelings of guilt.By the time children reach school
age, beginning at age six and lasting until the adolescent or preteen
years, they develop a healthy sense of competitiveness with their peers.
Depending upon the ways in which teachers and parents react, children
develop either a sense of confidence or a sense of inferiority.