SUMA 2019 400505 Lifespan Development Essay: Early Childhood Focus

This essay delves into the cognitive and socio-emotional development of children aged 3 to 5, a crucial period in early childhood. It begins by establishing the importance of understanding developmental stages and then focuses on the cognitive development, characterized by enhanced learning and memory, and the socio-emotional development, shaped by experiences within social settings. The essay links these developmental characteristics to Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, examining the influence of the microsystem (home and family), exosystem (neighborhood and extended family), and macrosystem (cultural values and political situation). Furthermore, the essay employs the behaviorist theory of learning to explain these developments, emphasizing the impact of positive and negative reinforcement. The conclusion underscores the interconnectedness of cognitive and socio-emotional development and its importance in shaping a child's future.

Running head: LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction: An account of the chosen life span
For being able to better arrive at the decisions favouring the development of a particular
individual, an understanding of the areas of the development is extremely necessary. A planning
of the development plans are necessary as development occurs at stages, which are called as life
spans in the discipline of Development Studies. Understanding of the characteristic features of
the changes and needs is essential as they change with the age of the individual (Ansell 2016).
For the present purpose, the chosen lifespan to understand the developmental needs has been for
children within the age bracket of 3 to 5 years, which is defines as the developmental period of
early childhood. The developmental changes that shall be discussed are the cognitive and the
socio-emotional ones as drastic mental changes of a child happens during the age bracket of 3 to
5, and that is crucial for the future intellectual development of the child. The cognitive
development of the child is dependent upon the socio-emotional development, which makes the
two inter related to each other. The two chosen developmental changes shall be explained against
the backdrop of the behaviourist theory of learning. The two chosen developmental changes shall
also be related to the ecological theory of Bronfenbrenner.
Body
Cognitive and Socio-emotional Developmental characteristics of the chosen life span
The intellectual domain of an individual is comprised of two aspects, the intelligence
quotient and the emotional quotient, the development and channelization of which are essential
for the development of the cognitive and socio-emotional capacities respectively.

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The cognitive development is characterized by the development of the learning and the
memory retention powers of the individual. The cognitive development is marked by a high level
of curiosity for knowing and gaining knowledge and observation power being translated into
queries. The cognitive development is a natural phenomenon at the age bracket of 3 to 5, as that
is the age when the children begin to gain consciousness and they begin to perceive the realities
of the world of which they were unaware of. Hence the quest for seeking the meaning of
everything they come across is natural, and that is a positive indication of intellectual
development (Beaty 1994).
The socio-emotional development is on the other hand is charcterised by the level of
emotional maturity or vulnerability which one develops as a result of the experiences incurred in
the specific social setting. Emotional vulnerability is a result of negative experiences incurred at
the young age and emotional maturity is aided as a result of being in a conducive environment
from where the child incurs positive influences. The socio-emotional development is important
as it plays an important role in the development of the intellect and world view of the child in the
future (Bentzen 2005).
Linking of the chosen Developmental characteristics to the Ecological Influence of
Bronfenbrenner
Having talked of the characteristics of the two chosen developmental changes, the
cognitive and the socio- emotional developments that take place in the children falling within the
age bracket of 3 to 5, the discussion shall now be linking it up with the ecological influence
theory of Bronfenbrenner. Only few chosen environments shall be discussed as only a specific
age group falling within 3 to 5 years are being discussed in this context. According to
Bronfenbrenner there are several forms of environment, or social contexts that affect the

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cognitive and emotional developments of a child and the nature of the environment tends to
change as the child grows up and goes beyond the bounds of the protective shelter of the home
and parents (Berk 2004).
The preliminary environment which the child comes in contact with is the microsystem
comprising of the home, family, day care of the child. This is crucial in determining the
cognitive and emotional development of the child as the treatment received in the microsystem
shall influence the way the child shall influence in others. The microsystem exerts direct
influence on the cognitive and the emotional development of the child. The exosystem refers to
those components which exert indirect influence on the cognitive and emotional development of
the child (Bartlett, Burleson and Santrock 1982). The influencers include the neighbourhood in
which the child grows up, and the extended family members. Their influence tends to exert an
influence on the way the parents shall be treating and nurturing the child (Bartlett and Santrock
1979). The macrosystem refers to the larger social context and its influence in shaping the
cognitive and the emotional development of the child. The components include the cultural
values of the society and the political situation that prevails in the country. For example, a
patriarchal society shall be in all possibilities nurturing a patriarchal mindset and war torn nation
shall be providing a different kind of world view to the child as compared to a child growing up
in a democratic nation (Peterson 2013).
Relevant Theory to understand the Cognitive and Socio-emotional Developmental
characteristics of the chosen life span
The chosen theory to explain the cognitive and the socio-emotional development of a
child within the age bracket of 3 to 5 has been the behaviourist theory of learning as it mentions
of both the emotional and the intellectual development. Originally proposed by Ivan Pavlov, the

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theory states that the cognitive capacities can be enhanced by means of repetitive occurrence of a
phenomenon, which he had called as classical conditioning. Building upon his approach, Skinner
has said that catering to the emotional needs of the child by instilling positivity is both inevitable
and beneficial to the positive cognitive and learning capacities of a child. Instilling negativity
and discouragement can result in negative emotional and cognitive development of the child
(Shaffer and Kipp 2013).
Conclusion
Thus it becomes quite clear from the discussion above that the cognitive and the socio
emotional development of a child falling within the age bracket of 3 to 5 years are dependent and
inter related to each other. The emotional development and well being translates to the cognitive
development and vice versa. This is the reason why the children falling within the age bracket of
3 to 5 are quite important and their upbringing must be done the correct way.

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References
Ansell, N., 2016. Children, youth and development. Routledge.
Bartlett, J.C. and Santrock, J.W., 1979. Affect-dependent episodic memory in young children.
Child Development, pp.513-518.
Bartlett, J.C., Burleson, G. and Santrock, J.W., 1982. Emotional mood and memory in young
children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 34(1), pp.59-76.
Beaty, J.J., 1994. Observing development of the young child. Merrill.
Bentzen, W.R., 2005. Seeing young children: A guide to observing and recording behavior.
United Nations Publications.
Berk, L., 2004. Development through the lifespan. Pearson Education India.
Peterson, C.C., 2013. Looking forward through the lifespan: developmental psychology. Pearson
Higher Education AU.
Shaffer, D.R. and Kipp, K., 2013. Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence.
Cengage Learning.