Child Growth: Stages of Development

The three areas of human development are physical, cognitive and social-emotional. These areas are different in many ways, but they also influence one another.

Physical development is characterized by patterns of physical growth and maturation. Other forms of physical development occur in the genetic basis for some human characteristics and abilities, neurological (brain) development, the acquisition of motor skills. Physical developments also manifest themselves in the form of healthy and unhealthy behaviors.

Cognitive development is associated with the changes in a person's reasoning. Cognitive developments are also reflected by a change in language. Developments of the cognitive sort also refer to memory, and concepts. An example of this is how a child's answers to a simple question may be very simple and an adult's answers are more complex, and use stronger vocabulary.

Social-emotional developments relate to the changes that occur in a person's feelings, ability to handle feelings and situations, and moral ideas. These developments also occur in relation to a person's social relationships. An increase or decrease in self-confidence is a direct example of a social-emotional development.

It may appear that all of these areas are separate, but they are extremely closely related. For example, "physical development (e.g., neurological growth) allows cognitive advancements to take place, and increases in the ability to look at situations from multiple perspectives (a cognitive ability) make possible more effective social relationships"

Socioemotional Development covers changes in a person's emotions, relations with others, self-concept, and personality, which is a stable way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. We each have an image of "who we are," our self-concept, or identity. It is made up of many different parts, things like ethnicity, intelligence, skills, family, and socioeconomic status. Descriptors that come after the phrase "I am . . .” refer to your...