Human Psychological Development
Dr Vicki Grahame
Clinical Psychologist
Specialist Regional/Inpatient CAMHS
Developmental Milestones Chart
 See separate handout- available online
 http://uppua.org/pdfs/CW%20II%20Handouts/Effects%20of%20Abuse%20and%2
0Neglect%20on%20Child%20Development/Development_Chart_for_Booklet.pdf
 Developed by The Institute for Human Services for The Ohio Child Welfare
Training Program.
Stages of Cognitive Development
Piaget,
Stage
Characterised by
Sensori-motor
(Birth-2 yrs)
Differentiates self from objects
Recognises self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally: e.g. pulls a
string to set mobile in motion or shakes a rattle to make a noise
Achieves object permanence: realises that things continue to exist even when
no longer present to the sense (pace Bishop Berkeley)
Pre-operational
(2-7 years)
Learns to use language and to represent objects by images and words
Thinking is still egocentric: has difficulty taking the viewpoint of others
Classifies objects by a single feature: e.g. groups together all the red blocks
regardless of shape or all the square blocks regardless of colour
Concrete operational
(7-11 years)
Can think logically about objects and events
Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight (age 9)
Classifies objects according to several features and can order them in series
along a single dimension such as size.
Formal operational
(11 years and up)
Can think logically about abstract propositions and test hypotheses
systemtically
Becomes concerned with the hypothetical, the future, and ideological problems
Theory of Mind
Theory of mind describe a person's awareness of their own mental process and the mental processes of other people.
Beginnings of Awareness
 Before the age of two, children simply "are," without giving much thought to how and why
they think and feel the way that they do.
Two and Three Year Olds
In the earliest stages of a child's development of theory of mind, they establish simple
comprehension of three mental states:
 Perception: Children understand that other people see what is in front of them, not
necessarily being what the children themselves are seeing.
 Wants: Two and three year old children understand that when someone wants something,
they will make an effort to get it. Example: "I want a cookie!"
 Emotions: Kids at this age have a fairly clear understanding of basic emotions and can
differentiate between happiness and sadness in themselves and others. Discerning positive
from negative emotional responses is an important development in theory of mind.
Four and Five Year Olds
 Four and five year old children come to understand that there are such things as false beliefs
- that sometimes people can believe things that turn out to be misleading or untrue. In one
study by Jenkins & Astington, children were shown a box from name brand bandages and
asked the kids what was inside. They were surprised when they found pencils, rather than
bandages inside the box. When they were asked what they thought a child who had never
seen the box might think was in it, three year old kids answered, "pencils." The four and five
year old children grinned and answered, "bandages!"
Six Year Olds and Beyond
 While preschool children can understand various states of mind, older children gain a deeper
comprehension of mental processes, especially in people beyond themselves. In middle
childhood, kids begin to grasp that the mind actively interprets and retains knowledge. Later
in childhood, kids gain even greater perspective, understanding that when different people
witness the same event, their individual interpretations may vary, none of which are
intentionally false, but are merely reflections of each person's unique viewpoint.
Adapting therapy to make it developmentally sensitive
to the needs of young people.
In considering the suitability of individual therapeutic work
for children and young people it is important to ask
a) what skills do you need in order to engage in this type of
work and
b) b) does the child you are working with have these skills?
 Need to assess a young person’s capacity and
motivation for learning
 Develop starategies that are attuned to a young
person’s learning needs
Vygotsky's
Zone of Proximal Development
Psycho-Social Development
There are five recognized psychosocial issues that teens
deal with during their adolescent years. These include:
Establishing an identity
Establishing autonomy
Establishing intimacy
Becoming comfortable with one's sexuality
Achievement.
Adolescent Development
 The sudden and rapid physical changes that adolescents go
through make adolescents very self-conscious, sensitive, and
worried about their own body changes. They may make
painful comparisons about themselves with their peers.
 Because physical changes may not occur in a smooth, regular
schedule, adolescents may go through awkward stages, both
about their appearance and physical coordination. Girls may
be anxious if they are not ready for the beginning of their
menstrual periods. Boys may worry if they do not know about
nocturnal emissions.
 During adolescence, it is normal for young people to begin to
separate from their parents and establish their own identity.
In some cases, this may occur without a problem from their
parents and other family members. However, in some
families, the adolescent's rebellion may lead to conflict as the
parents try to keep control.
How Do These Changes Affect Teens?
 Teens begin to spend more time with their
friends than their families
 Teens may have more questions about sexuality
 When they are in their rooms, teens may begin
to lock their bedroom doors.
 Teens may become involved in multiple hobbies
or clubs
 Teens may become elusive about where they
are going or with whom
 Teens may become more argumentative
Friendships
 As adolescents pull away from their parents in a search
for their own identity, their friends become more
important.
 Their peer group may become a safe haven, in which the
adolescent can test new ideas.
 In early adolescence, the peer group usually consists of
non-romantic friendships, often including "cliques,"
gangs, or clubs. Members of the peer group often try to
act alike, dress alike, have secret codes or rituals, and
participate in the same activities.
 As the youth moves into mid-adolescence (14 to 16
years) and beyond, the peer group expands to include
romantic friendships.
Thanks and Questions