The study of childhood has been a subject treated from different points of view throughout history. At first, it was considered that during this stage people had characteristics of ” naive adults “.

For this reason, before modern psychology , it was established that children were “little adults.” These could be molded into his character; being treated as part of the social group, this being the priority, to later teach them to think as individual subjects.

Childhood concept and characteristics

Childhood is defined as the initial period of a person’s life that will span from birth to adolescence .

Approximately, it is estimated that it extends to 12 years of age, it is also called childhood. During this stage, different changes occur with respect to mental and physical development. For example, the analysis of this stage is considered vitally important for psychologists.

Intellectual development is directly connected with social development. Children, during this stage, begin to live with other individuals of the same age.

Due to the aforementioned, these changes are also caused by this relationship. It is characterized by the learning of different social skills . Such skills will serve as the basis for the behavior of the same individual in adulthood.

Mental development in childhood

During childhood, a series of significant changes occur from the mental point of view, as well as the physical one.

The human body begins to develop in such a way that the organs of the body improve their capacities and abilities .

For example, the brain begins to develop all the characteristics of the personality of each individual; motor skills are also being perfected. Some important body changes are as follows:

  • All children during this stage begin to develop the growth of their limbs.
  • The body grows to have the measurements and weight of an adult.
  • These changes are also connected with sexual development , which will also affect in a certain way the mental state of each individual in adolescence.
  • You begin to experience sensations regarding the general knowledge of the anatomical characteristics .

Intellectual and social development

From the point of view of psychology, during this stage it is very important to analyze which intellectual and social development . On average, after 7 years of age, individuals begin to learn what the characteristics of each gender are.

This is how children begin to understand what the roles of boys and girls are. It is almost as they manage to identify which groups of friends they can integrate into, they begin to understand what their own identity is.

The stages of childhood

Childhood is comprised of two stages . Each of them is described below:

  • The first is breastfeeding , during which the baby slowly begins to understand the language both verbal and gestural or.
  • The second stage is childhood proper. It happens when children are called infants, this stage is very important because they improve their physical abilities.

These processes and mechanisms are essential for physical and mental development until maturity is reached. Very relevant from psychology.

Psychological characteristics of childhood

There are several typical features of this stage. Let’s see some important ones in the list below:

  • Children are characterized by not externalizing, instead they learn to internalize what they learn from other people.
  • In addition, they tend to imitate the activities that they identify around them , in this way they not only learn from other children or adults, but also from animals or objects.
  • The exploration of what happens around them is a curiosity typical of this stage. In this way they begin to shape behavior and also develop emotional realities.

Why is it important to study childhood in psychology? 

From the point of view of psychology, childhood is a stage that is approached by identifying the different functions that are learned during this period. Cognitive functions are those that define what are the learned skills to reason. Children begin to develop memory and perception , these are changes that psychologists try to find answers in each individual.

Also affective functions are a primary part, since they depend on the family environment in which children live. The demonstrations of affection between the people with whom they relate in children, help to develop feelings and also to understand what responsibilities are. For example, during this stage it is learned that it is the right of others, esteem, self-love and understanding.

All these characteristics are proper for the proper development of social functions. Children during this stage begin to attend school where they put into practice what they learn at home. Both environments contribute to extending social skills and therefore help to shape the personality characteristics of each individual.

Psychologists believe that biological and emotional changes occur during this period through different cognitive processes. These characteristics are fundamental in the lives of children, which will be reflected later in adulthood. For this reason, psychologists not only study aspects related to memory, but also to the brain and its growth from a physiological point of view.

Children find it difficult to express their emotions and thoughts through words, so they are very creative , they express themselves through images or gestures. Because they essentially learn to imitate, opinions and ideals are adopted directly from the closest adults. Later during growth these characteristics will change.

For psychologists it is more important to study the second stage of childhood. This is where cognitive functions such as memory and reasoning begin to develop more precisely. These are skills that are influenced by school learning, stimulated through play, a sense of responsibility and respect. They begin to learn concepts such as morality and esteem.

The development of logical and more objective thinking begins to be harnessed through the examples given by adults. These teachings are decisive since they influence socialization and coexistence with other individuals of the same age. Personality development happens during this stage.

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Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.

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