Personal Perspectives Paper
Jessica McGroarty
Child 300
Fall Semester 2015
Personal Perspectives
Introduction
Within the world of child development, simplicity is often the foundation for all other
experiences. When examining the life of a child, this term takes on new meaning thus creating a
higher level order for life development across many years to come. A newborn infant has the
power to change lives, create opportunities for new discoveries, and help shape the lives of those
around them. A child’s first word, first steps, and other milestones brings a captivation from
parents and other caregivers that creates a bond that will last a lifetime. Being able to ultimately
define boundaries of childhood development has not been proven to be simple. Understanding
child development is even more complicated. Researchers have created 10 core concepts of
guiding principles through which the human developmental process can be further examined and
studied.
Framing the understanding of child development has become a process through which
empirical research and program evaluation have intertwined with professional and personal
experiences. “Taken together, these diverse sources of knowledge advance understanding of the
process of child development and enhance the capacity to promote competence, prevent
disorders, and correct maladaptive patterns” (Shonkoff, J. P., Phillips, D. A., & National
Research Council (U.S.), 2000). The core concepts discussed below represent a selection of
countless hours of research and examination, trial and error, and overall intrigue into the world of
child development. Human development is shaped from interactions between individuals and
the world that surrounds them. Review of these core concepts will accomplish three purposes:
(1) establish an understanding of the complexity of human development, (2) create a higher-level
awareness of the importance of understanding human development and (3) recognize the
importance of always challenging existing knowledge of human development and how the world
changes to influence further understanding.
Core Concept Examination and Reflection
Human Development is shaped by a dynamic and continuous interaction between biology and
experience.
The earliest movement within the field of child development was based on simplicity of
models and testing processes. I was actually reading an article entitled “”Early Adversity and
Mechanisms of Plasticity: Integrating Affective Neuroscience with Developmental Approaches
to Psychopathology.” This article examines the study of emotional circuitry of the brain and the
knowledge required to understand more about cause, preventions, and ultimately treatment of
mental health issues in children. As noted by Shonkoff, and Phillips (2000), “virtually every
aspect of early human development, from the brain’s evolving circuitry to the child’s capacity for
