Regression periods play a central role in the psychological development of the human baby. Studies of infants have identified 10 periods of regression, or a return to a high frequency of mother-infant contact, within the first 20 months of life. These periods of emotional insecurity in the child signal forthcoming periods of developmental advance and the emergence of an array of new skills as a consequence of parent-infant conflict over body contact and the renegotiation of old privileges. Although the basic idea in this book is an old one, the authors believe that regression periods deserve further study and have identified four questions of central importance today: *Can the phenomenon of regression periods as found by Dutch researchers in 1992 be replicated in other countries and cultures? *What environmental conditions have an effect on these regression periods and how? *Are there physical conditions in infants that show a non-linear distribution over age similar to regression periods? *Have brain changes been detected since the review of Fischer & Rose (1994) at other ages than the six reported by them, and, if yes, how do these relate to the ages at which regression periods are found? Forming the core of this book, the replication studies performed in Sweden, Spain, and England provide support that regression periods are a rreliable phenomenon and should be dealt with accordingly whenever developmental processes in infancy are discussed.

Regression periods play a central role in the psychological development of the human baby. Studies of infants have identified 10 periods of regression, or a return to a high frequency of mother-infant contact, within the first 20 months of life. These periods of emotional insecurity in the child signal forthcoming periods of developmental advance and the emergence of an array of new skills as a consequence of parent-infant conflict over body contact and the renegotiation of old privileges. Although the basic idea in this book is an old one, the authors believe that regression periods deserve further study and have identified four questions of central importance today: *Can the phenomenon of regression periods as found by Dutch researchers in 1992 be replicated in other countries and cultures? *What environmental conditions have an effect on these regression periods and how? *Are there physical conditions in infants that show a non-linear distribution over age similar to regression periods? *Have brain changes been detected since the review of Fischer & Rose (1994) at other ages than the six reported by them, and, if yes, how do these relate to the ages at which regression periods are found? Forming the core of this book, the replication studies performed in Sweden, Spain, and England provide support that regression periods are a rreliable phenomenon and should be dealt with accordingly whenever developmental processes in infancy are discussed.

This volume celebrates the work and influence of T. Berry Brazelton, one of the world's foremost pediatricians, by bringing together contributions from researchers and clinicians whose own pioneering work has been inspired by Brazelton's foundations in the field of child development. Includes contributions from experts influenced by the work of Brazelton from a wide range of fields, including pediatrics, psychology, nursing, early childhood education, occupational therapy, and public policy Provides an overview of the field of child development, from the explosion of infant research in the 1960s to contemporary studies Outlines the achievements and influence of T. Berry Brazelton, one of the world's foremost pediatricians, and his lasting influence in continuing research, practice, and public policy

Interdisciplinary Handbook of Perceptual Control Theory Volume II: Living in the Loop brings together the latest research, theory, and applications from W. T. Powers' Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) that proposes that the behavior of a living organism lies in the control of perceived aspects of both itself and its environment. Sections cover theory, the application of PCT to a broad range of disciplines, why perceptual control is fundamental to understanding human nature, a new way to do research on brain processes and behavior, how the role of natural selection in behavior can be demystified, how engineers can emulate human purposeful behavior in robots, and much more. Each chapter includes an author biography to set the context of their work within the development of PCT. - Presents case studies that show how PCT can be applied in different disciplines - Illustrates the Test for the Controlled Variable (TCV) and the construction of functional models as fruitful alternatives to mainstream experimental design when studying behavior - Shows how theory illuminates structure and functions in brain anatomy - Compares and contrasts PCT with other contemporary, interdisciplinary theories

Everything a new parent needs to know about their baby’s 10 magical “leaps”—and when to expect them—in a new, modern sixth edition of The Wonder Weeks The Wonder Weeks answers the question, “Why is my baby cranky, clingy, and crying?” with helpful guidance. Maybe they’re experiencing a leap in brain development, after which new skills are mastered, discoveries are made, and perceptions evolve. Fussy behavior might signal that great progress is underway! Better yet, these phases occur on similar schedules for most babies—as explained and mapped out in this book—so parents can anticipate the “stormy weeks” that precede the “sunny weeks.” Based on decades of research, this fully revised sixth edition covers the first 20 months of a baby’s life and includes: The top 10 things to know and remember about a leap Fun games to support brain development Fill-in-the-blank checklists to help better understand personality and behavior traits Science-based explanations about sleep Fresh insight and recent commentary from new parents who’ve used The Wonder Weeks Anchor moments to keep new parents sane, especially when they are exhausted and discouraged With 2 million+ books sold, and 4 million+ downloads of the corresponding app, The Wonder Weeks has struck a chord. Join the phenomenon that has been embraced by celebrities, social media influencers, and parents worldwide.

This book summarizes more than four decades of research on imitation in infancy and its relation to early learning and sociocognitive development in typically and atypically developing children. The studies were carried out in a Scandinavian context and thus provide important cultural validation of the central developmental processes. The book is divided into three parts: Part one focuses on the social and cognitive aspects of imitation, discussing links to early parent-infant interaction, and developmental meaning. It addresses evidence for an imitative capacity at birth for typical and atypical infants. Also covered are early individual differences in imitation, the role of imitation as a social and cognitive learning mechanism in early development, and possible links between imitation and temperament. Part two presents unique longitudinal studies on early memory development using deferred imitation as the key method. It discusses the biological basis of memory and explores the idea that deferred imitation is an indicator of an infant’s ability to understand intentions. Part three focuses on imitation in young children with autism and with Down syndrome. It examines the role of imitation as a “deficit” as well as a vehicle for change when used interactively in early interventions for children with autism. Imitation from Infancy Through Early Childhood is an essential resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians and other professionals in developmental psychology, cognitive development, psycholinguistics, child psychiatry, and developmental neuroscience.

In this volume an outstanding group of scientists consider emotional development from fetal life onwards. The book includes views from neuroscience, primatology, robotics, psychopathology, and prenatal development. The first book of its kind, this book will be of major interest to all those interested in emotion, from the fields of social, developmental, and clinical psychology, to psychiatry, and neuroscience.

Winner of the William James Book Award Winner of the inaugural Expanded Reason Award A wide-ranging exploration of the role of childhood experiences in adult morality. Moral development has traditionally been considered a matter of reasoning—of learning and acting in accordance with abstract rules. On this model, largely taken for granted in modern societies, acts of selfishness, aggression, and ecological mindlessness are failures of will, moral problems that can be solved by acting in accordance with a higher rationality. But both ancient philosophy and recent scientific scholarship emphasize implicit systems, such as action schemas and perceptual filters that guide behavior and shape human development. In this integrative book, Darcia Narvaez argues that morality goes “all the way down” into our neurobiological and emotional development, and that a person’s moral architecture is largely established early on in life. Moral rationality and virtue emerge “bottom up” from lived experience, so it matters what that experience is. Bringing together deep anthropological history, ethical philosophy, and contemporary neurobiological science, she demonstrates where modern industrialized societies have fallen away from the cultural practices that made us human in the first place. Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality advances the field of developmental moral psychology in three key ways. First, it provides an evolutionary framework for early childhood experience grounded in developmental systems theory, encompassing not only genes but a wide array of environmental and epigenetic factors. Second, it proposes a neurobiological basis for the development of moral sensibilities and cognition, describing ethical functioning at multiple levels of complexity and context before turning to a theory of the emergence of wisdom. Finally, it embraces the sociocultural orientations of our ancestors and cousins in small-band hunter-gatherer societies—the norm for 99% of human history—for a re-envisioning of moral life, from the way we value and organize child raising to how we might frame a response to human-made global ecological collapse. Integrating the latest scholarship in clinical sciences and positive psychology, Narvaez proposes a developmentally informed ecological and ethical sensibility as a way to self-author and revise the ways we think about parenting and sociality. The techniques she describes point towards an alternative vision of moral development and flourishing, one that synthesizes traditional models of executive, top-down wisdom with “primal” wisdom built by multiple systems of biological and cultural influence from the ground up.

Integrating cutting-edge research from multiple disciplines, this book provides a dynamic and holistic picture of the developing infant mind. Contributors explore the transactions among genes, the brain, and the environment in the earliest years of life. The volume probes the neural correlates of core sensory, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social capacities. It highlights the importance of early relationships, presenting compelling findings on how parent-infant interactions influence neural processing and brain maturation. Innovative research methods are discussed, including applications of behavioral, hormonal, genetic, and brain imaging technologies.

This ground-breaking handbook provides a much-needed, contemporary and authoritative reference text on young children’s thinking. The different perspectives represented in the thirty-nine chapters contribute to a vibrant picture of young children, their ways of thinking and their efforts at understanding, constructing and navigating the world. The Routledge International Handbook of Young Children’s Thinking and Understanding brings together commissioned pieces by a range of hand-picked influential, international authors from a variety of disciplines who share a high public profile for their specific developments in the theories of children’s thinking, learning and understanding. The handbook is organised into four complementary parts: • How can we think about young children’s thinking?: Concepts and contexts • Knowing about the brain and knowing about the mind • Making sense of the world • Documenting and developing children’s thinking Supported throughout with relevant research and case studies, this handbook is an international insight into the many ways there are to understand children and childhood paired with the knowledge that young children have a strong, vital, and creative ability to think and to understand, and to create and contend with the world around them.