The process of growth and development is sequential and predictable and follows a set order of increasing complexity. A good example of this process is a toddler learning how to walk. It occurs in a specific order, from basic leg movements to crawling and standing before the process of walking can be learned. The process is predictable and progressive over time. Growth and development also do not end in adulthood. The growth and development of a human being include infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age, and end with death.
There are several principles in developmental psychology that explain human growth and development. A few examples of these principles include the principles of continuity, integration, lack of uniformity, and interrelation. The principle of continuity states that growth and development are continuous. The principle of integration states that learning happens in parts and what is learned is then integrated together as a whole (e.g., in order to draw a clock, one must learn to draw lines, numbers, and circles first, and then put those three things together). The principle of lack of uniformity states that developmental rates and growth of the body and mind occur at different or ununiform rates. The principle of interrelation states that development in one area can impact the development of another area.
Of the many principles of growth and development, there are four that are particularly important to know:
- Principles of Association of Maturation and Learning
- Orthogenetic principle
- Cephalocaudal principle
- Proximodistal principle
Principles of Association of Maturation and Learning
The principles of association of maturation and learning state that a human being matures as they develop biologically. Biologic development impacts cognitive, mental, physical, socioeconomic, and sensory-motor changes. Biological changes are physical changes, like how an infant's brain and body both grow and change biologically as that infant matures to a child, adolescent, and adult. Cognitive changes are linked with biological changes because as the brain develops and matures, it is able to do more complex functions. For example, an infant cannot grab a crayon and start writing sentences at two months old because its brain and motor skills have not developed or matured enough to handle this task.
Summary of some important terms in the principles of association of maturation and learning:
- Growth: physical size increase
- Development: behavior changes that occur as the organism grows
- Maturation: acquisition of new abilities based on growth and development
Cephalocaudal Principle
The cephalocaudal principle, or principle of cephalocaudal development, describes the directional development of functional motor skills and the physical growth of an infant from birth to early childhood. This principle states that both physical growth and functional motor skill development start at the head and ends at the toes. This is why the cephalocaudal principle is also called the "head-to-toe" development principle. One of the best examples of the cephalocaudal principle with respect to the physical development of an infant points to how large an infant's head is. As the infant grows into a child, the head largeness is lost as the rest of the body grows, catching up to the early growth of the head. Another example of the cephalocaudal principle with respect to functional development is how an infant learns motor control. A baby learns to stabilize its head before it can control and stabilize the rest of its body, like its feet. Motor skills of the feet like walking come only after the infant learns to control its head and upper body.
Orthogenetic Principle
The orthogenetic principle of growth and development was developed by a psychologist named Dr. Heinz Werner and is sometimes called Werner's orthogenetic theory. This theory proposed that psychological development is continuous and mirrors biological development from the simple to the complex. In other words, Dr. Werner applied directionality to principles of growth and development. In biology, the growing complexity of a fetus from a sperm and egg to an infant at nine months happens as cells differentiate from simple to specialized. Dr. Werner felt that these biological principles of development could also be applied to the social and psychological development of children. Anything a child learns or does, whether it is learning to walk, play an instrument, do athletics, read, write, or draw, starts off simple and becomes increasingly complex, or increasingly differentiated, over time. An example of the orthogenetic principle applied to learning is how a child becomes a skilled artist. A child may at first draw simple lines and circles on paper that do not look like anything but scribbles, which progresses to stick figures, then simple drawings, and with enough practice and time, will eventually depict lifelike drawings.
Proximodistal Principle
The proximodistal principle of growth and development, like the cephalocaudal principle, describes the directional development of functional motor skills and the physical growth of an infant from birth to early childhood. However, the proximodistal principle is different from the cephalocaudal principle, which says growth is from head to toe. The proximodistal principle states that development starts close to the center of the body (near the spine) and then progresses outward from the center of the body. An example supporting the proximodistal principle with respect to physical development is how the spine of a fetus has to develop first before its arms and legs can develop. Likewise, an infant learns to use its arms, which are located closer to the spine, before it can learn to grasp things with its fingers, which are located further away from the spine.
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