Unit 4 assignment child and adolecent psychology

Thinking About Physical Development Throughout the Periods of Development First/Last Name Department of Psychology, Purdue University Global PS220: Child and Adolescent Psychology Instructor’s Name Date Thinking About Physical Development Throughout the Periods of Development A child’s growth from toddlerhood to adolescence reflects dynamic physical and motor developments. Diverse factors, including genetics and environmental aspects, play a central role in the transformation recorded through these stages. Thus, this paper discusses the physical and motor developments from infancy to adolescence and the role of genetics and environment in this process. Infancy/toddlerhood represents a period of rapid growth compared to other phases in an individual’s life. Goodway et al. (2019) indicate that dynamic changes occur within the first two years, including rapid physical developments. For instance, within the first twelve months, a child’s height is approximately 50% more than the recorded figure at birth, while the weight doubles and quadruples by the second year. Such weight emanates from increasing baby fat to maintain a desirable body temperature. Besides the physical changes, this age includes significant motor developments, including reaching a fine motor milestone contributing to environmental interaction (Berk, 2022). Within the first nine months, toddlers start pre-reaching through swipes and improve gradually to start grasping objects. The growth rate in this phase depends on genetics and environmental influences, with most individuals depicting catch-up growth when provided with appropriate nutrition and exposure to nurturing settings. Thus, a balance of all aspects is critical for proper development. Early childhood starts from two years and has distinct phys...