What are the Psychological Factors that Influence Child Development

Back to: Learning and Teaching – Unit 1

Introduction

Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner observed,

“childhood was a state of physical and spiritual being roughly between the ages of seven and fourteen years, indicated initially by certain physiological changes such as the loss of the milk teeth.”

There are several factors that influence child development since childhood is a period of rapid development. Psychological factors refer to factors concerned with an individual’s psychology that enables him or her to act for satisfaction.

Psychological Factors Influencing Child Development

The psychological factors that influence child development are as follows:

Motivation

Children need to be motivated a lot for them to perform and develop skills effectively. It is important to motivate children to learn new things and try new experiences.

Learning

Learning is a continuous and lifelong process. It enables children to learn new knowledge, skills, and abilities which turns them into better individuals.

Perception

The way children grow up is largely dependent on how they perceive the world. Hence, it is important to raise children in an environment that encourages a positive perception of the world.

Beliefs

Children grow up with certain beliefs around the world and the way they believe the world to be can determine their individuality.

Family Environment

The family environment a child is raised in is an important psychological factor as it helps them develop mentally accordingly.

Experiences

The experiences of childhood are also important for children as it affects their development. They base a lot of their decisions on their previous experiences.

Relationships

The kind of peer relationships and other social relationships children have with others also affects their development.

Conclusion

These are some of the important psychological factors that influence the development of a child.