In 1951, when Maria Montessori described the pattern of human development as the Constructive Rhythm of Life, marking each of four chapters or planes of development with an inverted triangle, she colored the first and third planes red to represent their intensity (Grazzini, 1996). These two red triangles are referred to as creative periods and…

While much has been written on the influence of Erik Erikson's contributions to education, little has been said about his place in terms of his contribution to the general theoretical notion of what it means to be a human being. This article aims to broaden current reflections on Erikson's position in the spectrum of work done on human development…

The purpose of this study was to examine the developmental course and implications of the personality metatraits ego resiliency and ego control across the first 3 decades of life. The sample consisted of 139 participants who were assessed 9 times between ages 2 and 33. Participants completed measures of ego resiliency, ego control, Big Five…

Introduction: Computers and the applications of today's high technology can simulate reality so realistically that virtuality has become part of both children's and adults' lifestyles (Nagy & Kölcsey, 2017; Szécsi, 2012). However, it did not emerge with the computer applications, but with human thinking and part of that, the virtual conception…

How do schooling years impact children's lives, in rural and urban settings? Why do some children have lower self-esteem than others? What kinds of conflicts do adolescents experience in their search for identity? Why are some teachers able to understand the importance of ensuring the well-being of children while others do not? Does the emotional…

In this autobiographical journey through life-span developmental theory, the author reflects on her life as a player, embedding it in the context of Erik Erikson and Joan Erikson's stages of human development. The author builds on these basic ideas--theory, storytelling, play, and development--and defines them as simply as possible.

Most teachers in the field of early childhood education pour a great deal of thought, energy, and enthusiasm into what they do. If asked why they invest so much in their profession, they're likely to list a number of reasons: they love children and enjoy being around them; they sincerely care about their welfare; and they feel a sense of pride and…

"The way you make your bed is the way your day will go." The way in which people gather is an extension of the making-the-bed analogy: "The way we gather is the way our school days go." The mindfulness people bring to the little ways they behave with one another sets the tone for the entire organization. When Montessori speaks of allowing the…

There is evidence for developmental hierarchies in the type of information to which infants attend when reasoning about objects. Investigators have questioned the origin of these hierarchies and how infants come to identify new sources of information when reasoning about objects. The goal of the present experiments was to shed light on this debate…

Both the polyvalent notions of culture and development have been central for building psychological theories. In the present paper, both notions are discussed within the framework of general developmental science and thus from a necessarily systemic perspective. Development is surely culturally informed, yet the process of cultivation is largely…

Over the last few decades, long-term survival rates of children diagnosed with the two most common forms of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and brain tumors have improved substantially. Neurodevelopmental and psychosocial sequelae resulting from these diseases and their treatment have a direct impact on the developing brain…

Examination of the child prodigy phenomenon suggests it is a result of extremely accelerated mental development during sensitive periods that leads to the rapid growth of a child's cognitive resources and their construction into specific exceptional achievements. (Author/DB)

Argues that dynamic systems approaches may provide an explanatory framework based on general scientific principles for developmental psychology, using principles of self-organization to explain how novel forms emerge without predetermination and become increasingly complex with development. Contends that self-organization provides a single…

Summarizes findings in brain research that directly impact how caregivers interact with young children: (1) interplay between genes and environment; (2) contributions of early experiences to brain structure; (3) effects of early interactions on brain "wiring"; (4) the non-linear progress of development; and (5) children's biological…

Conducted research, based on Erikson's theory of identity development, to examine anorexic's progression through early stages of development. Results support the view that the negative aspects of development are clearly present in the anorexic. Findings have implications for school counselors. Introductory questionnaire on anorexia is appended.…