The cognitive development phase during childhood years consists of decision-making, idea learning, remembering, problem -solving, and understanding thoughts derived from past experiences from childhood through adolescence, and into adulthood. When one perceives, gains understanding, and thinks of the interaction from the world around them, factors are learned, and genetic influences comes from cognitive development and or often modeled by a child??™s teachers and parents.
A child develops how to interact and understand other people during the childhood years and how to interact with one??™s external environment (Sternberg & Grigorenko, 2001). Factors like intelligence, language learning approach, information processing, reasoning, memory, and idea learning and understanding affect cognitive development during childhood years (Blumberg, 2004). Cognitive development has been studied historically by psychologist in children in a variety of ways, and explained in different manners. Many psychologist believe that one??™s surroundings solely represents cognitive development, while others believe one??™s genetic making, or situational circumstances influences cognitive development. To defend their findings and information most psychologists explain the developmental cognitive stage differently.
A person??™s cultural surroundings is something explained as a highly influence on cognitive development. This means that one??™s cultural background; food, beliefs, language, and customs play a big influence on cognitive development. Cognitive development is explained as a cultural process and ??? according to cultural practices children develop knowledge and thinking skills??? (Gauvain, 2011). When taking cultural contributions into account, it adds values to understanding cognitive development. While studying a child??™s development, practical and theoretical issues that are researched by culture are encouraged and culture should be considered much more than anything else in a child??™s life.
When children are taught the same lesson in school but separated into groups by their culture, even though the same topic is being taught they all have a different level of understanding on that particular topic. This could lead one to believe that each child had different levels of development to begin with, culture has a great influence on cognitive development, and the study approach was unfair from the beginning. Infants that are given Zinc, Folic Acid, Iron, and supplemental vitamins are influenced by cognitive development.
This has nothing to do with cultural surroundings but is based more on physical health and stability. Psychologist explains how supplemental deficiencies can effect cognitive development and can stunt the growth in general in infants. ??? The study investigated the effects of iron-folic acid and/or zinc supplementation on the results of and intelligence called the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII)??? (Siegel, 2011). Using five indicators of processing information: deteriorated performance, fixation duration, accelerated performance, and preferences for novelty, infants were tested on both tasks. The results of the tests were inconsistent and showed that there is a greater influence on cognitive development and infants who encounter social stressors have a greater difference.
This proves that a child??™s cognitive development relies on their cultural surroundings. Psychologist explained that nutrition could be another very important profoundly influential element to a child??™s cognitive development. Cognitive development ??? focuses on a childs development in terms of information processing, conceptual resources, perceptual skill, language learning, and other aspects of brain development??? (Hunt, 1991). To give a child the proper nutrients for a physically healthy approach to learning they must have a healthy lifestyle.
Children??™s nutritional health helps their cognitive development. A study was conducted to assess cognitive development and investigate the relationship of nutrition and the way a child learns (Dutta, 2011). The study showed how the same group of children that used nutrition changed throughout the research and the great affect nutrition has on the cognitive development of a child. The research proved how, unhealthy nutrition can lead to the lack of focus, and affect a child physically where they cannot retain information as if they would if they received the nutrition they should receive. During the post-natal period of a mother??™s pregnancy, a mother??™s health can promote healthier babies and cognitive development once a child is born. Psychological well-being as well as maternal health during the mother??™s post-natal period of pregnancy contributes to the well-being for the family.
A mother who spends most of her pregnancy in turmoil and depression can cause a child to have slower cognitive development. This has a-lot to do with the mother??™s emotional and mental state during the pregnancy. ??? Mothers often experience physical and psychological difficulties during the post-natal period and these may continue through the early years of raising children and have negative effects on engagement and care giving??? (Mensah, 2011). The same group of children that were nine months old and three years old were assessed through maternal health and psychological well-being and it was proven that there is a clear association between a cognitive development and maternal general health.
In Conclusion, cognitive development is influenced by not one but several influential factors. A child??™s surroundings and cultural circumstances are very important to the over-all health of a child. A child??™s circumstance does influence the cognitive development of a child.
It is very important before believing that a child is not committed, capable, educated enough, or understanding the topic to analyze a child??™s over-all circumstances. Before educating children we must remember that cognitive development is influenced by many factors. Cognitive theory is the development of a person??™s though process and it influence the way people interact with the world. Cognitive theory has to do with people??™s surrounding meaning; in school, at home, and friendships. One cannot ignore the fact that cognitive theory is influenced by one??™s health status because when one is healthy, rested, and well-feed; he or she learns their best. Cognitive development is influenced by many different factors and these are just a few of the many that influence cognitive development.
