Page 78 - Understanding Psychology

maturation: the internally programmed growth of a child
To some extent an infant is like a plant that shoots up and unfolds according to a built-in plan. She will begin to lift her head at about 3 months, smile at 4 months, and grasp objects at 5 to 6 months. Crawling appears at 8 to 10 months. By this time the infant may be able to pull her- self into a standing position, although she will fall if she lets go. She will begin to walk 3 or 4 months later, tentatively at first, but gradually acquir- ing a sense of balance.
Psychologists call internally programmed growth maturation. Maturation is as important as learning or experience, especially in the first years. (Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior resulting from responses that change as a result of experience.) Unless a child is persistently underfed, severely restricted in her movements, or deprived of human contact and things to look at, she will develop more or less according to this schedule. Purely as a matter of efficiency, it is worth a parent’s time to wait until infants reach maturational readiness before push- ing them into mastering new skills. No amount of coaching will push a child to walk or speak before she is physiologically ready.
The process of maturation becomes obvious when you think about walking. An infant lacks the physical control walking requires. By the end
Maturation
Figure 3.2 Physical and Motor Development
(9.2 months) Walk holding on to furniture
(11.5 months) Stand alone
(2.8 months) Roll over
(5.5 months) Sit without support
(Age in months)
(7.6 months) Pull self to standing position
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
(2 months) Raise head to 45 degrees
(4 months) Sit with support
(10 months) Creep
Although different infants achieve milestones in motor develop-
ment at slightly different ages, all infants achieve them in the Walk same order. This chart shows the average ages when mile-
stones are usually achieved. At what age would you expect
an infant to start standing? Start walking?
(12.1 months)
64 Chapter 3 / Infancy and Childhood