| Developmental Psychology (DSS 10621) SEMESTER 1A, 2008-2009
ASocSc in Applied Psychology City University of Hong Kong
Essay Assignment Topic A
Student Name: TSAO, Hung Yan Student Number: 51502675 Tutorial Group Number: T04
Introduction: In this essay, it is meanly focus on selecting developmentally appropriate toys for infants or toddlers, how the toys are suitable to the infants or toddlers and how and why the other toys are unsafe for infants or toddlers. Also, in this essay, I will apply some theories which are related to the developmentally appropriate toys for infants or toddlers, such as, Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory. Firstly, I will talk about the characteristics of the children. Secondly, it is the definition of safe toy. Then, I will introduce a list of developmentally appropriate toys that should be put in a room for infants and toddlers to play and elucidate how those toy are appropriate to the infants and toddlers. After, I will talk about what is inappropriate toy with some sample of inappropriate toys in the market.
Children characteristics: Infants and toddlers generally is characterize a baby that around 12-36 months. According to the Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, children at this age range is on oral stage and anal stage. This stage occupies the first One or Two years of a child's life. The source of pleasure in this stage is the mouth. During this stage the child derives pleasure initially from breast-feeding and later from sucking things-a child in this stage of Personality development will put anything in its mouth. According to Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory, Sensorimotor stage, the first stage in his theory of cognitive development. In Piaget’s view, this stage begins at birth and continues until about age 2. After extensive observations of infants and toddlers, especially his own three children, Piaget described the sensorimotor stage as a series of six substages, on the stage 4-6, which are Coordination of Secondary Circular Reactions (8–12 Months),Tertiary Circular Reactions (12–18 Months) and Mental Representation (18–24 Months). On the substage 4, after repeatedly observing that certain actions lead to certain consequences, infants gradually acquire knowledge of cause-effect relationships. Accordingly, they begin to engage in goal2 directed behavior: They behave in ways that they know will bring about desired results. They also begin to combine behaviors in new ways to accomplish their goals. For example, when an infant sees the string of a pull-toy near her, rather than crawling over to the toy she might instead reach out and grab the string and then purposely pull the string in order to acquire the toy. Yet another acquisition at this substage is object permanence, the realization that physical objects continue to exist even when they are removed from view. For example, when a caregiver hides an attractive toy beneath a pillow, the infant knows that the toy still exists, also knows where it exists, and will attempt to retrieve it. On the substage 5, Beginning sometime around their first birthday, infants show increasing flexibility and creativity in their behaviors, and their experimentation with objects often leads to new outcomes, on the other words, they will repeat behaviours with variations. On the substage 6, Piaget proposed that in the latter half of the second year, young children develop symbolic thought, the ability to represent and think about objects and events in terms of internal, mental entities, or symbols. They may “experiment” with objects in their minds, first predicting what will happen if they do something to an object, then transforming their plans into action. To some degree, mental prediction and planning replace overt trial-and-error as growing toddlers experiment and attempt to solve problems. The capacity for mental representation is seen in the emergence of deferred imitation, the ability to recall and copy another person’s behaviors hours or days after their behaviors have been observed. Although infants show some ability to imitate others’ actions quite early in life, up until now, Piaget suggested, they have imitated only the behaviors they see someone else demonstrating on the spot. In Sensorimotor Stage, children Intelligence demonstrated through the use of symbols, language use matures, and memory and imagination are developed. On the other hand, we cam see that child on this stage will learn to walk, their language development will start and they can discriminate speech sound. Therefore, the list of developmentally appropriate toys that should be put in a room for infants and toddlers to play, it must base on children's motor development, language development and cognitive development.
Standard of safe toy: Since, the children are on the oral and anal stages, they like sucking very much, it is very possible that they will put the toy into their mouth. So, A safe toy should be, have a consist of safety qualification and nontoxic labels, no color fading, not inflammable, no small and removable parts, rounded edges or angles, must have battery compartment door and should state the right aged range. In many countries, commercial toys must be able to pass safety tests in order to be sold. In Hong Kong, safe toy must be pass the Toys and Children's Products Safety Regulation in compliance with the EU's EN71 standard.
List of appropriate toys: In this list of appropriate toys, it concluded five appropriate toys. First, is the Touch Tone Octopus. Second, is Builder’s Build and Construction. Third, is Baby’s First Blocks. Fourth, is Stroll Along Walker and the fifth is Baby Grand Piano. For the Touch Tone Octopus, there are some different color button which will make a different sound of simple words when it be pushed. This toy is soft, have a rounded edges or angles, no small or removable parts and unfadable, so it will not cause injury to child and this toy pass the Toys and Children's Products Safety Regulation and have a consist of safety qualification and nontoxic labels. Also, it will help children recognizing the color, helpful to their language development and enhance their understanding of cause and effects. For the Builder’s Build and Construction( building block ), there are some big color blocks. It will develop children's creative problem-solving skills by simple block connection, also develop children's Hand-eye coordination and the recognition of Color and Shape. This toy have a rounded edges or angles, no small or removable parts, unfadable and not inflammable. Also, this toy pass the Toys and Children's Products Safety Regulation and have a consist of safety qualification and nontoxic labels.
For the Baby’s First Blocks, there are soft toy house with different angles of windows and blocks. Children can put the suitable blocks into suitable shape of windows. It will help baby learn through everyday life experiences, develop their motor skills, and develop their cognitive skills. This toy is soft, have a rounded edges or angles, no small or removable parts and unfadable, also pass the Toys and Children's Products Safety Regulation and have a consist of safety qualification and nontoxic labels. So that, we can see that it is safe to children to play. For the Stroll Along Walker, there are a handrail toy car, children can hold the handrail to walk, then the car will make some lovely sound. It will let the children have more chance to walk, it can encourage to develop their motor development. Also, the sound making will let the children feel happy, it will Promote a emotional development to them and stimulate their sense. And the fifth toy is Baby Grand Piano, when children push the colorful piano keys, it will make some different tone. It will encourage children the interaction and pretended play, will stimulate children's visual, tactile skills and auditory sense,and enhance children's language development. And these two toys also have a rounded edges or angles, no small or removable parts, unfadable and not inflammable. Also, this toy pass the Toys and Children's Products Safety Regulation and have a consist of safety qualification and nontoxic labels. |
