Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
Lifespan Development

What Does Psychology Say?

Lifespan DevelopmentWhat Does Psychology Say?
Figure 5.1 Early childhood is a time of extensive physical and cognitive growth. The awkwardness of toddlerhood gives way to smooth physical movement. An explosion of words arrives that expands thinking as well as socioemotional growth. (credit: modification of work “A Spring in your camp, CYTP members join Spring Camp 140319-M-TH981-002” by Kristen Wong, United States Marine Corps/Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

Chapter Outline

What Does Psychology Say?

Kai and Taylor want the best for their child, always striving to make sure Maxie is stimulated and has the best resources to enhance both physical and cognitive development. At five years old, Maxie attends kindergarten, plays organized soccer, practices piano, and has plenty of coloring sheets and educational games at home to explore. Kai and Taylor like eating a wide variety of foods, and they offer Maxie different tastes, textures, and flavors to encourage a preference for healthy options.

Kai and Taylor are concerned they may be overscheduling Maxie. Yet they also worry that they may not be offering enough stimulation because they are both at work until dinnertime. They recognize that many other upper-middle class parents struggle with these same issues, and they get differing opinions from their friends. They often find themselves wondering:

  • Do all young children prefer to eat pizza, nuggets, and peanut butter sandwiches, or is Maxie’s preference for these items a cause for concern?
  • When is the best time to teach Maxie a second language?
  • Which does Maxie need more right now—free play or structured activities?
  • Is screentime inherently bad for Maxie, or could it be beneficial?

This chapter provides scientific and practical answers to these types of questions and others about physical and cognitive development in early childhood.

PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/lifespan-development/pages/1-what-does-psychology-say

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/lifespan-development/pages/1-what-does-psychology-say

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Apr 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.