Principles and Factors of Human Growth and Development

Forms of Development

Development is a process and it has some specific characteristics : 

1. Structural Change- Growth concerns with the changes in height, weight, form of the body. It can be observed and measured.

2. Changes in Proportion- The child is the miniature of the adult. There is proportionate changes or growth in structure of an adult. The proportion is also noted mental, and emotional development.

3. Changes in Old Features- Some changes are observed in old features of an individual. These changes are caused by thymus and pinial glands.

4. Acquisition of New Features- The old features gradually vanish and new features and acquired. There is change in teeth and growth in sexual organs. Maturation is the stage that an individual is ready to function.

5. Predictability of Development- The rate and speed of development provide the basis for the prediction of development.

 6. Definite Pattern of Development- What-so-ever the form of development but it has definite pattern. It is the law of nature.

7. Development has Specific Characteristics- Each stage of development has some traits or specific characteristics. The most effective traits of each stage emerge in process of development. Every individual has to go through these stages. The behaviour which appears unique behaviour during the process of development, are normal.

Principles/Patterns or Characteristics of Growth and Development

Studies in genetics have shown that behavioural development follows a pattern even though there is individual difference among children. The various principles of development are given below:

1. Principle of uniform developmental pattern:

Development occurs in orderly manner and follows a certain sequence and a regular step by step process. All the developmental direction and sequences are almost the same for all children, but each child follows his own time schedule of growth. For example the baby creeps before he crawls and crawls before he walks.

2. Principle of continuous:

Human beings are constantly changing. One is not the same today as one was yesterday and one will be different from what one is now. Thus the process of growth and development continues from birth to death in some or other form and a never-ending process. 

3. Principle of lack of uniformity in the developmental rate:

Although the human developmental sequence is uniform and continuous, it does not exhibit uniformity in the developmental periods and stages of life. It is this variation in individual development that makes it impossible to predict how an individual will react to a particular stimulus.

4. Principle of developmental speed variation:

It is observed that growth and development becomes very rapid in infancy and early adolescence and latter the speed decreases.

5. Principle of cephalocaudal and proximodstal sequence:

The growth and development has got its own direction. It follows cephalocaudal sequence, which means that the human beings grow from head downwards that is in the direction of the longitudinal axis (head to foot) or head is developed in the embroynic stage than the development of body and legs occur. It is also known as principle from the head-tailward. 

6. Principle of proceeding from general to specific:

This is true of all phases of development. The new born baby moves his body as a whole and slowly he learns to control his full hand and later he tries to control on the movement of his hand fingers.

7. Principle of integration/ total development:

Development involves a movement from the whole to parts and from the parts to the whole in the areas of both physical and psychological aspects and are interrelated and interdependent.

8. Principle of orderly and proceeds by stages:

Human development follows a known sequence. Each child stands before he walks and babbles before he talks. Physical development occurs in a head to foot direction and proceeds from the central parts to more distant ones. Thus each stage has certain unique characteristics and behavioural patterns. 

9. Principle of Individual difference:

Every organism is a distinct creation in itself. Therefore the development which it undergoes in terms of the rate and outcome in various dimensions is quite unique and specific and varies from child to child.

10. Principle of cumulative:

In the course of development, a single experience matters a lot and it does not go unnoticed and unaccounted because it has been found out that subsequent behavior is the result of previous experiences. The day a child utters his first word, the appearance of his first tooth, his first shave, etc., are turning point in life. Thus the development pattern represent  sequential advancement rather than series of mere editions and did not reach abruptly.

Factors Influencing Growth and Development

 Growth is natural and automatic process but development is planned and deliberate efforts to bring desirable changes among children. Development process depends on heredity and environmental factors. Thus, it is influenced by these factors

(i) Heredity factors are intelligence, sex, race, secretion of glands, height, weight, structural features. 

(ii) Environmental factors are nutrition, fresh air and light, open environment, family status, culture, diseases and injuries. 

1. Intelligence- The most important aspect of development refers to mental development. it depends on the intelligence of child. All other type of development are also influences by the intelligence. An intelligent child acquires new behaviours of a child reflect his level of intelligence.

2. Sex- There is difference between boys and girls with regard to their growth and development. The body constitution and structural growth of girls are different from boys. The functions of boys and girls are also of different nature.

3. Secretion of Glands- The para-thyride glands make the body more sensitive and more emotional. The thymus glands influence the mental and chest development. It brings an early maturity children. among

4. Races- The racial factor has great influence on height, weight, colour feature and body constitution, A child of white will be white, tall and smart. Even hairs and eyes colour are governed by the concerning race. race

5. Nutrition- Growth and development of a child mainly depends on his food nutrition. The mal-nutrition has adverse effect on their structural and smart. Even hairs and eyes colour are governed by the concerning race.

6. Family Status- Nutrition and family status have similar influence. The poor family can not provide balance diet to their children. It will effect adversely.

7. Social and Cultural Factors- The behaviour and functional aspect is greatly influenced by social and cultural environment in which a child lives. They acquire values, feelings and attitudes.

8. Disease and Injuries- The mental injuries and other type of long disease have adverse effect on the development of children.