• Looks at cutting-edge research about child psychology and development
• Incorporates information from various areas of psychology to demonstrate how children develop
• Considers the influence of friendships, families, and the imagination
• Explores how children learn in different ways, in relation to genetics and the workings of the brain
• Explains how children develop self-awareness and an understanding of the physical, biological, and social worlds

  
This Very Short Introduction provides an up-to-date, authoritative, and accessible guide to modern child psychology, from birth to early adolescence. Beginning with infancy, Usha Goswami considers the process of attachment and 'bonding', showing how secure attachments enable the development of self-understanding. Exploring childhood learning, ranging from aspects of language and thinking to cognitive reasoning, Goswami looks at how babies and toddlers develop an understanding of the physical, biological, and social worlds, and develop complex abilities like language and morality. 
 
Demonstrating how learning is shaped by the environments surrounding the child; at home, school, with peers, and in wider society, Goswami emphasizes the importance of childhood friendships and siblings for psychological development. Introducing the key theories in child psychology, Goswami explains why children develop as they do and how society can further optimize their development through the adolescent years.