This concise guide offers an accessible introduction to cognitive development in childhood and adolescence. It integrates insights from typical and atypical development to reveal fundamental aspects of human growth and development, and common developmental disorders.

IntroductionPart I Theories of Cognitive Development Cognition Domains, modules and activities Logical constructivism Information processing Nativism Social constructionism Disparity and integrationSummary of Part I Core Issues Suggestions for further reading Part II Attention, Memory and Executive Function Basic Cognitive Functions Attention Memory Executive FunctionsSummary of Part II Core Issues Suggestions for further reading Part III Conceptual Development and Reasoning Concepts and Reasoning Early conceptions of space, time and causality Object concepts Reasoning Atypical developmentSummary of Part III Core Issues Suggestions for further reading Part IV Mind Understanding The Human Mind Visual perspective Private speech Early understanding of desires and beliefs Further development of mind understanding Individual and cultural differences Atypical development of mind understandingSummary of Part IIII Core Issues Suggestions for further reading Part V Intelligence The Concept of Intelligence Theories of intelligence Intelligence tests Stability and variation in IQ scores Nature, nurture and intelligence Gender differences Ethnicity and intelligence Changing norms: The Flynn effect School performance and intelligence Atypical developmentSummary of Part IV Core Issues Suggestions for further reading Part VI Learning and Instruction Learning and Adaptation Types of learning Two developmental perspectives on education Cooperation among children Atypical development: Learning disorders Learning disorders and mental disorders Summary of Part VICore IssuesSuggestions for further readingGlossaryBibliographyIndex

The individual topic books in the Topics from Child and Adolescent Psychology are drawn from Stephen von Tetzchner’s comprehensive core textbook, Child and Adolescent Psychology.Praise for the core textbook:‘Extremely useful text for students and practitioners alike.’ Dr. Graham Music, Consultant Psychotherapist, Tavistock Clinic London, UK.‘Illustrates how knowledge about typical and atypical development can be integrated and used to highlight fundamental processes of human growth and maturation.’ Dr. John Coleman, PhD, OBE, UK.