Fundamentals of Developmental Psychology

Peter Mitchell is Professor in Cognitive Development in the School of Psychology at the University of Nottingham. His main research interests are the development of an understanding of the mind in typical and atypical development and visuo-spatial abilities in autism. He has served as Chair of the Developmental Section of the British Psychological Society (2004-2006) and since 2007 he has served as editor of the British Journal of Psychology.Fenja Ziegler is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Lincoln. Fenja's main research interest is in imagination and how it relates to social decision-making, mentalising and perspective-taking in narrative and space, which she studies in children and adults.

"Mitchell and Ziegler’s revised Fundamentals of Developmental Psychology is a delight. Whilst certain to become the standard text for many introductory and foundation courses in developmental psychology, it will also have a much broader appeal to professionals in health, education and social work. Throughout the book the authors develop their arguments utilizing a clever balance of classic texts and new research evidence to guide the reader through the big issues in developmental psychology. Their excellent style draws you in and makes learning fun." - David Coghill, University of Dundee, UK"This is an excellent introduction to the field of developmental psychology. I especially liked its coverage of developmental disorders, including ADHD, autism, SLI, and Williams Syndrome." - Robert Siegler, Carnegie Mellon University, USA"Mitchell and Ziegler’s Fundamentals of Developmental Psychology is an engaging introduction to the field of child development, current knowledge in the area, and the historical figures who brought us there. The addition of new chapters has added to the value of the book by introducing a greater discussion of scientific methodology, and by addressing developmental disorders." - Karen Turner, University of Queensland, Australia"This book covers all the basic topics one would expect in an introductory textbook of this sort. The authors are clearly experts in the field – their discussion of theory and methodology is detailed and appropriate, and the literature referenced is current. The book also contains chapters on specific topics that I have not seen in other textbooks, and I think the additions and revisions to this new edition have strengthened the book considerably. The result is a clear, thorough, and engaging introduction to the key ideas and methods of developmental psychology." - David Peebles, University of Huddersfield, UK

• 1. Themes and Perspectives in Developmental Psychology. 2. Methodological Approaches. 3. The Development of Thinking. 4. Does Piaget’s theory stand up to examination? 5. What children understand about the mind. 6. Developmental disorders. 7. Autism. 8. Numerical development: What do young children understand about the world of numbers? 9. Developing an ability to see the world. 10. Developing an ability to draw. 11. The role of heredity and environment in intelligence. 12. Language development. 13. Developing an ability to communicate. 14. Parenting and the development of love and attachment. 15. Moral development. 16. Development of anti-social behaviour. 17. Freud’s theory of personality development. 18. References. 19. Glossary