Observation #1

Class: FHS 1500

Name: Shaylee Dunyon
Assignment: Observation 1

Background Information
Childs age: 18-24 months (toddler)
Fictitious Name: Nick
Location: Online video on YouTube
Brief Description: Video segments of a toddler named Nick, showing him playing with
toys, other children, and interacting with his daycare.

Biological Development

From the beginning of the clip when I started observing Nick, I noticed very
quickly how easy-going his temperament was. Temperament is described as the,
biologically based core of individual differences in style of approach and response to the
environment that is stable across time and situations (van den Akker et al., 2010, p.485).
It was easy to see that Nick had a very laid back temperament and was content with
playing with his toys in the beginning of the clip.
As he continues to play with his toys, the second thing I noticed was his obvious
motor skills and the use of his senses. Motor skills are defined as, any movement
ability, and grasping objects that Nick was playing with was one of his most obvious
motor skills shown. Of course, watching him eventually get up and move also portrayed
his ability with gross motor skills too. Quite similarly, he also used his senses while
playing with and touching the toys, (Berger, 2016, p.97).
Like discussed in Chapter 4 of the textbook, allocare is a behavioral concept that I
noticed while watching Nick. Because he is at a daycare center, in the care of other
people, it was interesting to watch how that affected the way he behaved and interacted. It
is hard, if not impossible, to compare his behavior at daycare to his behavior at home, but
the book mentions it briefly and it is something that pertains to Nick, therefore something
that I took notice to. I think its cool to note that, compared to many other species,
human mothers have evolved to let other people help with child care, and other people
are usually eager to do so (Berger, 2016, p.147).

Cognitive Development

When Nick is playing with the toys that are submerged in water, I observed his
ability of both senses and motor skills, which Piaget refers to as sensorimotor intelligence
(Berger, 2016, p.112-113). Expounding upon that, we see Nick follow all six stages of the
sensorimotor skills including things like, sucking on the water, responding to the child
next to him, taking the toys in and out of the water, etc.
This above concept leads to my observation that Nick showcased the idea of
little scientist, as stated in the book (Berger, 2016, p. 116). Nick is a great example, and
perfect age, because he portrays a little scientist by experimenting what happens when he
pours the water out of the cup, or when he drank it and it didnt taste good. He was
practicing trial-and-error just like typical 18-24 month olds do.
This final cognitive observation was a little trickier to catch because of Nicks
laid-back personality, but in the later clips he exhibited something called the naming
explosion, (Berger, 2016, p. 121). He did babble a couple of times, but we do hear
several words come out of his mouth as well as other noises when he would get excited
or play with the other kids. I think he wasnt as advanced as some of the children in the
clips, but he did portray words even when babbling.

Psychosocial Development

The Psychoanalytic Theory, (Berger, 2016, p.150-151), connects social growth

and biological growth and is evident with Nick when he continuously puts things in his
mouth. This behavior is part of the oral stage that toddlers experience, which is very
typical and something that most, if not all, humans experience.
Throughout the clips Nicks personality and behavior are portrayed in the way he
interacts with his toys and with the other kids. I think that he is an easy-going kid that
seems to enjoy the simple things at daycare and finds contentment playing alone and
playing with other kids, like he did when he was stepping on and off the logs with the
other child. I am sure that much of his behaviorism is learned through daycare and at
home. I also think that is why he seems to be an adaptable toddler because he has had to
learn to be at daycare around other people.
Lastly, I think that attachment is part of psychosocial development and Nick
didnt seem to have a problem with attachment in a negative sense. However I think he
matches the 8-month to 2-year definition that the book gives, infants greet their
caregivers, play happily when they are present, show separation anxiety when their
primary caregivers leave, (Berger, 2016, p.139). Although the clip didnt show his
caregivers ever leaving, Nick didnt seem to have a problem with being attached to an
adult caregiver at daycare, or to a certain toy while playing. Instead, I observed that Nick
was content both playing by himself, and playing with other children.

Reference

Berger, K. S. (2016) Invitation to the life span (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.