Week 2 preview

During the first part of this course we have focused on what the research tells us about the impact of extreme environments such as orphanages on the development of babies. We have also examined research from a range of disciplines including neurodevelopment and developmental psychology that has elucidated the reasons why babies need particular types of input in terms of their early brain development.

Next week we will examine what the research tells us about the way in which the infant begins to build their mind and sense of self, as a result of early interactions with primary caregivers. We will examine the way in which the parent’s emotional and cognitive mind impacts on this interaction, and the consequences in terms of the child’s developing mind.