Theories of Infant Development

This volume provides an authoritative survey of all the major theories of infant development. * An authoritative survey of major theoretical issues in infant development. * Written by leading scholars in the field of infancy. * Each chapter either presents a distinct theoretical approach to infant development or reviews contrasting theories in a specific subfield. * Pays particular attention to current theoretical controversies. * Contributors include Eugene Goldfield, Andy Meltzoff, Marinus van Ijzendoorn, Mark Johnson and Annette Karmiloff-Smith, among others.

Table of Contents:
Contributors. preface. Part I: Development of Perception and Action. 1. A Dynamical Systems Perspective On Infant Action And Its Development. (Eugene C. Goldfield & Peter H. Wolff). 2. A Developmental Perspective On Visual Proprioception. (David I. Anderson, Joseph J. Campos & Marianne A. Barbu-Roth). 3. From Direct Perception To The Primacy Of Action: A Closer Look At James Gibson's Ecological Approach To Psychology. (Alan Costall). 4. The Development Of Perception In A Multimodal Environment. (Lorraine E. Bahrick). 5. Neuroscience Perspectives On Infant Development. (Mark H. Johnson & Annette Karmiloff-Smith). Part II: Cognitive Development. 6. The Case For Developmental Cognitive Science: Theories Of People And Things. (Andrew N. Meltzoff). 7. Theories Of Development Of The Object Concept. (Scott Johnson). 8. Remembering Infancy: Accessing Our Earliest Experiences. (Alan Fogel). Part III: Social Development & Communication:. 9. Maternal Sensitivity Is More Important Than Infant Temperament In Shaping The Infant-Mother Attachment Relationship. (Marinus H. Van Ijzendoorn & Marian J. Bakerman-Kranenburg). 10. Emerging Co-Awareness. (Philippe Rochat). 11. Processes Of Development In Early Communication. (David Messer). 12. Joint Visual Attention In Infancy. (George Butterworth). Afterword: Tribute To George Butterworth. (Peter E. Bryant). Author Index. Subject Index.

About the Author :
Gavin Bremner is Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Lancaster. He is the author and editor of several books, including the popular textbook Infancy (Blackwell Publishers, 2nd edition, 1994) and the Blackwell Handbook of Infant Development (Blackwell Publishing, 2002). Alan Slater is Reader in Developmental Psychology at the University of Exeter. He is co-editor of the Blackwell Reader in Developmental Psychology (Blackwell Publishers, 1999), and co-editor with Gavin Bremner of Introduction to Developmental Psychology (Blackwell Publishing, 2003).

Review :
"With so much contemporary research activity in developmental psychology concentrating on infants, this book is timely and welcome. It should be most helpful to those instructors who are looking for a text to use in teaching an upper-level undergraduate course focusing on infant development or a first-year graduate-level survey course that provides broad coverage of the major topical areas including perceptual, motor, cognitive, and social development. A strong and balanced group of contributors does a first rate job of introducing students to the major issues, theoretical approaches, and empirical findings that students new to the study of infant development need to know." Paul C. Quinn, Professor of Psychology, University of Delaware "This book consists of a nice collection of chapters that present introductions to theoretical frameworks spanning across the whole range of infant research activities. As a tribute to George Butterworth, it works exceptionally well. All the invited authors have worked with George Butterworth. The breadth of topics covered bears testimony to the intellectual range and importance of George Butterworth for the field of infant development. But this book is more than a eulogy. It is also a lucid and up-to-date presentation of some of the most influential theoretical frameworks for studying infant development. As such, it is an invaluable tool for senior undergraduates, postgraduates, or even faculty who wish to brush up on the latest thinking. I strongly recommend it." Dr Denis Mareschal, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London "For a long time we have needed a comprehensive book that presents and evaluates theories of infant development. It has finally arrived, in the form of an edited volume by Gavin Bremner and Alan Slater, fittingly dedicated to George Butterworth who contributed so much to our understandig of theories of development. A great strength of the book is that its chapters are written by the experts in each area rather than one author attempting to cover all facets of the theoretical landscape. The result is an in-depth look at theories of perceptual-motor development (e.g., dynamical systems, updated Gibsonian theory, and the impact of neuroscientific evidence on our theories), cognitive development (object concept, memory, developmental cognitive science), and social development (attachment, mother-infant interaction, joint visual attention). The book is up-to-date and provocative; I predict it will become the standard that researchers and graduate students turn to for a comprehensive treatment of current theories of infant development." Professor Rachel Keen Clifton, University of Massachusetts "The study of infant development is foundational to many of the theoretical and applied issues that psychologists address. This excellent volume will be of interest not just to infancy researchers and their students, but to all scientists who adopt a developmental perspective to understand human psychological functioning." Jeffrey J. Lockman, Professor of Psychology, Tulane University "A collection of excellent studies of early infant development." United States Association for Body Psychotherapy Newsletter