What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?

Motor development occurs in an orderly sequence as infants move from reflexive reactions (e.g., sucking and rooting) to more advanced motor functioning. As mentioned during the prenatal section, development occurs according to the Cephalocaudal (from head to tail) and Proximodistal (from the midline outward) principles. For instance, babies first learn to hold their heads up, then to sit with assistance, then to sit unassisted, followed later by crawling, pulling up, cruising, and then walking. As motor skills develop, there are certain developmental milestones that young children should achieve. For each milestone there is an average age, as well as a range of ages in which the milestone should be reached. An example of a developmental milestone is a baby holding up its head. Babies on average are able to hold up their head at 6 weeks old, and 90% of babies achieve this between 3 weeks and 4 months old. If a baby is not holding up his head by 4 months old, he is showing a delay. On average, most babies sit alone at 7 months old. Sitting involves both coordination and muscle strength, and 90% of babies achieve this milestone between 5 and 9 months old. If the child is displaying delays on several milestones, that is reason for concern, and the parent or caregiver should discuss this with the child’s pediatrician. Some developmental delays can be identified and addressed through early intervention.

Motor Skills refer to our ability to move our bodies and manipulate objects. Fine motor skills focus on the muscles in our fingers, toes, and eyes, and enable coordination of small actions (e.g., grasping a toy, writing with a pencil, and using a spoon). Newborns cannot grasp objects voluntarily but do wave their arms toward objects of interest. At about 4 months of age, the infant is able to reach for an object, first with both arms and within a few weeks, with only one arm. At this age grasping an object involves the use of the fingers and palm, but no thumbs. This is known as the Palmer Grasp. The use of the thumb comes at about 9 months of age when the infant is able to grasp an object using the forefinger and thumb. Now the infant uses a Pincer Grasp, and this ability greatly enhances the ability to control and manipulate an object and infants take great delight in this newfound ability. They may spend hours picking up small objects from the floor and placing them in containers. By 9 months, an infant can also watch a moving object, reach for it as it approaches, and grab it.

Gross motor skills focus on large muscle groups that control our head, torso, arms and legs and involve larger movements (e.g., balancing, running, and jumping). These skills begin to develop first. Examples include moving to bring the chin up when lying on the stomach, moving the chest up, and rocking back and forth on hands and knees. But it also includes exploring an object with one’s feet as many babies do as early as 8 weeks of age if seated in a carrier or other device that frees the hips. This may be easier than reaching for an object with the hands, which requires much more practice (Berk, 2007). Sometimes an infant will try to move toward an object while crawling and surprisingly move backward because of the greater amount of strength in the arms than in the legs.

Definition of intellectual growth?

Intellectual growth refers to personal or communal intellectual development. This can be derived from the spreading of new ideas, such as during the Enlightenment, or through personal educational pursuits, like higher education.

Latest Principles of Development MCQ Objective Questions

Principles of Development Question 1:

According to the principle of cephalocaudal tendencies development proceeds from_________ 

  1. Head to foot
  2. Waist to foot
  3. Foot to head
  4. Foot to waist

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 1 : Head to foot

The development includes a series of qualitative and progressive change. Development can be defined as the changes in the structure, thought or behaviour, of a person that occurs as a function of both biological and environmental influences.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

Cephalocaudal Principle: It states that growth and development follow a pattern that starts with the head then proceeds to the rest of the body (head to foot).

  • The Head region starts growth at first and followed by other organs.
  • The child gains control of the head first, then the arms and the legs.
  • Infancy develops control of the head and face movements in the first two months. In the next few months, they are able to lift themselves up by using their arms and then gain control over the toe and able to crawl, walk, jump, climb, day by day. 
  • The cephalocaudal principle applies to both physical and functional development.
  • Development is seen in the earliest years of post-natal development specifically ranging from infancy into toddlerhood

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Additional Information

Proximodistal development: In this principle, growth starts at the centre of the body and moves towards the extremities, centre to outward.

Hence, according to the principle of cephalocaudal tendencies development proceeds from head to foot.

Principles of Development Question 2:

The cephalocaudal principle of development explains how development proceeds from

  1. differentiated to integrated functions
  2. head to toe
  3. rural to urban areas
  4. general to specific functions

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 2 : head to toe

The development includes a series of qualitative and progressive changes. Development can be defined as the changes in the structure, thought, or behavior, of a person that occurs as a function of both biological and environmental influences.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

  • Cephalocaudal Principle: It states that growth and development follow a pattern that starts with the head and then proceeds to the rest of the body (head to foot). The head area begins to grow initially, and then other organs follow.
  • The child first gains control of the head before moving on to the arms and legs.
  • During the first two months of life, control of head and facial movements develops. They were able to raise themselves up using their arms over the course of the following several months, and after gaining control of their toes, they were able to crawl, walk, leap, and climb.

Hence, it is concluded that the cephalocaudal principle of development explains how development proceeds from head to toe.

Principles of Development Question 3:

Which one of the following statement is correct about the development of the child?

  1. Development is only result of hereditary.
  2. Development is not a continuous process.
  3. Rate of development is similar in male and female child.
  4. Development proceed from general to specific.

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 4 : Development proceed from general to specific.

Development refers to qualitative changes taking place simultaneously with quantitative changes of growth. It may be defined as a progressive series of orderly, coherent changes.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points The principles that govern development-

  • Role of heredity and environment - development is a result of heredity and environment.
  • Development is a continuous process.
  • Individual differences in the rate of development 
  • The direction of Development - development proceeds from general to specific.
  • Development takes place from head to toe and from center to periphery.

Hence we conclude that the statement that development proceeds from general to specific is correct about development.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Additional Information

  • The development follows the principles of differentiation and integration- for example, the child first learns to differentiate between more and less.
  • Critical Periods There are some periods in the life of a child that are crucial for development and learning. During these periods if the child has favorable experiences, her development will be fostered

Principles of Development Question 4:

Development proceeds from ________ to ________.

  1. General-Specific
  2. Complex-Hard
  3. Specific-General
  4. Simple-Easy

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 1 : General-Specific

The term ‘development’ refers to qualitative changes in an individual such as changes in personality or other mental and emotional aspects. However, very often growth and development are used interchangeably.

  • The process of development continues even after the individual has attained physical maturity (growth). The individual is continuously changing as he/she interacts with the environment.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points There are some principles of development, which show the features of development, these are:

  • Principle of Continuity: Development follows the principle of continuity which starts with conception and ends with death. It is a never-ending process in life.
  • Principle of Individual Differences: It says that every individual is unique in himself/herself as the heredity and environmental factors make him/her different from others.
  • Principle of Generality to Specificity:  The development process starts with general responses shown by the child as s/he passes through the later stages s/ he starts exhibiting specific behaviors.
  • Principle of Interrelation: The development of an individual is reflected through the balanced interrelation of all the aspects of life. Development in any aspect affects the other aspect also.
  • Principle of Interaction: The principle of interaction suggests that an individual is the product of heredity and environment. In other words, the interaction takes place within and outside forces of the child.
  • Principle of Differentiation in Rate: Differentiation in the rate indicates that individuals differ in the rate of development. There is a difference in the rate of development in girls and boys like girls grow faster than boys at the early stage of development.
  • Principle of Integration: The principle of Integration refers to the integration of various aspects of development like physical, mental, emotional, social, and moral.
  • Principle of Predictability: Development is predictable i.e. with the help of the uniformity of the pattern and sequence of development, we can predict the behavior to a great extent of a child in one or more aspects in a particular stage of her/his growth and development.
  • Principle of Sequentiality: It states that every individual although exhibit difference in change, they follow the same sequence of change.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Development proceeds from General to Specific.

Principles of Development Question 5:

Match the following Principles of Development with their correct description :

  Name of Principle of Development   Description of Principle
(1) Proximodistal trend (a) Head to Toe Sequence
(2) Cephalo-caudal trend (b) Different children develop at different rates
(3) Inter-individual Differences (c) In a single child, the rate of development can vary from one domain of development to the other
(4) Intra-individual Differences (d) Growth from the Centre of body to outwards

  1. (1) - (d), (2) - (a), (3) - (b), (4) - (c)
  2. (1) - (a), (2) - (b), (3) - (c), (4) - (d)
  3. (1) - (c), (2) - (d), (3) - (b), (4) - (a)
  4. (1) - (d), (2) - (b), (3) - (a), (4) - (c)

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 1 : (1) - (d), (2) - (a), (3) - (b), (4) - (c)

The term ‘development’ refers to qualitative changes in an individual such as changes in personality or other mental and emotional aspects. However, very often growth and development are used interchangeably.

  • The process of development continues even after the individual has attained physical maturity (growth). The individual is continuously changing as he/she interacts with the environment.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

  Name of Principle of Development   Description of Principle
(1) Proximodistal trend (a) Growth from the Centre of the body to outwards
(2) Cephalo-caudal trend (b) Head to Toe Sequence
(3) Inter-individual Differences (c) Different children develop at different rates
(4) Intra-individual Differences (d)

 In a single child, the rate of development can vary from one domain of development to the other

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that, (1) - (d), (2) - (a), (3) - (b), (4) - (c), is the correct answer.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Important Points 

  • Proximodistal sequence:  means that the development proceeds from the central part of the body towards the peripheries. In this sequence, the spinal cord of the individual develops first, and then outward development takes place. 
    • For example, babies cut their front teeth before they cut their side ones.
  • Cephalo-caudal sequence: means that development spreads over the body from head to foot i.e. individual begins to grow from the head region downwards. Sufi first gained control of her head, then she could catch hold of objects, sit, crawl and later she could stand and walk.
  • Principle of Interrelation: The development of an individual is reflected through the balanced interrelation of all the aspects of life. Development in any aspect affects the other aspect also.
  • Principle of Individual Differences: It says that every individual is unique in himself/herself as the heredity and environmental factors make him/her different from others.

Which of the following principle of development is incorrect one?

  1. There are individual differences in development.
  2. Development is the result of coincidences.
  3. It is a continuous process.
  4. It is predictable.

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 2 : Development is the result of coincidences.

Development refers to an increase in structure for better and enhanced functioning of organs.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

  • Development is a continuous process from the womb to the tomb and continues gradually until reaching its maximum growth.
  • The rate of development is not uniform and everyone has their own particular rate of development.
  • It is a wide and complex process, thus there are some principles that need to be followed for a better understanding of the concept.
  • Principles of development include:
    • Development is cumulative.
    • Development is predictable.
    • Development is the process of interaction.
    • Development follows uniformity of pattern.
    • Development is predictable and sequential.
    • Development proceeds from general to specific.
    • Development rate varies from person to person.

Hence, it could be concluded that 'Development is the result of coincidences' is not a principle of development.

Which of the following statement is correct about the process of development of an individual?

  1. It is uni-dimensional in nature.
  2. It is influenced only by heredity of an individual.
  3. There is cultural diversity in the process of development.
  4. Development is only based on environmental factors.

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 3 : There is cultural diversity in the process of development.

Development refers to qualitative changes in an individual such as a change in personality or other mental and emotional aspects.

  • The term individual development is the process of maturation of a child up to a stage where he\she can independently make their own decisions about their life.
  • Individual development caters to the overall development of the child in terms of its physical, mental, emotional, and psychological growth.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

  • ​As we live in a society, we come across persons who are followers of different cultures which allows us the opportunity to understand and expose our minds to the different customs and cultures of the society.
  • When individual experiences and interacts with different persons he is influenced by them and this influence plays an important role in the psychological development of a person.
  • It not only affects psychological development, but it also affects the other factors of development as the kind of society we grow up in, makes an impact on our lifestyle.
  • Such as if a person grows up in a family of sportspersons he is also going to be affected and influenced to participate in sports which will impact his physical and mental development.

Thus, it is concluded that there is cultural diversity in the process of development is correct for the process of development of an individual.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Hint

  •  As development occurs in various dimensions such as social, mental, physical, and emotional, it is a multidimensional characteristic instead of unidimensional.
  • Heredity and environment are not the only significant parameters that define the development of an individual. Other factors such as individual mindset, economical condition, and social interaction also play an important role in individual development.

Out of following which is not correct principle in context to growth and development?

  1. Foot to head
  2. From near to distant 
  3. Head to foot
  4. Interaction of heredity & environment 

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 1 : Foot to head

Development refers to an increase in structure for better and enhanced functioning of organs. A child develops in an orderly sequence which is almost similar in all children.

  • The rate and speed of development may vary in individual cases but the sequence of development patterns is almost the same in all children. Thus human development is based on certain principles.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

Predictable Patterns of Development:

  • It is one of the most important principles of development that states every individual although exhibit difference in change, they follow the same sequence of change.

Child development takes place in two directions, one is from the head-to-foot direction and the second is from near to distant  (center of the body to the peripheral).

  • The Cephalocaudal Tendency: It exhibits that the development proceeds in the longitudinal direction i.e. from head to foot. That is the reason why a child first gains control over the head before s/he starts walking.
  • The Proximodistal Tendency: It proceeds from near to the distant and from parts of the body near the center develop first then the extremities. Therefore, the child in the earlier stages of development starts developing the fundamental muscles rather than the smaller muscles or fine motor skills.

Interaction of heredity & environment: Development is a product of the interaction of hereditary and environment.  They play a vital role in determining the development of an individual as:

  • all the mental and social traits depend on the environment.
  • all the inborn traits, instincts, potentials, and I. Q. depends on the heredity.
  • how a person will develop depends on the environment but how far a person can develop depends on heredity.

Hence, it could be concluded that 'Foot to head' is a not correct principle in the context of growth and development.

"Development is a never-ending process'. This statement is related to which principle of development? 

  1. Principle of continuity
  2. Principle of integration
  3. Principle of interaction
  4. Principle of inter relationship 

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 1 : Principle of continuity

Development refers to an increase in structure for better and enhanced functioning of organs.

  • It is a wide and continuous process, thus there are some principles that need to be followed for a better understanding of the concept.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

  • The above-mentioned idea is associated with the "Principle of Continuity".
  • This principle defines that development is a continuous process from the womb to the tomb and continues gradually until reaching its maximum growth.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Important Points

  • Other principles of development include:
    • Development is cumulative.
    • Development is the process of interaction.
    • Development follows uniformity of pattern.
    • Development is predictable and sequential.
    • Development rate varies from person to person.
    • Development proceeds from general to specific.

Hence, it could be concluded that the above-mentioned process is related to the Principle of continuity.

Which one is not correct?

  1. Development is a life-long process
  2. Development always takes place uniformly
  3. Development is individualistic
  4. Development does not stop at maturation

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 2 : Development always takes place uniformly

Development refers to an increase in structure for better and enhanced functioning of organs. It includes all the qualitative changes in an individual over a period of time by the process of learning and maturation.

  • It refers to the overall changes in an individual in various dimensions - physical, mental, social, emotional, and so on. It is a wide and continuous process, thus there are some principles that need to be followed for a better understanding of the concept.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

Principles of development include:

  • Principle of continuity:
    • This principle defines that development is a life-long process as it does not stop at maturation and continues gradually until reaching its maximum growth. 
  • Principle of individual differences: 
    • Each individual grows at his own unique pace because of the wide individual differences that exist among the children with respect to their growth and development.
  • The rate of growth and development is not uniform: 
    • It proceeds more rapidly in the early years of life but slows down in the later years of childhood and again there is a sudden rise in the speed of growth and development during puberty but it is not maintained for a long time.

Hence, we conclude that 'Development always takes place uniformly' is not the correct statement.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Additional Information

Other principles of development include:

  • Development proceeds from general to specific responses: 
    • The child's responses are of the general sort before they become specific. The general activity precedes the specific activity i.e., the child moves his hands first randomly and then starts using his fingers specifically and takes complete control of his hand movements.
  • Principle of interrelation: 
    • The growth and development in various dimensions like social, mental, physical, emotional, etc. are related to each other and interdependent. The growth and development in any one dimension affect the growth and development of the child in other dimensions as well.
  • Uniformity of pattern: 
    • The development does not proceed at a uniform rate but it does follow a definite sequence or pattern and is somewhat uniform i.e., the child learns saying "papa" to greet every man he meets, but it's only afterwards he uses it for his father only. Hence, it follows a pattern.
  • Development is predictable: 
    • By studying the present rate of growth and development of a child we can predict the range within which his mature development is going to fall.
  • Development is spiral, not linear
    • The child does not develop at a constant pace but he makes advancement on stage and then takes a rest in the following period to consolidate his development. So, he turns back and then moves forward again like a spiral. 
  • Joint product of both heredity and environment: 
    • 'Heredity and Environment' play a vital role in determining the growth and development of an individual. How a person will develop depends on the environment but how far a person can develop depends on heredity.

Which of the following is true?

  1. The child gains control of his/her feet first before head.
  2. General ability precedes specific ability in all phases of a child's development.
  3. There is a sudden spurt of development in the last stages of life
  4. The child controls fingers and then the arms.

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 2 : General ability precedes specific ability in all phases of a child's development.

Development, which is continuous change is a phenomenon which is observed both in terms of quality and quantity. Principles of Human Development defines in what way a person will develop. There are many principles of development as described below:

  • Development follows a pattern: Prenatal (before birth) and postnatal (after birth) development of human beings follow a pattern or a general sequence. Physical development, motor or language development and intellectual development take place in definite sequences.
  • Principle of development direction: The direction of development is ‘cephalocaudal’ (from head to limbs i.e, in longitudinal axis) as well as ‘proximodistal’ (from the centre to the periphery) direction. The child gains control over its head first, then arms and legs. Likewise, the child learns to control large muscles first and does finer movements with smaller muscles. This means, the child develops the ability to control arms first and only then can control fingers and so on.
  • Continuous Development: The process of development is continuous starting from the conception through birth to lifelong, i.e., from womb to tomb.
  • Rate of growth and development is not uniform: Though development is continuous, the rate of growth and development is not uniform. Rapid changes occur in the early years and slow down in later years of life. During adolescence again there is a sudden rise in growth and development, which slows down in later age of life.
  • Principle of individual difference: With respect to development, the rate and quality of development in various dimensions differ from person to person. There is a difference in the growth rate between boys and girls. Girls mature earlier in comparison to boys. For eg, girls appear taller and well developed than boys of the same age.
  • Development proceeds from general to specific responses: Responses are the first general before they become specific almost in all dimensions of development. In case of language development, the child before saying different words, letters, babble different sounds similarly it sees large objects before seeing small objects. It means general ability precedes the specific activity in all the phases of the child’s development.
  • Principle of integration: By proceeding from general responses to specific response again, these specific responses are integrated from the whole it means there is a movement from whole to parts and again from parts to whole.
  • Principle of interrelationship: Development in various aspects of the child is interdependent due to interrelationships. Development of one dimension in social aspect influences emotional development; and, in effect, all the dimensions of development relate with or influence each other.
  • Predictability: The rate of growth and development of each child gives scope to predict the future development either physically or intellectually.

Hence, we conclude that general ability precedes specific ability in all phases of a child's development. is correct.

The principle of 'spiral versus linear advancement' is associated with

  1. personality and attitude
  2. reading and writing
  3. growth and development
  4. None of the above

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 3 : growth and development

The terms growth and development are often used interchangeably and regarded as synonymous. Growth is a sheer increase in size, height, weight, power, etc. It refers to the dimensional augmentation, cellular multiplication, or quantitative changes in size, weight, and number. The process of gradual increase of an individual or animal or a seed, germ, or root to its full size or maturity is called growth.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

Following are the principles of development:- 

  • Principle of Continuity
  • Principle of Individual differences
  • Principle of lack of uniformity in the development rate
  • Principle of uniformity of pattern
  • Principle of proceeding from general to specific
  • Principle of integration
  • Principle of interaction
  • Principle of spiral versus linear advancement
  • Principle of predictability

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Important Points 

Principle of spiral versus linear advancement:- The path followed in development by the child is not straight and linear and development at any stage never takes place at a constant or steady pace.  At a particular stage of his development, after the child had developed to a certain level, there is likely to be a period of rest for consolidation of the developmental progress achieved till then. In advancing further, development turns back and then moves forward again in a spiral pattern.

  • Developmental psychologists have also observed that each developmental phase has certain traits characteristic if it, that it has certain undesirable forms of behavior which are usually found at that age and which are outgrown as the individual passes into the next stage, and that every individual normally passes through each stage of development.
  • Jersild, while writing about the principles of development, remarks that one feature of the growing ability is its spontaneous use and wholeheartedness.
  • As a child’s capacities for doing, thinking, and feeling mature he has an impulse to put them to use, and he often does it wholeheartedly. This is described by Jersild as ‘Indigenous motivation’. Another feature of human development is its struggle. The process of growth involves conflicting impulses and demands. The child struggles against these in his striving toward maturity.
  • The process of development is also characterized by anticipation, in that it is also geared to the needs of the future, by the capacity for self-repair by the developmental revision of habits, by the persistence of archaic behavior trends, and by its quality of becoming’ its dynamic rather static nature, made so by the changes that occur in the individual at every step.
  • Development is affected by many factors. Some of these factors play a more important role than others. These factors are intelligence, sex, glands of internal secretion, nutrition, fresh air and sunlight, injuries, accidents and diseases, position in the family, psychological conditions in the family matrix, social roles, and cultural demands. These factors affect different phases of development at different stages in varying degrees.

Hence, we can conclude that the principle of 'spiral versus linear advancement' is associated with growth and development.

Sana learnt to hold a glass and a bottle before she could hold a pen or button her shirt. This example indicates that-

  1. Development is unidimensional.
  2. Direction of development is cephalo-caudal.
  3. Direction of development is proximo - distal.
  4. Direction follows a random pattern.

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 3 : Direction of development is proximo - distal.

Development refers to an increase in structure for better and enhanced functioning of organs. A child develops in an orderly sequence which is almost similar in all children.

  • The rate and speed of development may vary in individual cases but the sequence of development patterns is almost the same in all children. Thus human development is based on certain principles.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

Child development takes place in two directions, one is from the head-to-foot direction and the second is from near to distant  (center of the body to the peripheral).

Sequential pattern of development can be seen in two directions:

  • Cephalo-caudal sequence: It means that development spreads over the body from head to foot, i.e. individual begins to grow from head region downwards.
    • For example, The child first gain control on her head, then she could catch hold of objects, sit, crawl, and later she could stand and walk.
  • Proximodistal sequence: It means that the development proceeds from the central part of the body towards the peripheries. In this sequence, the spinal cord of the individual develops first, and then outward development takes place.
    • For example, the child could use her arms before her hands and use her hands before she could control the movement of her fingers.
    • Children learnt to hold a glass and a bottle before they could hold a pen or button their shirt.

Thus, it is concluded that the above-mentioned example indicates that the direction of development is proximo-distal.

Development generally proceeds from head to foot, this principle of development is called _______

  1. Bilateral to unilateral
  2. General to specific
  3. Proximodistal
  4. Cephalo Caudal

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 4 : Cephalo Caudal

Development refers to an increase in structure for better and enhanced functioning of organs. A child develops in an orderly sequence which is almost similar in all children.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

Predictable Patterns of Development:

  • It is one of the most important principles of development that states every individual although exhibit difference in change, they follow the same sequence of change.
  • Child development takes place in two directions, one is from the head-to-foot direction and the second is from near to distant  (center of the body to the peripheral).
  1. The Cephal-ocaudal Tendency: It exhibits that the development proceeds in the longitudinal direction i.e. from head to foot. That is the reason why a child first gains control over the head before s/he starts walking.
  2. The Proximo-distal Tendency: It proceeds from near to the distant and from parts of the body near the center develop first then the extremities. Therefore, the child in the earlier stages of development starts developing the fundamental muscles rather than the smaller muscles or fine motor skills.

Hence, it could be concluded that the above-mentioned principle of development is called 'Cephalo-caudal'.

Cephalocaudal principle is applicable in the sphere of- 

  1. motor development
  2. language development
  3. cognitive development
  4. moral development 

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 1 : motor development

Development refers to an increase in structure for better and enhanced functioning of organs. A child develops in an orderly sequence which is almost similar in all children.

  • There are some domains of development such as physical(motor), cognitive, social-emotional, moral, and language domains. These domains are developed in an integrated and holistic process.
  • Motor development refers to the physical changes that occur in humans throughout life. Understanding physical and motor development is extremely important as it provides the basis for the development of a child’s personality. 
  • It helps to gain mastery over the child’s own body and movements. Physical development is the most recognized and observable change in the life of a child.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Key Points

Child development takes place in two directions, one is from the head-to-foot direction (Cephalocaudal) and the second is from near to distant (Proximodistal). Both principles are applicable in the sphere of motor development as:

  • The Cephalocaudal Principle: It exhibits that the development proceeds in the longitudinal direction i.e. from top to bottom or head to foot. That is the reason why a child first gains control over the head before s/he starts walking.
  • The Proximodistal Tendency: It proceeds from centre to outward or near to the distant and from parts of the body near the centre develop first then the extremities. Therefore, the child in the earlier stages of development starts developing the fundamental muscles rather than the smaller muscles or fine motor skills.

Hence, it could be concluded that the Cephalocaudal principle is applicable in the sphere of motor development.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves outward to extremities?
Additional Information

  • Social development: It refers to the development of social skills and values across the lifespan.
  • Emotional development: It refers to the development of the ability to control and manage one's own emotions and as well as of others.
  • Cognitive development: It refers to the development of the ability to reason, think,  perceive and solve a problem.
  • Language development: It refers to the development of the ability to understand, perceive and use language.
  • Moral development: It refers to the development of the ability to learn the difference between right and wrong.

What pattern of development begins at the core and moves upwards to extremities?

The proximodistal principle states that development proceeds from the center of the body outward. With this principle, the trunk of the body grows before the extremities of the arms and legs. Development of the ability to use various parts of the body also follows the proximodistal principle.

Which is the best example of Cephalocaudal development?

What is the best example of Cephalocaudal development? The largeness of an infant's head is one of the best examples of the cephalocaudal development. In cephalocaudal development, growth starts at the head and moves down. As the infant grows, the rest of its body catches up with the larger head, which grew first.

What's the term for growth that proceeds from head to toe?

cephalocaudal. growth and development proceeds from head to toe; in the infant, muscular control follows the spine downward; ie. infants will hold up their head before they sit.

What is the main cause of death in middle to late childhood?

Accidents (unintentional injuries) are, by far, the leading cause of death among children and teens.