Running Head: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 1
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR
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COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 2
How we behave is influenced by several environmental factors, media, and influence
from our caregivers and parents. Most children copy their parents and become perfectionists
through imitation and observation. The social cognitive theory elaborates that expectations of
outcomes, beliefs, goals, and social structural factors affect behavior (Beauchamp, 2019).
Children learn and emulate various behaviors from their caregivers and parents of the same sex
in their day-to-day development. Among the several behaviors I learned from my caregiver are:
Being committed to one spouse, friendship, having an opinion, and admitting mistakes, among
others.
Parents play a vital role as educators and role models to their children by influencing
their choices and behaviors (Yee, 2017). Modeling and observation play a critical role in learning
among the young generation. By observing my mother, I developed ideas for forming new
behaviors, which are helping me in my day-to-day activities. Today, I can make a genuine
friendship that can hold my hand on various occasions. Through observation, I learned the
importance of admitting mistakes in solving problems, which I realized was the easiest way of
seeking peace. My mother was a family lady committed to the family. I, therefore, had to imitate
her to enjoy the benefits of the joy I had observed since childhood.
Therefore, children and young adults have a natural tendency to copy their parents and
caregivers. The parent needs to be careful about their daily behaviors since most children
observe them and try to imitate what they learn. Proper behavior from parents and caregivers is
likely to lead to good behavior among children, while poor behavior will ruin their future lives.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 3
References
Beauchamp, M. R., Crawford, K. L., & Jackson, B. (2019). Social cognitive theory and physical
activity: Mechanisms of behavior change, critique, and legacy.8Psychology of Sport and
Exercise,842, 110-117.
Yee, A. Z., Lwin, M. O., & Ho, S. S. (2017). The influence of parental practices on child
promotive and preventive food consumption behaviors: a systematic review and meta-
analysis.8International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity,814(1), 1-14.
