ABSTRACT
Psychology is a relatively young scientific discipline. Its origins are often dated to 1879, the year in which Wilhelm Wundt opened the first psychological laboratory in Leipzig. This marked the transition from largely informal observations to a more systematic methodology in the study of human perception, thinking, feeling and action. Until the late nineteenth century, child development was primarily an educational field, and literature on children mostly dealt with upbringing and education. Developmental psychology encompasses widely different traditions that have moved toward and away from each other throughout history and influenced one another in varying degrees. The theories reflect the knowledge that was acquired, but also the spirit of the age and the overall development of the society. Many attempts have been made to unite different perspectives, but there is still disagreement about basic developmental issues, such as the organization and biological bases of cognition.
