`This is an impressive work... and will provide the advanced reader with a rich source of theory and evidence. There is a huge amount to be got from the book and I suspect it will become a key work' - J Gavin Bremner, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University

The Handbook of Developmental Psychology is a comprehensive, authoritative yet frontier-pushing overview of the study of human development presented in a single-volume format. It is ideal for experienced individuals wishing for an up-to-date survey of the central themes prevalent to developmental psychology, both past and present, and for those seeking a reference work to help appreciate the subject for the first time.

The insightful contributions from world-leading developmental psychologists successfully and usefully integrate different perspectives to studying the subject, following a systematic life-span structure, from pre-natal development through to old age in human beings. The Handbook then concludes with a substantive section on the methodological approaches to the study of development, focusing on both qualitative and quantitative techniques.

This unique reference work will be hugely influential for anyone needing or wishing for a broad, yet enriched understanding of this fascinating subject. It will be a particularly invaluable resource for academics and researchers in the fields of developmental psychology, education, parenting, cultural and biological psychology and anthropology.

The central focus of this book is the development of skilled motor actions by children; commonplace but vital actions such as maintaining posture, walking, reaching and grasping, and manipulating objects and tools. It represents a state-of-the art report on motor development linking neurophysiological and neuropsychological approaches. Using examples from both normal and pathological development, contributions study pre and postnatal brain development and its relationship to movement, the importance of fetal movements, postural control in children, the neurobiology of locomotor development, neural mechanisms of grasping and typical patterns of behavioural change. New theoretical developments including adaptive model theory, dynamic systems theory, and the relationship between variability and stability in skill development are also critically reviewed.

This book was originally published in 1980. At the time of publication the importance of the preschool years in a child's development and education had been recognised by educationalists, psychologists, and indeed parents, and there was a corresponding commitment to expand and improve nursery and playgroup facilities for preschool children. Yet, despite this recognition, there had been little sustained experimental work designed to examine the effects and importance of resources and their deployment in preschool institutions. The details of Peter Smith and Kevin Connolly's research are set out in full and its implications carefully drawn and related to other work in the field. The authors write with precision and clarity, and their research became required reading for developmental psychologists, educationalists, those interested in the effects of the environment upon behaviour and others involved in the administration and provision of nurseries and playgroups.

Clinics in Developmental Medicine No. 147

The hand is a remarkable organ which is characteristic of primates and most highly developed in man. This book deals with the evolution and development of hand function, with the structure of the hand and with the hand as a perceptual system. Neurophysiology and psychology of hand function are included, as are problems of disability. With expert interdisciplinary contributions from around the world, this wide-ranging overview is sure to be of value to all those interested in hand function, development, pathology and therapy.