A child has learned to crawl without any support or training. This change may be attributed to:​

Correct option is B

The correct answer is (b) Maturation.
Maturation refers to the natural unfolding of biological changes according to an individual's genetic blueprint. Crawling without any support or training signifies a biological readiness or an internally driven process rather than an externally taught skill. It occurs as the child's nervous system and muscles develop adequately to support crawling movements, which happens naturally without needing learning interventions. In other words, maturation prepares the body and mind to exhibit certain abilities such as crawling, walking, or speaking simple words.

Information Booster

1. Definition of Maturation: Maturation is the process through which physical, cognitive, and emotional changes occur naturally and sequentially, often determined by genetic factors.

2. Example of Maturation: Skills like sitting, crawling, walking, and talking emerge at certain stages mainly due to maturation, even if there is no formal training.

3. Maturation vs. Learning: Maturation happens naturally with time, whereas learning is influenced by experience and practice.

4. Role of Nervous System: Crawling depends significantly on the maturation of the motor cortex and muscle coordination, which develop as part of normal growth.

5. Importance in Child Development: Understanding maturation helps educators and parents set realistic expectations about when children might achieve various developmental milestones.

Additional Information

• (a) Growth:
  Growth refers specifically to quantitative physical changes, such as increase in height, weight, and size of organs. Crawling is a skill, not a mere increase in body size, so growth is not the correct answer.

• (c) Development:
  Development is a broader term that includes both growth and functional changes (such as emotional, cognitive, and social skills). While crawling is part of development, the spontaneous emergence without support is more precisely attributed to maturation rather than the overall concept of development.

• (d) Learning:
  Learning implies acquiring knowledge or skills through experience, instruction, or study. Since the child crawled without any external instruction or formal practice, learning is not the correct option here.