Ed’s wife Lori is in the National Guard and is currently deployed in the Middle East. Before she left, their son Sean, 17 months, was taken care of by Lori during the day and by Ed in the evening, when Lori went to work. Before Lori left for the Middle East, she and Ed found a day care center close to Ed’s work, where Sean could stay while Ed was at work. Ed’s company moved to a new location about 3 months after Lori left. When Ed pulled Sean out of that day care center and enrolled him in another, he was amazed at the difference the move made. Almost immediately, the toddler’s vocabulary exploded, and his concentration improved. “He loved to talk about the things he did during the day, whereas at the previous place, you had to hammer it out of him,” Ed says.
What may explain the differences in Sean’s behavior between the two centers? Consider in your answer how level of development/maturation (e.g., language, cognitive development) may play a role as well as day care quality.