Human development is the study that seeks to understand how people under different ages change or remain the same as they continue growing. Studying is essential in understanding learning and maturity and tactics people use in adapting to different development stages. Developmental psychologists engage in understanding how individuals grow in a lifespan, including their physical, intellectual, perceptual, social, cognitive, personality and emotional growth. Human development occurs in stages, starting from conception, the early stages of the baby, middle stage of childhood, during teenage period, start of adulting, its middle to its late, and finally death. The article tries to explain on the development concerns from teenage hood until the late periods of being an adult and how the phases have impacted the life of Carlos.
Development Concerns in Adolescence
Adolescence is the period (between the age of 12 and 24), when the physical change in a human being occurs. Individuals at the stage experience rapid body growth and increased sexual desire. This stage is called puberty. The cognitive change in the person results in thinking of possibilities which did not previously exist. The affected people also start considering abstract concepts such as love, freedom and some sought of fear. Body changes, developed cognitive and emotion state, and the desire to belong in a certain group of other teenagers are some the attributes of the stage (Newman & Newman, 2018). It later develops in the resemblance of the family’s physical appearances. Some of the development tasks that occur during this stage are as discussed below.
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Biological Aspect
This is whereby the physical changes of an individual start appearing. Rapid increase in height, ovulation in females and voice deepening in men’s voices are some of the characteristics likely to appear. Increases in weight as well as increased muscle are some of the biological changes. Development of the brain also occur increasing emotions, modifying memory which in turn increases the connection between the brain with impulse control and judgment (Newman & Newman, 2018). These changes in physical patterns bring about changes in sleeping patterns.
Cognitive Aspect
As the physical changes gradually occur in the life of an adolescent, the brain also undergoes changes and the related mental activity. There is broadening of consciousness as the start thinking about themselves and the world they are living in new ways. Their perception and monitoring levels on ideas increase as well as integration of information from different sources. They start planning and controlling of their behaviors which is guided by their goals
Psychosocial Aspect
The aspect is always characterized by adolescents being members of a peer group. According to Newman & Newman (2018), the interaction ensures continuous theme across their lifespan. Friendships become more important at this age, and each individual admire to be associated with one. They spend more time away from home and their interactions go beyond classroom boundaries forming large and affiliated groups.
Cultural Aspects
This refers to how the adolescent acquires perception from the society on what roles they should play. It raises the importance of understanding those roles in the society and what brings about individuals being taken as a man or woman.
Young Adulthood
It is the period (between the ages of 24-34), when individuals are in physiological risk but they are at risk of getting involved in criminal activities or even consuming illicit substances. It is a period in which one is expected to be thinking about their future and coming up with strategies to improve their perceived status. They are less worried in love or even work. Decisions and choices about different environments they interact with are made on the basis of new levels of mastery, autonomy and agency. Some of the development tasks that occur during this stage are as discussed below.
Biological Development
At this stage, the physical maturity of an individual comes to a stop. However, the height and the weight might rise up significantly. Muscles becoming stronger and reduction of the neurons are some of the traits which tend to approach their highest points.
Psychosocial Aspect
This is the stage where individuals start exploring intimate relationships. It all starts with initial attraction, mate selection which eventually leads to long term commitment. Most men and women explore their possibility of engaging in intimate relationships, based on how emotional they are attached to their partners, their shared interest, vision about the future as well as sexual intimacy (Newman & Newman, 2018). Serious dating and cohabitation are always established which sometimes lead to marriage.
Cognitive Aspect
The cognitive aspect in the young adults is relatively difficult. The cognitive development process at this stage is speculated to be less active as compared to the process in adolescence or even in infancy and during childhood (‘Stages of Development’). The information, knowledge and skills gathered during previous phases of development tend to be steady.
Cultural Aspect
In this stage, people tend to practice many roles that enable them express and bring them into good terms with the societal demands. An individual comes to terms with the perceived roles of an adult, such as being a spouse, parent, a worker or a community leader (Newman & Newman, 2018). Thus, one becomes meeting the expectations of different roles they engage.
Middle Adulthood
It is the period (between the age of 35 and 60) where the aging attributes of an individual becomes noticeable. Most of the people are usually at their highest point of working and in their love life. People gain expertise in different fields and are usually faced with many problems but they are able to find their solutions in a more efficiency and effective manner than they could have done in previous stages. People become more realistic on life issues and they are able to understand the differences between what one is possible of doing and what they are likely to do.
Biological Aspect
At this stage the physical growth is declining gradually. The aging of the individual starts showing through their appearances. Wrinkles will be appearing since the skin is losing some elasticity (‘Stages of Development’). Visual sharpness starts reducing at this stage. In women, menopause approaches meaning their fertility rate is decreasing until the age of fifty years where the menstrual cycle stops. Increase in body weight occurs in both men and women and hair begins to thin and turning gray.
Psychosocial Aspect
This stage is labeled as the increase in self-awareness. This is the stage that some of the individuals notice they are getting old their energy is reducing making some to question themselves on what they have achieved as per the time. Some opt in adopting new lifestyles or modifying some of the aspects in life to solve for dissatisfaction.
Cognitive Aspect
Individuals at this stage continue with the formal operations of cognitive development. However, the adult processes situations and problems and go beyond logical problem solving (Bastable & Dart, 2007). They participate in dialectical thinking which involve identifying upcoming problems and coming up with meaningful answers which arise in the course of their lives.
Late Adulthood
This stage is viewed as a stage of poor health, despite some the adults found at this stage being capable of remaining active and busy in their responsibilities and work. At this stage, there are more challenges than rewards.
Biological Aspect
The skin starts getting old as this is portrayed by wrinkles on the appearance. They become weaker as they lose their neurons more. Sensory organs start losing their functions, thus smelling, tasting, hearing and vision, which was acuity in the twenties, starts to decline (Bastable & Dart, 2007). The brain may also reduce in functioning, thus leading to problems such as memory loss.
Psychosocial Aspect
Positive relationships with others are significant in contributing to well-being of adults at this stage. They should be able to identify themselves with family, in terms of spouses and children. Sometimes raising children at this stage can be stressful.
Cognitive Aspect
Due to aging, individual’s mental capacity to deal with logic changes. Brain cells start diminishing as their regenerating capacity is no longer active which results to reduced number of neurons (Bastable & Dart, 2007). Their crystallized intelligence, vocabulary, understanding social interactions and arithmetic reasoning, is always absorbed as they get older. On the other hand, their fluid intelligence, the ability of their critical thinking and understanding relationships reduces as degenerative changes occur.
Development Conceptualization of Carlos
Carlos, a sixty-three-year-old male, is in the stage of late adulthood, among the developmental stages of life. He is one of those late adults who are active in work. This does not mean he does not undergo the biological, psychosocial and cognitive aspects of the late adults. Since Carlos is divorced, means he is lacking some of the positive significant aspects, which should be contributing his well-being. He might not be able to identify himself with a family, thus making him lonely. He might not have felt this before because he was not yet at this stage. His intelligence might also be reducing, thus absorbing his ability to understand social interactions.
Conclusion
Overly, knowledge about development concerns from birth to adulthood are important. Individuals, not limited to those studying psychology, are better off when having knowledge about development stages undergone by a human being. It enables them understand biological, psychosocial and cognitive changes that come along with age. They are also able to understand behaviors of those surrounding them without judging them negatively. In addition, employees should always know about the age of their employees in order to understand their behavior. Also, most of the people spend their time in jobs, thus provision of an environment that could accommodate employees from different stages of life will enable effective and efficient workflow.
References
Bastable, S. B. & Dart, M. A. (2007). Developmental stages of the learner. Developmental Characteristics. Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Lumen. Stages of Development. Introduction to Psychology. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wsu-sandbox/chapter/stages-of-development/
Newman, B. M. & Newman, P. R. (2018). Development through life. Boston, USA: Cengage Learning. https://books.google.com/books/abou/Development_Throgh_Life_A_Psychsocial.html?id=ID2dDgAAQBAJ
