Development across a Lifespan

The lifespan of a person runs from conception to death and is affected by various factors such as traditions, conventional developments, and experiences among others. By looking at a person’s lifespan from conception through childhood to adolescent to adulthood and old age allows one to understand the impact of experiences, environments, and choices across the individual's lifespan. It also enables one to comprehend how human beings learn, grow and adapt to diverse environment and conditions. Therefore, a look into the demographic information, childhood, adolescent, and adulthood of Riley Elaine helps to apply theories on adult biosocial, cognitive and psychological development.

Section 1: Demographic Information 

Riley was born Elaine Riley Malthus in 1972 in California to Catherine and Lawrence. Riley’s father was an army while her mother was an entrepreneur. Riley is the fourth born in a family of five siblings and is a mother of five children one of whom is deceased. Riley is 46 years old and identifies as a female who was raised by her biological parents. She was raised as Christian in the Catholic Church since both her parents were Christians. Riley's father is of Indian origin, and her mother is African making her an Indian-African woman raised in California and a US citizen. Currently, Riley resides in New York City where she moved upon graduation. Riley studied law at the Cardiff University of Wales and attained an MBA from the Cardiff Business School, University of Wales in the UK. Riley is a journalist, an entrepreneur, and a media personality. She is married to her husband Anthony an entrepreneur and the father of her five children.

Section 2: Childhood/Adolescence 

Early Childhood and School Years 

Riley never experienced any illnesses or losses as a child. However, she moved significantly in childhood years with her family due to her father's military postings. Riley spent most of her childhood as a normal kid playing with her siblings and her friends. She got to travel often with her family. Her mother instilled in her skills to grow up as an entrepreneur and would often let Riley and her siblings tag along at work. Riley’s mother owned a clothing store where Riley got to work at during her adolescent period. Riley was brought up decently and attained good scores throughout her school year, a factor that confirms her love for education. She valued education and held high hopes of pursuing a career in criminal law. Besides education, Riley participated in acting and was a student leader from junior school all the way to the university. She participated in leadership programs and received several certificates as a student leader.

Adolescence 

Riley did not have any romantic relationships in high school and had what she refers to as a platonic relationship in the university. This is because she was raised to respect herself as a woman and uphold her dignity. Riley, therefore, grew up with the belief that the only relationship she would have was with her husband. She was conservative in her adolescent years which can be accorded to her relations with the Indian culture. Although Riley's Indian side of the family was civilized and contemporary, they did uphold certain traditional norms which were passed to Riley especially when it came to romantic relationships.

Generally, Riley loved school and enjoyed learning. She performed well in school and took up a Pre-university course at Warwick University prior to enrolling for her degree in law. She was also social and had a good number of friends which made her high school experience to be fun. Riley was also disciplined and adhered to the school rules and regulations especially given that she was a student leader and was required to set an example. Riley has never in her life used any type of drugs. Instead, she used to hold counseling sessions to helped drug users reform their behaviors. Riley's environment was however mostly free from drugs; her parents did not drink anything but wine which she only got to drink in her late teens.

Family Relationships 

Riley grew up in a family setting with constant interactions with her siblings and her relatives. Riley met most of her relatives even those residing outside the US. As children, Riley, her siblings, and her parents spent holidays with the extended family from his father's side and attended family get-togethers with relatives from her maternal side that stayed in the US. Even during years in the UK when she was studying, Riley stayed with her maternal aunt. Riley knew most of her cousins and long distance relatives. Riley mentions that her family embraced the Indian way of life when it came to family. They embraced communal living, and despite the busy schedules, they went out of their way to spend time together. Riley and her siblings went to the same schools, had the same friends and always helped each other.

Riley considers the life of her family is growing up as mostly positive. However, her parents divorced few months after she completed high school which had substantial effects on her and their siblings. Riley's mother went back to her native home in South Africa while Riley with her siblings was forced to remain in the US. Although Riley kept in contact with her mother and her father, their family bond weakened, leaving them struggling with the separation. Her younger sister was still in high school and moved to their elder brother. Her parents' divorce greatly shaped Riley's life and perspective on the family. She swore that if she ever got married, she would do whatever it took to keep her family together. Riley had a fondness for children and was loved by her younger nephews and nieces. She would constantly babysit them, a factor that made the children to love her.

The family is a very important factor to Riley which can be attributed to her upbringing in a close-knit family. Riley is a very busy person juggling a demanding media career, running a number of businesses and being a family person. Despite all these, she still makes time for her family at all cost. Riley's parents went out of their way to ensure they all received education and a good life. Riley is a hard worker who ensures that she provides for her family. Similarly, Riley's husband is a busy man, but together they still maintain a conservative family-focused lifestyle. Riley prefers to spend her free time with her family by taking them to vacations and organizing family get-togethers often. Riley has practically raised her children in the same way her parents raised her including familiarizing them with their extended families. She admits that she is afraid of divorcing her husband due to her cultured traditional way of life. Riley believes in doing whatever it takes to keep her marriage together through love, respect, and understanding.

Cultural Factors in Childhood/Adolescence 

Riley's parents were from different cultures and traditions; hence, she had an opportunity of experiencing two different cultures. By her father being an Indian, Riley got to learn and speaks fluent Hindu. Riley spent time with her father's side of the family and learned various cultural traditions and practices. She also visited her mother’s side of the family which was in South Africa and got to learn and understand her mother’s language though she would not speak it fluently. Most of Riley’s relatives from both parents’ sides were educated and would converse in English. However, she experienced language barriers when interacting with her maternal grandparents South Africa’s native language which is the Zulu language. Riley’s father side of the family was born and raised in the US and embraced civilization hence Riley did not experience any cultural struggles.

Social, Economic Status 

Despite her father working in the American Army, Riley's parents struggled to raise her and her siblings and take them through school. Riley worked after high school and through university to meet her basic needs as her parents paid school fees. Riley's elder siblings also stepped in to help after they completed school. As a matter of fact, Riley took a break between her undergraduate degree and her masters to work to finance her master’s study. After her pupilage, Riley did not take the bar exam and tried out employment in media. Taking the bar would have her in school for another year without pay, and she would not manage. Riley, therefore, tried out media which shaped the rest of her future. Riley also tried out acting which she was good at but did not focus on it.

Section 3: Adult Development 

Post High School Education/Training 

Riley went to the university and had a degree in law and an MBA from the Cardiff University of Wales. Riley has never joined the military despite her father being a retired military officer. It is only one of the brothers was successfully joined the military. When asked why she failed to join the army, Riley replied that she had no interest since she was focused on pursuing a career in criminal law. However, she never practiced law despite having the required documents to practice law.

Romantic/Family Relationships 

Riley has had only one significant relationship in her life with her husband Anthony for 17 years. Having a family of six, Riley's relationship has been quite successful, and she has enjoyed a happy marriage. She views romantic relationships as having the potential to build or destroy a person. Riley says that relationship should be refreshing, fulfilling and simple. Her emphasis on romantic relationship is on the need to preserve a person’s true identity and build them to become better people. Riley also believes in monogamy and growing a meaningful relationship with one partner. When asked about her decision to have five kids, Riley says that she has always loved children. Riley says that she had always wished for many kids and a large family. She loves her children and adores her family. Riley mentions that she lost the third child to choking, an event that left her traumatized. She even swore not to conceive again. However, through support she got from her family and friends, she learned to deal with the situation and bore two babies after the loss. Riley, however, says that she still misses her son and remembers him every day.

Occupations/Careers throughout Adulthood 

Riley has worked as a news presenter and an entrepreneur running a fashion line among others. Riley also is a professional criminal lawyer with a master in law. She was also an actor before landing a job in the media industry. Riley is also an ambassador and a women activist advocating for women empowerment. She is particularly keen on women leadership and mentoring the youth into achieving their full potential. Riley loves her work and prides herself in contributing to change and development. Riley has not as much changed careers apart from the initial shift from law to media. However, within the media industry, she has often shifted from a news reader to hosting her own leadership shows. Riley has also changed employers within the media industry a number of times in search of greener pastures and as part of her career development strategy.

One lesson Riley has learned at in her career is to stay open-minded and allow oneself to grow. She says that people are diverse and can perform incredibly in different fields and should keep looking and trying until they find a career that fulfills their needs, skills, and talents. Riley cautions that work can be addictive; thus, the need to balance between personal life and work life. Riley is all about community development and is greatly involved in development programs. Riley’s life is mostly about work and family. Her friends are mostly from her workplace and business associates.

Issues with Aging 

Riley has aged gracefully which she attributes to exercise and healthy living. Growing up, Riley was raised on natural food and enjoys Indian cuisines with a particular liking for natural spices. Riley works out a local gym on a weekly basis, and at 46 she hardly looks a day over 30. Riley is comfortable with aging, and she intends to retire at 50 to allow her time to travel across the globe as well as spend time with her family and explore her other interests and hobbies. Riley appreciates her developmental journey and prefers reliving her 30’s as opposed to her 20’s. Riley insists that people in their 20s should be working hard and investing to retire early and enjoy life and not the vice versa. Riley states that she is not ready to die and she would like to live all the way to her 80’s. As she puts it,’ long enough to see her grandchildren but not to be a burden to anyone.'

Section 4: Application of Theory 

There are several theories of adult development such as Levinson's theory, Erikson’s theory, Freud theory and Paul Baltes lifespan approach among others. The adult developments theories explain various aspects of adult development such as biosocial, cognitive and psychological developments. Therefore, the discussion of the biosocial, cognitive and psychological development of Riley is possible through the application of adult development theories.

Biosocial Development of the Person 

Biosocial development of a person basically refers to how the biological aspects and social aspects of a person’s interactions. Both biological and social phenomena are multidimensional and complex. Social aspects are influenced by social contexts such as family, friends, school, and neighborhoods. The structure of the social contexts shares a faith in similar norms. Biological aspects are also genetic and hence shared among family lines and external influencers. Biosocial development thus is based on development theories that are behavioral, medical, biological and social. Social and biological aspects of development affect each other (Kathleen & McDade, 2018). For instance, low birth weight is a biological aspect of development that translates to affect social development.

Biosocial development is assumed by researchers to amount to personality in adulthood. Adult’s personalities are by far related to their biological and social contexts in the development stages for birth to aging. Critical biosocial aspects shape personalities. At adulthood, individuals have a clear identity of themselves hence more structured personalities. Freud’s theory of personality explores personality in three dimensions which are identity, ego, and superego. Identity is in existence at birth keeping the needs of a child satisfied. The ego develops from the identity to help people face reality and accustom one to socially acceptable behaviors. Reality helps one weigh the benefits and costs of action before acting. Freud further explains that the identity needs the ego to stay focused. Finally, the superego is part of the biosocial development that holds together ideal and moral principles. According to Freud the superego develops from the age of five and is climaxed at adulthood, but the general process of biosocial development is a constant interaction between identity, ego, and superego (Cherry, 2017). Riley's ability to uphold her morality on relationships and marriage is evidence of the superego personality. Riley having to face the reality of her parents' divorce and make a choice to act and make sure her marriage works is part of the interaction between ego and superego.

Cognitive Development of the Person 

Cognitive behavior refers to the development of a person’s mental health. Cognitive development covers aspects of humanity such as perceptions, memory, language, learning, and metacognition. The essence of studying cognitive development in humans is to understand how people construct a mental perspective of the world and factors that influence cognitive development. Development theories provide that cognitive development is a continuous process rapid at the early stages of life. Adult cognitive development displays various trends but is generally slower and retrogresses with age.

Piaget regards cognitive development as a process that takes place as a result of biological maturity and increased interaction with the environment. The difference between child cognition skills and adult’s cognition skills can be clearly identified from responses to queries that require logical thinking. Children are more likely to give incorrect responses to logical thinking questions while adults give more framed responses depending on age. Children are born with a basic thinking structure on which they base most of subsequent learning and knowledge from their surroundings as they grow. According to Piaget, cognitive development is a progressive development as biological factors develop (Mcleod, 2015). Initially, cognitive development starts as schemas which are units of knowledge formed in each aspect of the world. The other component of cognition is an adaptation which relates to transition process through assimilation, adaptation, and equilibration.

According to Piaget, cognitive development occurs in four stages which include sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational stage. Adult cognitive development is at the formal operational stage. Cognitive development occurs in the early stages of life hence rapid cognitive development for months to eleven years old. Cognitive development is thus constant from adolescent to adulthood. Vygotsky argued that social interaction is critical to cognitive development. Vygotsky relates the ability to communicate and the development of languages as the origin of reasoning as opposed to exposure to the world. Therefore, according to Vygotsky cognitive development and language development go hand in hand. Thus, an adult with the full articulation of language has a higher cognition than that of her younger self. Therefore cognition develops with the expanding of language (Mcleod, 2015). Riley's mental development of the world was founded on her interactions with her environments. Through her social interactions, she gained a perspective on the world based on what she was taught by her parents and what she observed which aligns with Piaget's development theory. However, the attainment of full cognition at eleven is disputable as through adolescence, and adulthood people interact with new surroundings and interactions which continue to develop cognition. Riley develops a new perception of marriage and career choice in the late adolescence and early adulthood that reshape her path significantly.

Psychosocial Development of the Person 

Psychosocial development refers to the development of personality and the attainment of social outlooks and skills. Psychosocial development involves the interaction between psychological aspects of a person and social aspects. Psychosocial development is progressive as a person develops distinct social aspects through different stages of life which stimulate the development of their psychological approaches.

According to Erickson’s development theory psychological development occurs in eight stages three which take place in adulthood. The three stages of adulthood include intimacy, generatively and integrity. According to Erikson adolescent was the pivotal stage between childhood and adulthood. The first step towards adulthood from adolescent is identity which raises the issue of generatively or stagnation. Generatively is about education for one's kids, creativity and advancement at work and revitalization to keep going. Generatively crisis is evident in marital problems, career struggles and attempts at self-improvements (Schaie, 2010). Riley's search for greener pastures and changes diversification of occupation may be a symptom of attempts to self-improve and career struggles. Otherwise, Riley's psychosocial development leans more towards generatively than stagnation.

Mitigating Childhood Experiences in Adulthood 

Childhood experiences have significant effects on adolescent and adulthood stages from health to emotional and psychological impacts. People develop perspectives on life and respond to developments based on their experiences as children. For instance, adverse childhood experiences or exposures such as physical abuse impact psychological and physical health throughout the lifespan. As a result, one needs to mitigate childhood experiences in order to achieve togetherness in adulthood. One of the ways in which one can mitigate childhood adverse experiences is by having the support of trusted people from childhood. A trusted confidant helps one gain support and consequently resilience to adverse situations (Bellis et al., 2016). For instance, In Riley's case after the divorce of her parents, she still had siblings and relatives as support system hence helping mitigate the aftermaths of parent divorce to children. Childhood experiences can also be mitigated through therapy and counseling. Adverse experiences remain in the memory of adults and stimulate stressors which need to be treated and talked about to release negative emotions. Otherwise, resentment or fear may lead to catastrophic effects in adulthood (Bellis et al., 2016). Riley may not have had an extreme adverse experience to mitigate, but her fear of divorce can be disastrous in some cases. In other cases, women from divorced families stay in abusive relationships in fear of separation or divorce and having to go through what they experienced as children.

Positive childhood experiences also play a role in adulthood. Children who grow up in safe and nurturing surroundings are more likely to grow into responsible and nurturing adults. Adults’ mostly acquire the characteristics gained from their experience as children. Often, adults relive their childhood experiences through remembrance and its effects their adult life depending on its influence and impact on cognitive aspects.

Cultural Factors Impact on Development through Adulthood 

Cultural factors are among the significant influencers of adulthood. Culture sets standards and experiences that shape the developmental course of an individual. Religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and age are elements of culture that are perceived as diverse according to cultures. Every individual adapts such elements from a cultural perspective. Cultural factors, therefore, conceptualize development. Culturally, each stage in lifespan development is marked significantly by initiation and bears responsibilities and expectations. For instance, adulthood is marked through marriage and bears the expectation of building a family, having children and contributing to social developments. In the modern culture, successful career path and financial stability is part of the cultural characteristic of adulthood. Culture defines the margin between the adult and the old. In a contemporary world, old age is considered as beyond retirements (Albert & Trommsdorff, 2014). Cultural factors definitely influence Riley adulthood. Riley's considers, looks forward to and upholds marriage. Riley's embraced religion which is taught to her by their culture. Riley's ideals of success in career, taking responsibility for her family and the social responsibility to relatives and the community at large is evidence of cultural influence on adulthood.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, lifespan development is a progressive and continuous process that characterizes the life of human beings. However, adult development has previously been overlooked with the perception that there is not much development in adulthood. Development in adulthood was more so regarded as affecting developments made in adolescent and childhood. However, development theories have proven that development occurs in adulthood and significantly. There are interactions and events in adulthood that progress biosocial, psychological and cognitive development. Development theories agree that development takes place in stages and adulthood is as much a stage in the developmental stages. Life events such as divorce, marriage, absolute independence from parents and co-dependence of life partners, responsibilities of raising children and demanding careers are all elements that continue development in adulthood. Consequently, aging is a process in adulthood that affects development and the later years of the age of forty-five years and above is an adjustment to a transition. Therefore, adulthood development exists and is evident through the lives of people of forty years and above.

References

Albert, I., & Trommsdorff, G. (2014). The role of culture in social development over the lifespan: An interpersonal relations approach. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 6 (2), 1-30.

Bellis, M. A., Hardcastle, K., Ford, K., Hughes, K., Ashton, K., Quigg, Z., & Butler, N. (2017). Does continuous trusted adult support in childhood impart life-course resilience against adverse childhood experiences-a retrospective study on adult health-harming behaviors and mental well-being? BMC Psychiatry, 17 (1), 110. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1260-z.

Cherry, K. (2017). What are the ID, ego, and superego? A structural model of personality. Personality Psychology . Retrieved on 18 June 2018, from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-id-ego-and-superego-2795951.

Kathleen, M. H. & McDade, T. W. (2018). The biosocial approach to human development, behavior, and health across the life course. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 4 (4), 2-26.

Mcleod, S. (2015). Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Simply Psychology . Retrieved on 18 June 2018, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html

Schaie, K. W. (2010). Adult cognitive development from a lifespan developmental perspective. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington . Retrieved on 18 June 2018 from https://sharepoint.washington.edu/uwsom/sls/Documents/2010/Adult%20Cognitive%20dev%20from%20lifespan.2010.pdf.