A person’s emotional and physical development is cumulative. It is important to understand the nature of experiences during each step of the lifespan. The process of psychological human development can be examined through different phases or stages of life including infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood stages (Chung, 2018). Every phase has a different set of life cycle concerns and expectations. My name is Philemon Grant. My parents are Jamaicans. I was born in Queens New York on January 13th , 1995.
Developmental Stages
Infancy - Birth to Two years
Infancy is the first crucial relationship that individuals share with their mothers. In the confines of the relationship, a child can develop a sense of security. King (2016) asserts that the maternal care enables a child to start experiencing comfort, even learning to be aware of dependency on other people. According to the parameters of their first relationships, children come to senses of being themselves as they relate to other people. At this stage, children begin to build trust in others and to themselves, which has a cumulative effect on their later stages of life (Peters, 2015). Children also learn how to walk, speak, and play with their fellow children during this stage. From ages one to two years, I was an energized child, and running was my hobby. I developed motor skills at this age, and my mother would always refer to me as the little speed racer. Therefore, during infancy, the concerns of comfort and trust are completely necessary to the effective growth of a child.
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Early Childhood - Three to five years
From ages three to five, the pace of a child’s early development is much affected by the surrounding settings. Proper socialization in a child can be facilitated during this period with the right support structure and framework (Chung, 2018). This encourages appropriate development for cognitive, emotional, and physical abilities. Similarly, suitable settings for the facilities offer a stable test sample for measuring individual progress. The most suitable setting offered to me during this stage was learning how to swim. Due to my active nature, my mother enrolled me in a swimming class. Learning how to swim was important because it would put me right to sleep. It would take a lot of pressure out of my mind. During early childhood stage, children also partially grow cognitively. I remember a lot from when I was younger. When my grandmother passed, my mother cried a lot, and I did not know how to react, so I just held her hand. At age six, I was developing my sense of feel and emotions. I knew that crying is a sense of hurt and pain.
Middle Childhood – Six to 12 Years
During my middle childhood, I was over swimming and more into contact sports like basketball and football. Football and basketball were my hobbies. At age 11, I experienced a significant growth spurt, and I was taller than my peers. I have put an 80-pound football little league which I dominated on both sides of the ball. Blake (2015) postulate that the growth of personalities among children is absolute at the middle childhood and their upbringing can potentially show a child’s. Further investigations have, however, refuted this claim, and it is indeed possible for correction some behaviors. Several theories explain the continuity of psychological development, especially with the occurrence of change over time (Peters, 20115). Thus, it is expected that some developments in middle childhood smoothly occurs with time or at some point even overlap. Some theorists argue that developmental changes occur in separate predetermined phases (Curtis, 2015). Therefore, with every chronological development phase, individuals experience specific quality and amount of transformation. These aspects play significant roles in clarifying the intricacy of the growth during this stage.
Adolescence – Thirteen to 19 years
During adolescent, I took my football skills to another level and started to play for the city league. My brother would take me to the gym to lift weights, which enabled me to grow stronger, especially in the field. Adolescence is an intricate stage which is associated with cognitive, physical, social, interpersonal, and emotional development that usually starts at the age of thirteen (Curtis, 2015). At this stage, teens experience biological and physical changes, which may affect relationships with people around them, including their family members and peers.
There are various theories that explain developmental changes during adolescence. The theories help make parents understand their children’s behaviors. This contributes to healthy relationships and acknowledgment of their needs. Stanley Hall attempted to clarify puberty development after drawing Darwin's theory of evolution analogy (Arnett, Chapin & Brownlow, 2018). Furthermore, the Biogenetic Psychology of Adolescence and the developmental changes during adolescence is inevitable. It also connects to the era of human evolution when human beings went through major developmental changes, whose peak led to the surfacing of civilization (Peters, 2015). The theory views adolescence as a phase, which is genetically, and every person has to undergo it before maturity.
Throughout my early adulthood stage, I have been able to understand how to adapt with others as one of the most insightful aspects of life. Indeed, the demographic composition of people is shifting daily as globalization takes root in every part of the world (Valentine, 2015). I have since come to believe that today, to be of useful service anywhere, one must learn how to adapt to other people in their day-to-day interactions. The key to adapting to others is to understand them (Curtis, 2015) . It is worth acknowledging that as human beings, we are all different, driven by various desires in life, and constrained by societies as to what is expected of us through our diverse cultures. Therefore, to relate with others well in the daily conduct of business, it is important to identify and appreciate the diversity that exists amongst us, and more so, exercise the much-needed tolerance that facilitates necessary interactions.
In the middle adolescence (aged 15-18 years), individuals exhibit intense feelings and the rush for independence. Other developmental changes include; the fear towards the opposite sex, higher sexual appeal, peer pressure and sensitive feelings towards passion and love, Some bodily developments include the height and weight gain, Nocturnal emissions, increased sweating, facial hair in boys, and menstruation in girls.
Early Adulthood – 20 to 40 Years
In the Emerging adulthood phase (ages 20- 40 years), many people are prompted into decision making in their lives. For young adults who have just joined colleges, this stage enables them to realize their true self and what is expected out of their school, relationship, and work-life (Valentine, 2015). Many students change their residing places by living with their friends or going to colleges. Young adults tend to gain much sanguinity by having in mind that they will attain better lives, take care of themselves, and deciding what they can do establish good careers and future for themselves.
I am 24 years old, in my early adulthood. At this stage, I am neither growing physically nor gaining weight. In the contemporary world, individuals are maturing at the early stages than in the previous generations. The psychological development of at this point enables to experienced things that make them happy (King, 2016). Individuals almost certainly have a better understanding when dealing with other people as well as more pride. At ages 30 to 40, individuals are more social and accommodating. I was able to develop this quality earlier since I was an efficient public speaker during my first year at the university.
During this stage, individuals have a keen in-depth exploration of getting to know other people which might disapprove the aforementioned perception. One glaring fact today is that there is a sharp rise in diversity and consequently, the number of cultures (Arnet, Chapin & Brownlow, 2018). It would be almost impossible to imagine one’s concept of ‘self’ devoid of a culture, and the people involved in one’s upbringing. To this end, it is correct to intimate that each individual is unique in every fathomable aspect. Therefore, to understand others, one needs to have a different approach for every individual that they interact with (Peters, 2015). On the same note, one learns how to appreciate others of the fact that there are various factors that influence one’s perception of self-concept is a step in the right direction.
During early adulthood, many people can understand each other to the extent of loving them and getting into marriages. I found that the four factors that determine self-concept form a significant part when learning to understand others. For instance, to avoid ethnocentrism, it is important to note that every person has their degree of self-identification (Peters, 2015). Respecting and appreciating this aspect in others may well assist in avoiding cultural biases. Similarly, recognizing the existence of other religions and beliefs is instrumental in helping to mitigate the effects of stereotyping staunch believers based on their fundamental beliefs (Engleberg and Wynn 41-58) . At this stage, an individual has a more developed understanding and can this wisely. Individuals tend to have families, make better decisions on their careers, build houses, and take care of the people they love.
Middle Adulthood – 40 to 65 Years
Midlife is the stage of life between young adulthood and the elderly life. In the United States, this cohort of developmental stage is popularly referred to as baby bloomers. In people in this developmental age often face challenges and responsibilities such as preparation for retirement, becoming grandparents, the fear of having to adjust to homes without children, and balancing between providing care for their nuclear families and their aging parents. Biological and physical changes can be observed. Signs of apparent aging also start becoming conspicuous in this stage. These include changes in physiological functions such as vision, hearing, immunity, weight gain, hear loss, and decrease in physical activity due to loss of muscle tone and residual pain and aches in some body parts such as joints ( Kraynok, Seifert, Hoffnung, R., & Hoffnung, M., 2017). To compensate for these physiological and physical derangements, individuals have to increase their level of exercise and observe their diet. Climacteric changes also occur during this stage, in which men may experience reduction in their reproductive abilities while women reach menopause. Cognitive functions are however enhanced, as individuals in this developmental stage learn more life experiences.
I interviewed and observed these developmental changes in my mother. My mother is 52 years old. Her hair has already started greying and thinning. Given my genetic predisposition, I know that my hairline is also going to recede and I will experience hair thinning. Other pertinent changes I have observed in my mom are knee pains and physical limits. I have already started experiencing knee problems at 24, which may probably persist through the subsequent developmental stages. I strive to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle to ensure that I will be in good shape and healthy in my middle adulthood. I also aspire to build a better professional life than my mom’s and retire early. I will achieve this by ensuring that I attain my degree before my middle adulthood. My cognitive goal is to be smart and accomplish my goals. In terms of my social life milestones, I presume that I will not find difficulty finding my life partner and establishing a happy family. I will be a great grandfather, loving my grandchildren like they were my own children.
65 Years and Older
Through my grandmother, I was able to understand the developments during late adulthood. Over the years, her body has been going through major changes. During this stage, she saw her body undergoing some physical changes. She developed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a problem that stops her from breathing during her sleep. Occasionally she experiences uncontrollable headaches that give her migrants. The older individuals grow, the more cognitive mature they become. The transition into late adulthood is a crucial matter in which the developmental preparation encountered by most adults predicts their relative Ëœsuccess’ in their lifetime (Blake, 2015). Older adults often look back in there with happiness since they are mostly content and fulfilled with what contribution they have made in life and with a deeper sense that life is meaningful.
Conclusion
The process of human psychological development has different phases including; from infancy (birth to two years), early childhood (three to 6 years) middle childhood (six to twelve years), adolescence (thirteen to 19 years), early adulthood (twenty to forty years), middle adulthood (forty to 65 years), and late adulthood. Each phase has different cognitive, physical, and emotional developments. As human beings grow older, they also grow both physically and psychologically. The stage also has different milestones as individuals grow as well as different theories that explain the concepts of psychological development. It is important to understand each phase and how they can mature and relate to different people.
Research Application
In a study titled “ The eight stages of psychosocial protective development: Developmental psychology,” Chung (2018) proposes a universal psychological mechanism for developmental psychology. The method postulates that psychology is the rational defensive system which has diverse parts that exist and mature in the eight different phases of psychosocial protective development. The author proposes eight stages of psychosocial protective development, including childhood, adolescence, early young adulthood, late young adulthood, early middle adulthood, late middle adulthood, early-late adulthood, and late adulthood.
Chung presents a comprehensive approach on the mental protection system which comprises of four socialites (individualistic, collectivistic, interdependent, and generativity), the mental immune system for four regulated and unregulated countermeasures (hyperactivity, phobia, comforter, and rationality) and three worldviews (territorial, cooperative, and competitive), against adversities. At childhood, individuals have collectively and socially under their parents’ guidance and protection. Children begin with the unregulated psychological immune system because of psychological immaturity. Steadily they obtain the regulated mental immune system but with delayed gratification through psychological maturity.
Through adolescence, individuals change to adulthood. Independent adolescents and adults possess a regulated metal immune system and are more individualistic. In their late adulthood, older people tend to develop a sociality of protecting the younger generation. Chung presents the mental protective system as a psychological aspect of psychological development. The researcher presents different views and perspective collected from different kinds of literature on; psychological protective development, the Piaget’s cognitive development, the human evolution, the Erikson’s theory on psychological development, Confucius six milestones of life and the relationship between parent and child.
References
Arnett, J., Chapin, L., & Brownlow, C. (2018). Human development: A cultural approach . Pearson Australia.
Blake, B. (2015). Developmental psychology: Incorporating Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories in classrooms.
Chung, D. Y. (2018). The eight stages of psychosocial protective development: Developmental psychology. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science , 8 (06), 369.
Curtis, Alexa C. (2015) "Defining Adolescence," Journal of Adolescent and Family Health : 7(2) Pp 1-39.
King, L. A. (2016). The science of psychology: An appreciative view . McGraw-Hill Education.
Kraynok, M. C., Seifert, K. L., Hoffnung, R. J., & Hoffnung, M. (2017). Lifespan Development (3 rd Ed). Allyn & Bacon.
Peters, R. S. (2015). Psychology and Ethical Development (Routledge Revivals): A Collection of Articles on Psychological Theories, Ethical Development and Human Understanding . Routledge.
Valentine, C. W. (2015). The psychology of early childhood: A study of mental development in the first years of life . Routledge.
