Human development entails a process in which an individual grows from infancy to adulthood. The whole process entails different stages of growth that psychologists and other theorists categorize while developing their concepts and ideas. Psychologists have developed different stages regarding human development; for instance, Piaget’s cognitive development theory outlines the four stages of learning. Kohlberg’s moral development theory depicts the six stages of moral development, while Erikson’s psychosocial development occurs in 8 stages. Nonetheless, the human development process is categorized into infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. This article explores the human development process.
Human development entails different stages that individual experiences while growing. It tends to affect different aspects of human life, ranging from psychological, psychosocial, cognitive, and moral, to mention a few. One stage heavily relies on and builds on the previous one throughout the development process. For instance, the typical first-year, infancy, is always the most significant period in human development. It forms the basis for or the foundation in which an individual builds the entire development process (Lerner, 2018). This stage entails an infant gaining physical gains over its body and “thinks” through senses and motor action, as Piaget illustrates in his theory, sensorimotor stage. Although Erikson states that infants heavily rely on adults to meet most of their needs, Piaget depicts they learn from the same individual, including trusting them. According to Freud’s psychosexual development, the security infants get from their caregivers helps them develop physically and emotionally. Nonintentional smiles in infants begin at birth, but at six weeks, they express social smiles, promoting healthy attachment relationships with caregivers, while sadness encourages empathy (Lerner, 2018). However, at four or five months, they selectively smile at faces depending on their familiarity, according to Bowlby’s attachment theory.
The other stage is childhood, in which a child starts exploring and developing senses, specifically for independence. A child eventually experiences the frontal lobes and limbic circuit maturation in the brain; hence the sense of ‘self’ develops. They also discover that some of their actions might have consequences, as Kohlberg states, pre-conventional level, obedience, and punishment. Striving to become more independent makes a toddler increase expressions of anger and defiance while struggling for autonomy. Piaget also states that a child is at the sensorimotor stage and develops senses despite not talking. However, Erikson suggests that parents and guardians have a vital function at this stage as they nurture their children (Maree, 2021). The psychologist also suggests that this stage occurs during the toddler and preschool-age stages in his psychosocial development theory. A child with healthy self-confidence helps him stay motivated to achieve most of the things they want in life. Toddlers will heavily depend on the discourse of the family’s emotions to understand basic emotions, including negative and positive ones. The child will also differentiate what promotes anger and sadness from happiness. Piaget suggests that individuals or students at this stage can start solving simple and complex tasks in classrooms, including arithmetic.
The other human development stage is adolescence. Individuals experience this stage differently depending on sexuality, especially with the physical changes such as broadening the chest among boys and hip enlargement among girls. As much as a child develops a sense of self and independence during childhood, the process continues during adolescence and becomes more intense, especially balancing different aspects of life around him. For instance, young individuals get primarily concerned with finding their identity at this stage. Erikson suggests that if an individual becomes overwhelmed with his expectations and responsibilities, it influences his ability to establish identity leading to confusion regarding their goals and needs (Saracho & Evans, 2021).
Individuals try to find their place while experimenting with different things and roles in society. Kohlberg suggests that it entails a conventional stage – responding to peer pressure and morality centered around what society terms right (Saracho & Evans, 2021). Some of the things they might find themselves trying out include hobbies, fashion, and games to create an image for themselves. Individuals increasingly develop complex emotions and require stable peers to manage emotions. Individuals increasingly develop negative emotions, and unaccepted individuals in peer groups may face numerous risks like abandoning schools. On the other hand, supportive peer relationships encourage the development of healthy emotional and mental health. Adolescent individuals who fail to explore identity options have low motivation levels and appear apathetic.
Human development ends with adulthood as the last stage. Early adulthood entails few physical changes an individual experiences and more emotional development. For instance, the individual must decide where to live, who to live with, and the type of work they want (Lerner, 2018). Mental health in adulthood depends on the peer relationship that an individual had while in adolescence; negative and unsupportive peer relationships during adolescence lead to mental health issues in adulthood, including high anxiety levels. Furthermore, individuals who achieve a sense of identity manage their emotions successfully and are more empathetic hence managing most challenges. Individuals start portraying physical signs of age, such as wrinkles and gray hair. An individual might also start gaining more pounds and expressing stress from dealing with his children and caring for his aging parents. In late adulthood – from 65 years onwards, more physical changes occur, including skin becoming more elastic and strength and mobility diminishing while the immune system weakens. However, Erikson states that individuals find meaning and satisfaction, especially in the things they accomplish throughout their life.
In conclusion, human development entails distinct stages that individuals undergo. Psychologists use different aspects of life to analyze and outline those stages, including psychosocial, psychological, cognitive, emotional, and mental aspects. Despite having similarities in ages and broad categories, some individuals fail to meet all needs in a specific stage, which affects their human development process. Therefore, individuals must ensure they meet most of their needs in a specific stage to find meaning and satisfaction in the late adulthood stage.
References
Lerner, R. M. (2018). Concepts and theories of human development. Routledge. 4th Edition. Pg. 1-600.
Maree, J. G. (2021). The psychosocial development theory of Erikson: Critical overview. Early Child Development and Care. Vol. 191(7-8), 1107-1121.
Saracho, O. N. and Evans, R. (2021). Theorists and their developmental theories. Early Child Development and Care. Vol. 191(7-8), 993-1001.
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