Life does not stand still. When we ask ourselves who we are, we think of ourselves in terms of who we are now. But we have been and will be many different people in our lifetime. This is because our life is a continuous state of flux, changing in many ways as we move along our life’s journey. Change occurs in different ways and on various fronts.
To understand ourselves fully, we must understand the process of development, the more-or-less predictable changes in behavior associated with age.
Developmental psychologists have divided the entire human life span in to eight stages. These eight stages are:
1.     Prenatal Stage (period from conception to birth).
2.     Infancy and Toddlerhood (period from birth to age of 3).
3.     Early Childhood (period between 3 to 6 years).
4.     Middle Childhood (period from the age of 6 to age of 12).
5.     Adolescence (period from the age of 12 to age of 20).
6.     Young Adulthood (period from the age of 20 to age 40)
7.     Middle Age (period between 40 to 65 years).
8.     Late Adulthood (period from 65 years onwards).
Each of these stages is unique and special. Each stage is marked by developments that are not only unique to that stage of life but also have a tremendous impact on the later stages of life.
Changes and developments occur in three areas or domains: physical. cognitive and psychosocial.
1.     Physical development: Physical development refers to changes that occur in a person’s body. Changes in the brain, heart, sensory organs, motor skills, physiological systems, appearance are examples of physical development.
2.     Cognitive development: Cognitive development involves changes in mental activity such as perception, memory, thought, reasoning, and language
3.     Psychosocial development: Psychosocial refers to changes that occur in a person’s personality, emotions and relationships with others.
These three domains are not absolutely separate departments. Development or lack of development in one area has an effect on development in another area. For example, a child whose mouth and brain has not developed (physical development) will face difficulties in learning language (cognitive) which in turn will affect his ability to form relationships with other children (psychosocial development)
A great deal of research has been done about the developments that occur during each stage of the life span. Let us now examine in brief the physical. cognitive and psychosocial changes that occur during each stage of the human life span.
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PRENATAL STAGE (CONCEPTION TO BIRTH)
The prenatal stage basically refers to the nine months that a human being spends in the mother’s womb. The notable characteristics of this stage are:
1.     Physical growth takes place at a very rapid rate. This rate of development is not seen later in the life span.
2.     Intake of certain kind of drugs & alcohol can do a lot of damage to the new life.
3.     Great care needs to be taken during the first three months of pregnancy.
4.     Research has found that fetuses can learn and remember. They can also hear and feel
INFANCY AND TODDLERHOOD (BIRTH TO AGE 3)
The major changes and developments during this stage are:
1.     There is rapid physical growth.
2.     Motor control, the ability to move deliberately and accurately develops rapidly and continuously during the first three years of life.
3.     Babies develop attachment toward their parents and others toward the end of the first year.
4.     Speech and comprehension develops rapidly. Self- awareness develops in the second year.
5.     Babies speak their first word sometime between 10 and 14 months.
6.     A true understanding of causality (one ,event causes another event) develops only around 15 months.
7.     Empathy (ability to feel what others feel) emerges during the second year.
8.     Children’s interest in other children increases after 11/2 years of age.
EARLY CHILDHOOD (AGE 3 TO 6)
The important features of early childhood are:
1.     Children lose their chubbiness and begin to look more slender and athletic in their appearance.
2.     Most children stop bed wetting by the age of 3 to 5.
3.     The ability to use symbolic function develops. It is the ability to use symbols that have meanings such as – words. numbers etc.
4.     Children understand the principles of counting.
5.     Children see things only from their point of view. This phenomenon is called egocentrism. It is not selfishness but self-centered understanding.
6.     Self-concept develops during this stage. Self-concept is our image of ourselves.
7.     Gender identity develops during early childhood. If it an individuals awareness of being a male or a female.
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD (AGE 6 TO AGE 12)
The notable characteristics of this stage are:
1.     Physical growth slows down but strength and athletic skills improve.
2.     Injuries due to accidents increase as children are mop active physically and there is less supervision.
3.     Egocentrism diminishes and children begin to think logically.
4.     Memory and language skills increase.
5.     Children develop better emotional control.
6.     Children understand the concept of shame and pride between the age of 7 and 8.
7.     During middle childhood children spend most of their time away from home. Friends assume greater importance in children’s lives.
ADOLESCENCE (AGE 12 TO AGE 20)
The major changes and developments during adolescence are:
1.     Boys and girls attain sexual maturity. They are now capable of reproduction.
2.     There is a growth spurt – a rapid increase in height and weight.
3.     Girls start having periods. Boys have nocturnal emission.
4.     Alcohol and drugs are other common causes of health problems.
5.     Adolescents are capable of abstract reasoning. They can imagine possibilities. test hypotheses, and form theories.
6.     Adolescents argue a lot. This is because of their new ability to look at a problem. and to build a case from different angles.
7.     Many teenagers have trouble making up their minds about simple issues such as which dress to wear to a party or which movie to go to.
8.     Adolescence is a period marked by a search for identity. Identity refers to those goals. values and beliefs to which an individual is committed and Which makes him an unique adult.
9.     There is a shift from close friendships with members of the same sex to friendships and romantic attachments with members of the other sex.
10.   Adolescents often get in to conflict with their parents. The conflicts are with regard to the amount of independence and freedom.
11.   Adolescents spend most of their waking hours with other teenagers – friends and classmates. The intensity of friendship is greatest in adolescence than at any other time in the life span.
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YOUNG ADULTHOOD (AGE 20 TO AGE 40)
The important features of young adulthood are:
1.     Most young adults are in their peak health. They are full of strength, energy and stamina.
2.     Ability to think and reason morally becomes more complex.
3.     Love and work are central themes of life. Work is not just about accumulating money but it provides an opportunity to relate to other people and creates a sense of self-worth.
4.     Most people marry and become parents for the first time during this stage of the lifespan.
5.     Conflict between the demands of family & work life is often the cause of stress.
MIDDLE AGE (AGE 40 TO 65)
The major changes and development during this stage are:
1.     There is a gradual decline in sensory capacity, health and stamina.
2.     Women experience menopause – they stop menstruating.
3.     In middle-age wisdom. expertise and practical problem- solving skills are at its peak. However ability to solve novel problems declines.
4.     Ability to store new information in memory declines slightly.
5.     Double responsibility of caring for children and elderly parents may cause stress.
6.     Settlement of children in their own lives results in empty nest syndrome.
7.     For some middle-aged men and women, career success and earning powers peak; for some others burnout occurs.
8.     Many men and women experience a midlife crisis. It involves a review and revaluation of one’s life. Search for meaning in life assumes central importance.
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LATE ADULTHOOD (AGE 65 YEARS ONWARDS)
The important features of late adulthood are:
1.     Reaction time slows down affecting functioning in many areas.
2.     There is a sharp loss in strength and stamina.
3.     Memory is affected by aging. Difficulty in recalling names is an indication of this.
4.     Elderly people review the life they have lived.
5.     Retirement from work allows more leisure time but hurts economically.
6.     Older adults’ need to cope with loss of loved ones.
7.     Older adults’ need to cope with their own impending death.
8.     Older adults’ search for meaning in life takes a central role.
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