Human Development and Erikson
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hawkmatrixbrizHuman Development and Erikson
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hawkmatrixbrizDevelopmental Task
• Robert Havighurst (1972)
- Developmental Task is a task that arises at a
certain period in our life, the successful
achievement of which leads to happiness and
success with later tasks while failure leads to
unhappiness, social disapproval, and difficulty
with later tasks.
Pre-natal Period (conception to
birth)
• Involves tremendous growth – from a single
cell to an organism complete with brain and
behavioural capabilities
• Age when heredity endowments and sex are
fixed and all body features, both external and
internal, are developed.
Infancy (from birth to 2 years)
• Foundation age when basic behavior
patterns are organized.
• A time of extreme dependence on adults.
• Many psychological activities are just
beginning – language, symbolic thought,
sensorimotor coordination and learning.
Infancy
(birth to 2 weeks of life)
• Shortest of all developmental periods
• Infant – suggests extreme helplessness
Subdivisions of Infancy
1. Period of the Partunate or from the time the fetal
body has emerged from the mother’s body and lasts
until the umbilical cord has been cut and tied
2. Period of the Neonate or from the cutting and tying
of the umbilical cord to the end of second week of
the postnatal life
Babyhood Stage
( 2nd week to 2nd year of life)
• Characterized by decreasing dependency for
the reason that this is the time when babies
achieve enough body control to become
independent
• Babyhood skills: hand skills and leg skills
• Crying, cooing, babbling, gesturing, and
emotional expressions are examples of pre-
speech forms of communication
• Babies are capable of establishing friendships
Early Childhood ( 3-5 years)
Early Childhood
• These are the toddler and preschool years.
– Toddler
– Preschooler
• Pre-gang, exploratory, and questioning age,
when language and elementary reasoning are
acquired and initial socialization is
experienced.
(Ages 0-6) - Infancy & early childhood
• Learning to walk.
• Learning to crawl.
• Learning to take solid food.
• Learning to talk.
• Learning to control the elimination of body wastes.
• Learning sex differences and sexual modesty.
• Getting ready to read.
• Forming concepts and learning language to describe
social and physical reality.
Middle and Late Childhood ( 6-12
years)
Middle and Late Childhood
(Industry vs. Inferiority)
• Gang and creativity age when selfhelp skills,
social skills, school skills and play skills are
developed.
• The fundamental skills of reading, writing and
arithmetic are mastered.
• The child is formally exposed to the larger
world and its culture.
• Achievement becomes a more central theme of
the child’s world and self-control increases.
(Ages 6-12) - Middle childhood
• Learning physical skills necessary for ordinary games.
• Learning to get along with age mates.
• Building wholesome attitudes toward oneself as a
growing organism.
• Learning an appropriate masculine or feminine social
role.
• Developing concepts necessary for everyday living.
• Developing conscience, morality and a scale of values.
• Achieving personal independence.
• Developing attitudes toward social groups and
institutions.
Preadolescence or Puberty Stage
(10-12 or 13-14 yrs. Old)
• A relatively short period lasting from 2-4 years or
less
• Growth spurt- rapid acceleration in height and
weight that marks the beginning of adolescence.
• Primary Sex Characteristics – include menarche
for the girls and nocturnal emissions for the boys
• Secondary Sex Characteristics – include physical
features which distinguish males from females
Three Stages of Puberty
1. Pre-pubescent – secondary sex characteristics
begin their development but their reproductive
organs are not yet fully developed
2. Pubescent – characterized by menarche for girls
and nocturnal emissions for boys
3. Post pubescent – secondary sex characteristics
become well developed and sex organs begin to
function in a mature manner.
Adolescence (13-18 years)
Adolescence
• Transition age from childhood to adulthood
• Begins with rapid physical changes – dramatic gains
in height and weight, changes in body contour, and
the development of sexual characteristics such as
enlargement of breasts, development of pubic and
facial hair, and deepening voice.
• Pursuit of independence and identity are
prominent
• Thought is more logical, abstract and idealistic.
More time spent outside of the family.
Adolescence’s Developmental
Tasks
Achieving new and more mature relations with age
mates of both sexes.
Achieving a masculine or feminine social role.
Accepting one’s physique and using the body effectively.
Achieving emotional independence of parents and other
adults.
Preparing for marriage and family life.
Acquiring a set of values and an ethical system as a guide
to behaviour.
Desiring and achieving socially responsible behaviour.
Early Adulthood ( 19-29 years)
Early Adulthood
• Age of adjustment to new patterns of life and
new roles such as spouse, parent, and bread
winner.
• It is a time of establishing personal and
economic independence, career development,
selecting a mate, learning to live with
someone in intimate way, starting a family
and rearing children.
(Ages 18-30) - Early Adulthood
• Selecting a mate.
• Learning to live with a partner.
• Starting family.
• Rearing children.
• Managing home.
• Getting started in occupation.
• Taking on civic responsibility.
• Finding a congenial social group.
Middle Adulthood ( 30-60 years)
Middle Adulthood/Middle Age
• Transition age when adjustments to initial
physical and mental decline are experienced.
• It is a time of expanding personal and social
involvement and responsibility; of assisting
the next generation in becoming competent
and mature individuals; and of reaching and
maintaining satisfaction in career.
(Ages 30-60) - Middle Age
• Assisting teenage children to become responsible and
happy adults.
• Achieving adult social and civic responsibility.
• Reaching and maintaining satisfactory performance in
one’s occupational career.
• Developing adult leisure time activities.
• Relating oneself to one’s spouse as a person.
• To accept and adjust to the physiological changes of
middle age.
• Adjusting to aging parents.
Late Adulthood ( 61 years and
above)
Late Adulthood/Old Age
• It is a time for adjustment to decreasing
strength and health, life review, retirement,
and adjustment to new social roles.
• Retirement age when increasingly rapid
physical and mental decline are experienced.
(60 and over) - Later maturity
• Adjusting to decreasing physical strength and
health.
• Adjusting to retirement and reduced income.
• Adjusting to death of a spouse.
• Establishing an explicit affiliation with one’s age
group.
• Adopting and adapting social roles in a flexible
way.
• Establishing satisfactory physical living
arrangements.
