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Human development is the scientific study of quantitative and qualitative ways
people change and do not change over time. Qualitative change is marked by appearance
of new phenomena that cannot be predicted from earlier functioning. Developmental
change is systematic and adaptive. The various aspects of development (physical,
emotional, psychosocial) do not occur in isolation. Each affects each other.
EARLY ADULTHOOD
The years of infancy, childhood, and adolescence are all preparation for entry in
adulthood.
Physical Development
Physiologically, young adults are at their peek; strength, endurance, reaction time,
perceptual abilities, and sexual responsiveness are all optimal, even though the the aging
process is taking slight and usually not even noticeable, tolls on the body.
Cognitive Development
Early adulthood is the prime of cognitive thinking. (Hughes, 1990) New
experiences may evoke new, distinctively adult thinking patterns as young adults question
long-held assumptions and values. College students tend to develop from rigid to relativist
thinking, sometimes called post-formal thought. The experiential (insightful) and
contextual (practical) aspects become particularly important during adulthood (Papalia,
1998).
Psychosocial Development
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Early adults are likely to be working on through Eriksons intimacy vs isolation. If
all goes well, this would result to committing themselves with a partner. They are changed
by marriage, parenthood, and other normal events of family life cycle.
MIDDLE AGED ADULTHOOD
Physical Development
Gradual declines in body and physical activities become noticeable. Women
experience the changes of menopause around the age of 50. Most of the physical
changes occur slowly.
Cognitive Development
They gradually gain some intellectual capacity and lose others. They reach perks
of creative achievement in their careers. Toward the end of middle adulthood, some
individuals may feel that their memories are slipping a bit, but most intellectual skills hold
up to middle aged. (Paplia, 1998)
Psychosocial Development
According to Erikson, middle aged adults successfully resolve conflict of
generativity vs stagnation if they can invest their energies in nurturing the younger
generation or in producing something of lasting value, but they experience a sense of
stagnation if they feel they have failed their children, or are preoccupied with their own
needs. (Hughes, 1990)
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MATRIX
Figure 1. Summary of Physical, Cognitive, Personal and Social Human Developments
Physical development Cognitive development
Period
Sophisticated cognitive skills,
time of peak functioning, but especially in areas of
gradual declines in physical expertise. Possibility of
Young Adult (20-39)
and perceptual capacities growth beyond formal
begin thought and gains in
knowledge
Period Emotional Development Social development
Social networks continue
to expand. Romantic
Continues work on identity.
relationships form. Most
Some shift from conventional to
establish families and
post-conventional moral
take on roles as spouses
reasoning. Increased
Young Adult (20-39) and parents. Careers are
confidence. Divergence of roles
launched; job switching is
in family according to sex.
common. Period of much
Personality fairly stable. Conflict
life change; high risk of
of intimacy vs isolation
divorce and psychological
problems
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REFERENCE
Hughes, F., & Noppe, L. (1990).Human development across the life span.
Kail, R., & Cavanaugh, J. (2000). Human Development. California: Brooks/Cole
Papalia, D., Wendoks, S., & Fieldman, R. D. (1998). Human Development.
Adolescence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.).Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Life Span Development by Santrock
