Question

Discuss the developmental characteristics at different stages of growth.

Explain the development of social and emotional characteristics in adolescents.

Explain the development of social and emotional characteristics in adults.

Answer 1

Developmental characteristics differ greatly between phases of growth, from infancy to adulthood. Each stage is characterised by distinct physical, cognitive, emotional, and social developments that contribute to an individual's overall maturation. Here is a summary of the important characteristics of development at each stage:

1. Infant Stage (0 to 2 years): The word infant is derived from the Latin word infans, meaning unable to speak. The period of infancy spans from birth to approximately two years, when a child's linguistic abilities begin to flourish.
   1. Physical Development: Generally, it is seen that an infant's weight doubles by five months of age, triples by twelve months of age, and quadruples by twenty-four months of age. The infant's length does not change as rapidly as its weight, for the infant's length at birth is already 75 percent of what it will be at two years of age.
   2. Cognitive Development: Cognitive development in infants occurs in an interesting manner. Here, infants babble, coo, and gurgle. They study their hands and feet. They turn to locate the source of the sounds. They are able to focus on and follow moving objects with their eyes. They explore things with their mouths. By 12 months, many infants speak their first understandable words. Waving goodbye and acting out for attention are quite common at this age. These are all signs of normal intellectual development. Infants of 12 to 18 months can form images of objects and actions in their minds. They understand that objects exist even when out of sight. By the age of 2 years, an infant becomes aware of his or her gender, as a boy or a girl.
   3. Social and Emotional Development: The development of attachment to main caregivers is critical for emotional security. Expression of basic emotions such as happiness, fear, rage, and surprise. Social contact begins with actions such as smiling and responding to the emotions of others.
2. Childhood Stage (2 to 12 years): The period of life from 2 to 12 years is called the childhood stage. During these play years, motor skills are refined. Thoughts and language expand at an astounding pace, a sense of morality becomes evident and a child begins to establish ties with peers. The school years are marked by advances in athletic abilities, logical thought processes, basic literacy skills, understanding of self, morality, and friendship, and peer-group membership.
   1. Physical Development: Height and weight gain are consistent, with muscle strength and coordination gradually improving. Developing fine and gross motor abilities allows for activities like running, jumping, writing, and drawing. Increased physical stamina and balance enable more complex physical activity.
   2. Cognitive Development: During the age of 3 to 7 years, children acquire the ability to internally represent the world through language and mental imagery. During the course of time, increasingly complex behavioural and cognitive abilities become possible as the central nervous system matures. Children are able to engage in increasingly difficult cognitive tasks, such as performing a series of tasks in a reasonable order. An example regarding cognitive development relates to assembling a mechanical toy, unpacking the pieces, connecting the parts, and making the model move by adding a power source- a series of tasks that must be completed in the correct order to achieve certain results.
   3. Social and Emotional Development: Soon after children attain the age of 5 or 6 years, they begin to make comparisons with other children. For example, a child might describe himself as being faster than one child but slower than another. They understand that other people are looking at and judging them the same way that they are looking at and judging others. Young children are most strongly attached to their parents.
3. Adolescence Stage (12 to 19 years): According to G. Stanley Hall, Adolescence is a period of "storm and stress". Adolescence can be defined as the years between the onset of puberty and the beginning of adulthood. The children undergoing this phase develop a well-defined and positive sense of self relation with others. During adolescence, children continue to grow physically, cognitively, and emotionally, transforming from a child into an adult. 
   1. Physical Development: Puberty begins with strong growth bursts and the development of secondary sexual features. It also involves increased muscle mass, strength, and overall physical maturity. Reproductive organs are also developed, including the beginning of menstruation in girls and sperm production in boys. 
   2. Cognitive Development: Reasoning, planning, and problem-solving skills also continue to develop during adolescence. Children in this phase often seem to act impulsively rather than thoughtfully. It may also give rise to new feelings of egocentrism, in which adolescents believe that they can do anything and that they know better than anyone else, including their parents. Teenagers are likely to be highly conscious, often creating an imaginary audience in which they feel that everyone is constantly watching them. Teens think so much about themselves that they mistakenly believe that others must be thinking about them, too.
   3. Social and Emotional Development: The important attachments of adolescents move increasingly away from parents towards peers. As a result, the influence of parents diminishes at this stage. By early adolescence, children begin to care about how situational outcomes impact others and want to please and be accepted. At this developmental phase, people are able to value the good that can be derived from holding to social norms in the form of laws or less formalised rules. Males tend to value principles of justice and rights, whereas females value caring for and helping others. Girls and women tend to focus more on issues of caring, helping, and connecting with others than boys and men do.
4. Adulthood (19 to 65 years and above): Adults develop the ability to show and reciprocate love and to make long-term commitments. They develop an interest in guiding the development of the next generation, often by becoming a parent. Most young people leave home, complete their education, and begin full-time work. Major concerns of this phase include developing a career; forming an intimate partnership and marrying, rearing children, or establishing other lifestyles.
   1. Physical development: Physical development levels, with peak physical performance usually happening in the 20s and 30s. The slow decline of physical ability begins in the 30s or 40s, with reductions in muscular mass, strength, and stamina. Ageing processes become more visible in later adulthood, with changes such as greying hair, wrinkles, and reduced bone density.
   2. Cognitive Development: Cognitive capacities peak in early adulthood, with strong problem-solving, reasoning, and creativity skills. Some cognitive skills, including memory and processing speed, may decline in middle adulthood, but accumulated knowledge and experience (crystallised intelligence) frequently increase. Older persons may have more serious memory loss, yet many continue to operate well into their senior years.
   3. Social and Emotional Development: Individuals in early adulthood frequently focus on establishing careers, developing long-term relationships, and possibly starting kids. Middle adulthood is frequently characterised by evaluating life goals, which can lead to a "midlife crisis" or a shift in priorities. Individuals in later adulthood may reflect on their life, want to preserve social relationships and manage the physical and emotional changes that come with ageing.