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 (Papalia, 1998). 1.INFANCY Physical Development Newborn babies alternate between states of sleep, wakefulness, and activity with sleep taking up the majority of the time. (Papalia,1998). Growth follows the cephalocaudal principle in which the head and trunk develop before the legs. Infants acquire series of motor skills calumniating in walking a few months after the first birthday. They are already able to perceive smell, taste, touch, pain, sound, however their visual acuity is relatively poor, but 1 year olds can see as well as an adult with normal vision (Kail, 2000). Cognitive Development As babies progress through substages of Piagets sensory motor period, they develop their minds through their active efforts to perceive and act upon the world. They acquire symbolic capacity- the capacity to let one thing stand for another- which is central to intellectual activity throughout the remainder of the life-span (Hughes, 1990). By 9 or 10 months, babies begin to understand meaningful speech. During the second year of life, the typical toddler begins to speak the language of the culture. The first two- word sentences which are called telegraphic, generally come between 18-24 months (Papalia, 1998 ) Psychosocial Development Infants temperaments, coupled with their parents style of interacting with them, influence how successfully they resolve Eriksons first psychosocial conflict, that of trust vs mistrust, and whether they form secure, resistant, avoidant attachment to their caregivers starting at about 7 months of age (Hughes, 1990).

2. EARLY CHILDHOOD Physical development Physical growth increases during the years from 3 to 6, but more slowly than during infancy and toddlerhood. Boys on average are slightly taller and heavier than girls. Children eats less than before and need a balanced diet. Motor development advances rapidly. (papalia)

Cognitive Development During Piagets preoperational stage of cognitive development, young children make wonderful use of their symbolic capacity, mastering all the basic rules of language. (Hughes, 1990) Private speechchildrens talking aloud to themselves- appears to help children gain control over their actions. (Papalia, 1998)

Psychosocial Development Preschoolers struggle with Ericksons conflict of autonomy vs shame and initiative vs guilt. If all goes well, they could achieve high self- confidence. They start to develop a theory of mind that allows them to predict and explain human behaviour in terms of mental states, although they describe people largely in terms of physical characteristics and activities rather than inner qualities.(Hughes, 1990) They learn the importance of being a friend in order to have a friend. (Papalia, 1998

3. MIDDLE CHILDHOOD Physical Development Physical development is less rapid in middle childhood than in the earlier years. Boys are slightly larger than girls in this period. (Papalia, 1998) They continue to refine their motor skills and use their senses ever more intelligently by directing their attention on what needs to be directed (Hughes, 1990) Cognitive Development As they enter Piagets concrete operations stage, they become able to perform in their heads actions that previously had to be performed with their hands. They acquire the memory strategies and other information processing skills it takes to do schoolwork. (Hughes, 1990) Psychosocial Developmental chool-aged children work through Ericksons conflict of industry vs inferiority as they attempt to master new skills, compare their accomplishments with those of their classmates, and absorb feedback about where they stand in reading groups. They also continue to learn about and conform to prevailing social standards regarding how boys and girls should behave, but their thinking is more flexible than those of the pre- schoolers. (Hughes, 1990)

4. ADOLESCENCE

-Adolescence is a developmental transition between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves biological, social, and psychological changes, though the biological or physiological ones are the easiest to measure objectively. (Wikipedia, 2010) It begins with puberty, a process that leads to sexual maturity. Puberty is triggered by hormonal changes. Physical Development During puberty, both boys and girls undergo an adolescent growth spurt: sharp growth in height, weight, and muscular and skeletal development. Primary sex characteristics (the female and male reproductive organs) enlarge and mature during puberty. Secondary sex characteristics also appear. The principal signs of sexual maturity, or fertility, are menstruation for females, and production of sperms for males (Kail, 2000). EARLY ADULTHOOD The years of infancy, childhood, and adolescence are all preparation for entry in adulthood. (Kail, 2000) 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 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. (Kail, 2000) Cognitive Development Adolescence is the stage of a psychological breakthrough in a person's life when the cognitive development is rapid] and the thoughts, ideas and concepts developed at this period of life greatly influence one's future life, playing a major role in character and personality formation. The brain undergoes growth spurt, particularly the pre-frontal areas of the cortex that are involved in planning and

sustained attention. (Papalia, 1998) With the onset of formal-operational thinking, adolescents think hypothetically and reason abstractly. In deductive reasoning, they understand that conclusions are based on logic, not on experience. (Kail, 2000) This is the time when they reach Piagets formal operations stage. These and other new cognitive capacities sometimes leave adolescents susceptible to adolescent egocentrism, thoroughly confuse about what to believe, painfully aware of the gaps between what is and what should be, an rebellious when their parents or other authorities figures are not logical enough for their tastes. (Hughes, 1990) Psychosocial Developments Cognitive gains also put adolescents in a position to think about themselves and other people in more sophisticated ways. They begin to describe themselves in more abstract term referring to their core values and philosophies in life (Hughes, 1990). Erikson claimed that the crisis of adolescence is to achieve and identity. This leads to the identity vs role confusion. Experimentation with different possible selves is an integral part of the quest for identity. (Kail, 2000) Adolescents become more and more involved in peer activities, intimate friendships with same-and other-sex peers and dating relationships, often showing heightened conformity to gender-role norms (Hughes, 1990).

5. EARLY ADULTHOOD The years of infancy, childhood, and adolescence are all preparation for entry in adulthood. (Kail, 2000) 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 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. (Kail, 2000)

6. MIDDLEAGED 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)

7. SENESCENCE Wear and-tear theory postulates that aging is caused by body systems simply wearing out. Cellular theories focus on reactions within the cells, involving free radicals and cross linking. Metabolic theories focus on changes in cell metabolism. Programmed cell death theories propose that aging is genetically programmed. No single theory is sufficient to explain aging. (Kail, 2000) Physical Development Most of them have physical impairments of some kind. They have slower nervous system and slower reaction (Hughes, 1990). In women, the process

Cognitive Development

As they enter their 80s and 90s, more and more adults take longer to learn things, experience occasional memory lapse, or have difficulty solving problems. Most retain the knowledge that they have crystallized over a lifetime and the cognitive and linguistic skills that they practice every day. Psychosocial Development Old people tend to lead active social lives and enjoy close ties with families and friends. Most are able to resolve Eriksons conflict of integrity vs despair, finding meaning in their lives and coming to terms with the inevitability of death (Kail, 2000)