Stages of Human Growth and

Development, and Developmental Tasks

Abanto, Pear Joyce

Eclarinal, Ginajane
Gumawa, Jessrelle
Maceda, Angel Hope
Nietes, Joylene
Rico, Hannah Belle
Sembrano, Angel Myca
 I. Introduction to Human Growth and Development

Growth- growth is the change in size, in proportion, disappearance of old features and
acquisition of new ones (Hurlock)
Development- refers to a process of change in growth and capability as result of both maturation
and interaction with the environment (Liebert, et al., 1979)
*Human stages of growth and development are differentiated by age and key stages of
scientifically supported psychomotor development
Psychomotor Development-is progress in mental and motor skill activity.

II. Types of Growth and Development, Life Stages and

Characteristics in each Life Stage

Life Stages

1. Infancy: birth to 1 year

2. Early childhood: 1-6 years
3. Late childhood: 6-12 years
4. Adolescence: 12-20 years
5. Early adulthood: 20-40 years
6. Middle adulthood: 40-65 years
7. Late adulthood: 65 years and up

Characteristics in each Life Stage

1. Infancy
 Extreme dependence on adults
 Begins psychological activities: language, symbolic thought, sensorimotor
coordination and social learning
  Language is “cry"
 Uncoordinated movements
 Responds to human voice & touch

2. Early Childhood
 Ability to passive language (better understanding of what’s being said)
 Tentative sense of independence
 “Determined explorer”
 Famous for negative behavior
 “NO!” to everything
 “Great imitators”
 Imagination is vivid, develops fears

3. Late Childhood
 Develops complex motor skills
 Parental and peer acceptance is very important

4. Adolescence
 Puberty occurs
 Extreme concern with appearance
 Establish self – identity
 “Traumatic life stage”
 Transition between childhood and adulthood
 Big changes to the physical body and perspective

5. Early Adulthood
 “Most busy stage of life”
 Physical development is complete
 Usually accepts responsibility and criticism
 Emotional maturation develops
6. Middle Adulthood
 air begins to thin and gray, wrinkles appear, muscles lose tone, hearing and vision
decrease
 Main concerns: children, health, job and security
 Fear of aging

7. Late Adulthood
 Constitutes the last stage of physical change
 Physical deterioration
 Memory problems
 Coping with retirement and forms of entertainment
 High possibility of depression
 Four Main Types of Growth & Development

1. Physical- refers to body growth

2. Mental- is the development of the mind
3. Emotional- refers to feelings
4. Social- is the interaction and relationship with others

Types of Growth and Development in each Life Stage

Infancy: birth to 1 year

Physical Development: rolls over, crawl, walk, grab things

Mental Development: responds to cold, hunger, and pain by crying and
recognizes surroundings and become aware of people
Social Development: self-centeredness concept to recognition of other people
Emotional Development: show anger, distrust, happiness, excitement

Early Childhood: 1-6 years old

Physical Development: muscle coordination allows the child to run and climb,
child moves freely, can write, draw, use a fork and knife
Mental Development: verbal growth progresses, short attention span, starts
asking questions
Social Development: strong attachment to parents
Emotional Development: develops empathy, impatience and frustrations are
evident as they do things outside their comfort zone, leading to tantrums
 Late Childhood: 6-12 years old
Physical Development: child can handle activities which requires complex
motor-sensory coordination
Mental Development: child can understand abstract concepts (e.g honesty and
loyalty)
Social Development: being group-oriented, starts conforming to rules and
standards of behaviors
Emotional Development: greater emotional independence and more distinct
personality, fears are replaced by ability to cope

Adolescence: 12-20 years old

Physical Development: growth spurts, muscle coordination slows, development

of sexual organs and secondary sexual characteristics, secretion of sex
hormones, body shape and form changes
Mental Development: increase in knowledge and sharpening of skills, starts
making decisions and accepts responsibility for actions
Social Development: desire to spend more time with peers, attempts to develop
self-identity and independence
Emotional Development: often stormy and in conflict, respond more to peer
influence

Early Adulthood: 20-40 years old

Physical Development: development is basically complete

Mental Development: seeks additional education, independence is at its peak
Social Development: associate with people who have the same ambitions,
moves away from peer group
Emotional Development: emotional stress due to career, marriage and family
 Middle Adulthood: 40-65 years old

Physical Development: hearing and visual acuity loss, grey and thinner hair
Mental Development: analyzes situations well, confident in making decisions
Social Development: family relationship declines as children (if there is any)
begin to live their own lives, forms friendship with people with the same
interests and lifestyle
Emotional Development: can develop contentment and satisfaction

Late Adulthood: 65 years old and up

Physical Development: development declines

Mental Development: reasoning ability diminishes, mental ability varies (those
who still wants to learn do not show decrease in meatal ability)
Social Development: varies, retirement can lead to loss of self-identity and self-
esteem
Emotional Development: emotional stability varies
III. John Santrock’s Developmental Stages
8 Developmental Stages
 Prenatal
 Infancy
 Early Childhood
 Middle & Late Childhood
 Adolescence
 Early Adulthood
 Middle Adulthood
 Late Adulthood

IV. Erik Erikson and His Psychosocial Stages

“A person experiences psychosocial crisis which could have a

positive or negative outcome for personality development” -Erik
Erikson

Erik Erikson is a psychoanalyst who identified the eight stages of

psychosocial development
 Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development

1. Trust vs. Mistrust

If needs are met;
• infant will develop a sense of trust
which they will carry to other
relationships
• will be able to feel secure even when
threatened
• develop hope

o begins from birth to 18th If needs are not met;

month
• infant may develop a sense of mistrust,
o infant is uncertain about the suspicion, and anxiety
world in which they live
• will not have confidence in the world
o looks toward their primary around them or in their abilities to
caregiver for stability and influence events
consistency of care
• develop fear

2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

If child is encouraged;
• he becomes more confident
• becomes more secure in his/her own
ability to survive in the world
If child is discouraged;
• he begins to feel inadequate in his ability
to survive
o occurs between the ages of 18
months to 3 years • becomes overly dependent upon others,
o child focus on developing a lack self-esteem
sense of personal control over
physical skills and a sense of • feels a sense of shame or doubt in their
independence abilities
o “self-control without a loss of
self-esteem” is the focus
3. Initiative vs. Guilt

If this stage is a success;

• the child develops a feeling of
purpose
• becomes motivated to perform
If this is a failure;
• the child may inhibit their creativity
• avoid interaction with other kids

o children assert themselves more

frequently
o children begin to plan activities,
make up games, and initiate
activities with others
o child will begin to ask many
questions

4. Industry vs. Inferiority

o between the ages of 5 and 12

o child’s peer group will gain greater
significance and impact on the
child’s self-esteem
o child feels the need to win approval
o starts doing things in their own
If child’s initiative is reinforced;
• he becomes industrious (competent)
• feel confident in their ability to
achieve goals
If child’s initiative is not reinforced;
• child begins to feel inferior
• doubts his or her own abilities
• may not reach his or her potential
 5. Identity vs. Role Confusion

If this stage is a success;

• individual will live the virtue of fidelity
If this stage is a failure;
• individual will be confused with
themselves or their place in society
• will experiment with different lifestyles
as a response to identity crisis
o occurs between 12-18 years
o adolescents search for a sense of self
and personal identity
o becomes more independent, looks at
the future in terms of career,
relationships, families, housing
o wants to belong to a society and fit
in

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation

 If this stage is completed successfully;
• individual becomes happy in
relationships
• develops a sense of commitment, safety,
and care within a relationship
• will live the virtue of love
If this stage is not completed successfully;
o takes place between the ages of 18 to • individual will turn to isolation,
40 years loneliness, and depression
o individual shares himself more
intimately with others
o explores relationships leading towards
longer-term commitments with
someone other than a family member

7. Generativity vs. Stagnation

If this stage is completed successfully;

• individual develops feelings of
usefulness and accomplishment
If this stage is not completed
successfully;
• individual will have shallow
involvement in the world
o takes place during the ages of 40 to 65
years
o individual experiences a need to create
or nurture things that will outlast him
o develops a sense of being a part of the
bigger picture
If this stage is completed successfully;
• individual will acquire virtue of
wisdom
8. Ego Integrity vs. Despair
If this stage is not completed
successfully;
• individual will have shallow
involvement in the world
o stage begins at approximately age of
65 and ends at death
o we contemplate our
accomplishments and can develop
integrity if we see ourselves as
leading a successful life

V. Principles of Development
Principles of Development - set of principles that characterizes the pattern and process of
growth and development
-describes typical development as a predictable and orderly process

7 Principles of Developments

1. Development proceeds from the head downward.

2. Development proceeds from the center of the body outward.
3. Development depends on maturation and learning.
4. Development proceeds from the simple (concrete) to the more complex.
5. Growth and development is a continuous process.
6. Growth and development proceed from the general to specific.
7. There are individual rates of growth and develop.
VI. Robert J. Havighurst’s Developmental Stages and
Developmental Tasks

“Parents and adults should help adolescents through

the behavioral tasks that help prepare them for their
future as responsible adults.” - Robert J. Havighurst

He is an educator and a behavioral scientist who

identified critical developmental tasks that occur
throughout our life span.

Developmental Task- the midway between an individual and a social demand

-tasks that arises at a certain period in life
-tasks associated with the next stage in life
Three Sources of Developmental Task According to Havighurst
1. Physical Growth- as its body matures, the child can learn many new skills like walking
and talking
2. Social Pressures- through rewards and penalties, society pressures the child to master
the tasks seen as important
3. Inner Pressures- it is the child that is responsible for mastering each task

Developmental Tasks in Different Life Stages

Infancy and Early Childhood
 Learning to walk
 Learning to take solid foods
 Learning to talk
 Learning to control peeing and pooping
 Learn sex difference and sexual modesty
  Forming concepts and learning language
 Getting ready to read

Middle Childhood
 Learning physical skills
 Building wholesome attitude towards oneself
 Learning to get along with age-mates
 Developing concepts necessary for everyday living
 Achieving personal independence
 Developing conscience, morality, values
Adolescence
 Achieving emotional independence
 Acquiring a set of values and an ethical system
 Desiring and achieving socially responsible behavior
 Achieving new relations with opposite sex
 Achieving masculine or feminine social role
 Accepting physique and uses body effectively

Early Adulthood
 Selecting a mate
 Living a marriage life
 Rearing children
 Managing a home
 Taking on civic responsibility
 Finding a congenial social group

Middle Adulthood
 Achieving adult civic and social responsibility
  Establishing an economic standard of living
 Relating oneself to one’s spouse as a person
 Accepting physiologic change

Late Adulthood
 Adjusting to decreasing physical strength and health
 Adjusting to retirement
 Establishing an explicit affiliation with one’s age group
 Establishing satisfactory physical living