Chapter 9: Lifespan Development

Q1

The development of the human body occurs just like other animals, from a union of a single

female and male sex cells to a fully developed fetus. The prenatal development stage is the

growth period from a child’s conception, the formation of an embryo through to birth. The

prenatal development period has three stages

i. Germinal Stage; It is the development period between the time of sex cells union

(conception) until two weeks of implantation. At this point, the zygote is formed, and

the sex and genetic makeup are set at the germinal stage.

ii. The embryonic Stage; Is the prenatal stage from (implantation) 2 weeks to eight

weeks of pregnancy. The zygote travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus and

grows to the embryo.

iii. Fetal Stage; Prenatal development from nine weeks of pregnancy till birth. At this

stage, the embryo develops to a recognizable human shape at the size of a kidney.

The embryonic stage is considered the most critical period since its when the internal and

external organs develop.

Q2

Piaget, in his studies, developed an account of how genitive development in kids and youths

gradually develop to reason logically and scientifically in theory known as Piaget’s theory of

cognitive development. The theory is divided into 4 stages;

i. Sensorimotor Stage; Occurs between birth to two years, where infants learn the world

around them through sensation and interaction. They learn things like looking,

grasping, sucking, and listening.

 ii. Preoperational Stage; Occurs between two to seven years. At this stage, kids start to

think symbolically and use pictures and words to represent objects. Kids are generally

egocentric.

iii. Concrete Operational Stage; Occur between seven to eleven years. At this stage,

children start to think logically on concrete events, understand concepts of

conversation and become logical in reasoning

iv. Formal Operation Stage; Occurs between twelve years onwards, occasioned by

adolescent through to young adulthood. Youths start to be philosophical, moral,

ethical, political, and social issues.

Q3

Eriksen’s theory of psychological development states that personality advances in a

predetermined order in eight stages of psychological growth, starting from infancy to

adolescence through adulthood. In every stage, an individual experience a psychosocial crisis

which eventually have a negative or positive outcome in one’s personality advancements.

According to Erikson, the development is a crisis of psychological nature since they revolve

around psychological wants that conflict with societal expectations.

Authoritative parenting is the best reasonable nurturing style for most children as children

natured through this, tend to have self-discipline and clarity of purpose.

Q4

Kohlberg applied Piaget’s storyline to expound on moral development in three stages;

i. Preconventional morality; The initial stage of moral development and last until nine

years. At this stage, kids lack a personal code of morality; therefore, they depend on

parental moral decisions

ii. Conventional Morality; The stage of adolescent and early adulthood, often

characterized by acceptance and recognition of societal rules on right and wrong and

initialization of moral standard values

iii. Postconventional morality; Last stage of moral development and is characterized by

learning and understating of the universal ethical principles

Q5

Kubler-Ross divided the principle to death and dying into five stages to describe the

conditions of terminally ill patients

Denial is the first stage characterized by grief as one seems to think that life makes no sense

Anger is the second stage, a critical stage for the healing process, and patients engulf in

bitterness of betrayal by friends and family

Bargaining stage: patients are willing to do anything within or without their capability to

survive. Most patients convert and start to believe in religion

Depression; When things fail to change even after begging, feelings of emptiness and

hopelessness creeks in

Acceptance is the stage where patients come to terms that death is inevitable and accept the

will and purpose of their maker.