DEVELOPMENTAL TASK

Developmental tasks refer to a physical or cognitive skill that a person must accomplish
during a particular age period to continue development. A developmental task for infants
is walking, which is followed by the development of a sense of autonomy in the toddler
period. In the adolescence period, some of the developmental tasks that the child faces are
accepting one’s physical body, learning to get along with friends of both sexes, becoming
self sufficient, preparing for job & career etc.

Developmental Task

1. Learning to get along with friends of both sexes.

2. Accepting one's physical body and keeping it healthy.

3. Becoming more self-sufficient.

4. Making decisions about marriage and family life.

5 Preparing for a job or career. 

6. Acquiring a set of values to guide behavior.

 Nature of Task

To learn to look upon girls as women and boys as men; to become an adult among adults; to
learn to work with others for a common purpose, disregarding personal feelings; to lead without
dominating.

To accept one's body; to keep it healthy through good nutrition, exercise, disease prevention,
and other health practices.

To develop affection for parents without dependence upon them; to develop respect for older
adults without dependence upon them.

To explore attitudes toward family life and having children; to acquire the knowledge necessary
for home management and, if desired, child rearing.

To develop career/vocational goals and ways to reach these goals; to be able to make a living.

To develop an outlook toward life based on what is important.

To participate as a responsible person with friends at home, and in the community; to develop
personal moral values to guide behavior.

EXTRA POINTS

Havighurst's theory of development stated that change and growth are continuous
throughout the entire life, from birth through death. He distinguishes them into three stages,
and people can move from one stage to the next by solving problems or passing developmental
tasks. However, what is a developmental task? A developmental task definition includes a task
that happens around a certain period in life in which success leads to happiness and failure
results in unhappiness. Developmental tasks vary by the stage and could include:

 Learning to walk
 Achieving personal independence
 Preparing for marriage and family life
 Managing a home
 Developing adult leisure-time activities
 Adjusting to retirement and reduced income

Meaning of Development Tasks

According to R.J Havighurst (1953)" A development task is a task which arises at or about a
certain period in the life of the individual, successful achievement of which leads to his
happiness and to success with later task, " Development task are based in the aspiration and
need of the society. B.L Neugarten ( Development tasks are based in the aspiration and need of
the society. B.L Neugarten (1969) says that " Every society is age -graded and every society
has a system of social experiences regarding age -appropriate behaviour. The individual passes
through a socially regulated cycle from birth to death as inexorably as he passes through the
biological cycle, and there exist a socially prescribed time-table for the rendering of major life
events. Although the norms vary somewhat from  one socio-economic, ethnic or religious group
to another, for any social group it can easily be demonstrated that norm and actual occurrences
are closely related."

Characteristics of Development Tasks

 1. Every society or culture has certain norms.

 2. Method should follow these norms.
 3. These norms are in term of certain essential skills.
 4. Mastery over these skill lead to happiness, and failure leads to unhappiness.
 5. Skill are related to age groups
 6. Norms very from one from one socio -economic group to another
Purpose of Development Tasks

 According to Elizabeth B. Hurlock, development tasks server the following three

purposes.
 1. They are guidelines to enable this individual to know what society experts from him at
a given age.
 2. Development tasks motivate the individual to do what the social group expects him to
do certain things during his life.
 3. Development tasks server to show the individual what lies ahead and what he will
expected to do when he reaches the next stage of Development in the life span.

Hazards Related Development Task

 1. Inappropriate expectation - physical or psychological limitations of the individual.

 2. By passing a developmental stage.Each stage must be lived through.
 3. Lack of opportunity to learn the development task.
 4. Lack of guidance.
 5. Lack of motivation.
 6. Poor health.
 7. A low intellectual level.
 Factor promoting Development Tasks
 1. Provision of opportunity to learn the developmental task.
 2. Adequate guidance in learning the developmental tasks.
 3. Development motivation.
 4. Good health.
 5. Appropriate level of intelligence.
 6. Creativity.

 Development Tasks at Various Stages

 A. Birth to 5 year
 1. Learning to walk
 2. Learning to talk soild food
 3. Learning to talk
 4. Learning to control the elimination of body wastes
 5. Learning sex difference
 6. Achieve physiological stability
 7. Forming simple concepts of social and physical reality
 8. Learning to relate oneself emotionally to parents, sibling and other people.
 9. Learning to distinguish right and wrong and developing a conscience.
B.6 to 12 years

 1. Learning physical skill, ordinary games.

 2. Building wholesome attitude towards oneself as a growth organism.
 3. Learning to get along with age - mates.
 4. Learning appropriate sex role, ie.,  masculine or feminine role.
 5. Development fundamental skill in reading, write and calculating.
 6. Developing concerts necessary for everyday living.
 7. Developing conscience, morality and values.
 8. Achieving personal independence.
 9. Development attitudes towards social group and institutions.

C.Adolescence one's ( 12 to 20 year )

 1. Accepting one's physique.

 2. Accepting a masculine or feminine role.
 3. Gaining emotional independence from parents and other adults.
 4.Establishing new relations with-age -mates of both sexes.
 5. Achieving assurance of economic independence.
 6. Selecting preparing for a vocation.
 7. Developing necessary concept for civic competence.
 8.Developing intellectual skills.
 9.Development socially acceptable behavior.
 10. Preparing for marriages and family life.
 11. Developing harmonies moral and scientific values.