DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES

Human Development focuses on human growth and changes across the lifespan, including physical,
cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, personality and emotional growth.
The study of human developmental stages is essential to understanding how humans learn, mature and
adapt. Throughout their lives, humans go through various stages of development. The human being is either in
a state of growth or decline, but either condition imparts change. Some aspects of our life change very little over
time, are consistent. Other aspects change dramatically. By understanding these changes, we can better
respond and plan ahead effectively
Developmental Stage Characteristics
1. Pre-natal Age when hereditary endowments and sex are fixed and all body
(Conception to birth) features, both external and internal are developed.
2. Infancy Foundation age when basic behavior are organized and many
(Birth to 2 years) ontogenetic maturation skills are developed.
3. Early Childhood Pre-gang age, exploratory, and questioning. Language and Elementary
(2 to 6 years) reasoning are acquired and initial socialization is experienced.
4. Late Childhood Gang and creativity age when self-help skills, social skills, school skills,
(6 to 12 years) and play are developed.
5. Adolescence Transition age from childhood to adulthood when sex maturation and
(puberty to 18 years) rapid physical development occur resulting to changes in ways of
feeling, thinking and acting.
6. Early Adulthood Age of adjustment to new patterns of life and roles such as spouse,
(18 to 40 years) parent and bread winner.
7. Middle Age Transition age when adjustments to initial physical and mental decline
(40 years to retirement) are experienced.
8. Old Age Retirement age when increasingly rapid physical and mental decline
(Retirement to death) are experienced.
HAVIGHURST`S DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS DURING THE LIFE SPAN
Robert J. Havighurst elaborated on the Developmental Tasks Theory in the most systematic and
extensive manner. His main assertion is that development is continuous throughout the entire lifespan,
occurring in stages, where the individual moves from one stage to the next by means of successful resolution
of problems or performance of developmental tasks. These tasks are those that are typically encountered by
most people in the culture where the individual belongs. If the person successfully accomplishes and masters
the developmental task, he feels pride and satisfaction, and consequently earns his community or society’s
approval. This success provides a sound foundation which allows the individual to accomplish tasks to be
encountered at later stages. Conversely, if the individual is not successful at accomplishing a task, he is
unhappy and is not accorded the desired approval by society, resulting in the subsequent experience of
difficulty when faced with succeeding developmental tasks. This theory presents the individual as an active
learner who continually interacts with a similarly active social environment.
Havighurst proposed a bio psychosocial model of development, wherein the developmental tasks at
each stage are influenced by the individual’s biology (physiological maturation and genetic makeup), his
psychology (personal values and goals) and sociology (specific culture to which the individual belongs).
THE DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS SUMMARY TABLE
Infancy and Early Childhood (0-5) Middle Childhood (6-12) Adolescence (13-18)
Learning to walk Learning physical skills necessary for Achieving mature relations with both
Learning to take solid foods ordinary games sexes
Learning to talk Building a wholesome attitude toward Achieving a masculine or feminine social
Learning to control the elimination oneself role
Learning to get along with age-mates Accepting one’s physique
of body wastes Learning an appropriate sex role Achieving emotional independence of
Learning sex differences and Developing fundamental skills in reading, adults
sexual modesty writing, and calculating Preparing for marriage and family life
Acquiring concepts and language Developing concepts necessary for Preparing for an economic career
to describe social and physical everyday living Acquiring values and an ethical system to
reality Developing conscience, morality, and a guide behavior
Readiness for reading scale of values Desiring and achieving socially
Learning to distinguish right from Achieving personal independence responsibility behavior
wrong and developing a conscience Developing acceptable attitudes toward
society

Early Adulthood (19-30) Middle Adulthood (30-60) Later Maturity (61-)

Selecting a mate Helping teenage children to become
Learning to live with a partner happy and responsible adults Adjusting to decreasing strength and
Starting a family Achieving adult social and civic health
Rearing children responsibility Adjusting to retirement and reduced
Satisfactory career achievement income
Managing a home Developing adult leisure time activities Adjusting to death of spouse
Starting an occupation Relating to one’s spouse as a person Establishing relations with one’s own age
Assuming civic responsibility Accepting the physiological changes of group
middle age Meeting social and civic obligations
Adjusting to aging parent