Physical development The following report describes the different physical, intellectual, emotional and social developments at each life stage. The following explains what could/should happen at each stage of Chelsea O’Mahony’s life equally it could happen to any individual. Conception… Immediately upon conception, cellular development begins. Pregnancy… In the first month of pregnancy head and trunk appear and tiny arm buds begin to form, followed by leg buds. The early embryo seems to have a “ tail”, but this is really a protective covering for the spinal cord because the central nervous system (brain, spine and spinal cord) is so important.
At this point of development the structures that eventually form the face and neck are becoming evident. The heart and blood vessels continue to develop. A home pregnancy test would now appear positive. By the second month the heart is functioning. Eyes, nose, lips, tongue, ears and teeth begin to form. In the third month of pregnancy a baby will develop a recognizable form. Arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet and toes are fully formed. Now the baby will have developed most organs and tissues. The foetus is now around 6cm long.
By the fourth month of pregnancy fingers and toes are well defined and the baby’s gender is identifiable. The heart and blood vessels are now fully formed, so is the baby’s urinary system. At month five eyebrows, eyelids and eyelashes appear. Internal organs are maturing. Soft wooly hair called lanugo covers the baby’s body and hair begins to grow on the head. Nerves in brain start to develop. By the sixth month the baby will begin to part and open their eyes for short periods of time. Also the skin is covered with a protective coating called vernix.
Lungs are now fully developed therefore the baby will now breath air instead of amniotic fluid. At this point baby also becomes more active. Inner ear is now fully formed which means a baby will be able to hear. In the seventh month skin is wrinkled and red, fat layers and taste buds are forming. Overall growth is rapid in month eight. Most organs are now fully developed, excluding the lungs. Brain growth is also huge at this time. Skin is less wrinkled at this point. In the ninth month of pregnancy the skin is pink and smooth and the lungs are now fully matured. pic][pic] [pic][pic] [pic][pic] [pic][pic] [pic][pic] Birth and infancy… (0 – 3 years) A baby’s physical development begins at the neck downwards which means a baby will be able to control their neck and head movements before they are able to control the movement of their arms and legs. During the first month of a baby’s life a baby may grow between 1-1. 5 inches and gain between 4-8 ounces in weight (although it is normal for some babies to loose some weight straight after birth). At 3 months a baby will respond with physical movements and facial reactions (e. g. miling) when spoken to. By 5 months a baby’s weight will have doubled since birth. At around 7-9 months a baby will be able to sit independently and crawl. Between 10-12 months a baby will have control of his legs and feet, can stand and use thumb and forefinger together. By 12-18 months a baby/toddler should be able to walk for short amounts of time and get upstairs. Also they will be able to ‘ draw’. Between 18-24 months a child will be able to run and should become aware of when to use the toilet, at this stage they should begin to be potty trained even if not successful yet.
At 2 ? years old a child should be able to run more smoothly, climb on/off play equipment, self-feed using a spoon and drink from a cup, softly kick a large ball though often not in intended direction and can undress himself but cannot dress himself yet. By 3 years a child should begin trying to walk up and down stairs instead of crawling; he can pedal a toy such as a bike, can throw a ball and attempt to catch one with both hands and is learning to self-feed with a knife and fork. Childhood… (4-9 years)
An infant’s fast rate of growth begins to slow down during childhood in comparison to infancy. At four years old a child should be able to jump on one foot, walk up and down stairs/steps, use scissors under supervision and name/draw simple shapes such as circles and squares. By five years of age an infant should be able to balance on one leg for 10 seconds, hop and may even be able to skip. Also at five years old a child can easily dress and undress. Between 6-11 years of age children typically grow between 2-3 inches a year and gaining 5 pounds a year is normal and appropriate as they grow.
At seven years old a child should be able to brush their teeth and wash with no supervision or help, they may be able to help in the kitchen and begin to learn to cook simple meals/cakes. Flexibility, balance, agility, and force will all improve during mid-childhood as this is when gross motor skills continue to develop. Between seven and eight years many children start to explore weight bearing activities that require the transfer of weight from feet to hands and back to feet such as cartwheels and handstands.
At eight years weight becomes easier to gain than before and larger muscles begin to develop in arms and legs at this age. Physical changes will occur at around 8 years old, the face and body may begin to change especially as their protuberant, rounded belly and chubby cheeks will begin to disappear. Eight year olds will have more control over smaller muscles enabling them to do things such as drawing/colouring with more accuracy and detail. Stamina and strength will also continue to increase making it possible for them to walk, run or swim greater distances for longer periods of time.
Between 9-11 years of childhood infants show improved co-ordination and reaction time. Around this age children engage in active, rough and tumble play (especially boys) however both boys and girls enjoy team games. Adolescence… (10-17 years) At this age puberty begins. Puberty is the beginning of a child’s body turning into an adult’s and describes the time in life when the body matures sexually and the reproductive organs become functional. It’s cause by a release of the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen in the body.
Most girls will begin puberty at 8-14 years of age, with the average age being 11. Also girls develop quicker than boys as most girls reach full sexual maturity within four years of beginning puberty. Boys tend to develop later than girls and the development process usually takes longer. They begin puberty at around 9-14 years of age with the average age being 12. Most boys reach full sexual maturity within six years of starting puberty. | Males… | Females… | Skin gets oilier | Skin get oilier | | Shoulders get wider | Whole body gets curvier | | Facial hair | Hair under the arms | | Pubic hair | Pubic hair | | Penis gets longer and wider | Hip bones widen | | Testes get larger | Weight gain especially on hips | | Neck, chest and leg muscles get bigger and stronger | Leg muscles get bigger and stronger | | Weight gain | Weight gain | | Voice breaking/’Adams apple’ | Periods begin (menstruation) | Adulthood… (18-65 years) In early adulthood a person may continue to add a bit more height or weight to their teenage frame. The body also continues to undergo significant hormonal changes; these changes make mens beards grow thicker and the voice become slightly deeper. Sometime during middle adulthood (35-65) skin begins to lose elasticity especially in the face, this result in lines and wrinkles and is one of the first signs of ageing.
Men usually gain weight around the abdominal region whilst women gain weight in the hips and the thighs. Strength and flexibility in both genders decreases. Women experience hormonal changes during this period that result in the loss of ability to reproduce, this process is called the menopause. In the UK the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is between 47 and 53. Signs of the menopause are hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbance and urinary problems such as urgently needing the toilet or needing the toilet more often. Some adults, both male and female, may now experience thinning of the hair also hair could turn grey. Older adulthood… (65+) In older adulthood we may begin to notice changes such as; Skin continues to become thinner and lose elasticity so wrinkles appear more defined – Bones become more brittle and are more likely to break, especially in women – Joints become stiffer and may become painful as the cartilage on the bone-ends becomes worn away and the ligaments that reinforce our joints become more loose – Height is reduced as the vertebrae in the spine get close together – Muscles become weaker – Eyesight and hearing begins to deteriorate (if it hasn’t already began to) – Sense of balance becomes impaired – the heart, breathing and circulation becomes weaker, this could result in a person not being as active as they were Final stages… (Varies) The final stages of someone’s life could be in the life stage ‘ older adulthood’ therefore the physical changes wouldn’t change. Equally your physical development in this stage would depend on the time of your life in which you pass away e. g. if you die suddenly/unexpectedly.
However the final stages of someone’s life could also be different by having a disease such as coronary heart disease. If you have CHD you may develop problems such as angina, heart attacks during which you may feel several symptoms such as sweating, light-headedness, nausea and breathlessness. Heart failure can occur in people with CHD. It can also occur suddenly otherwise known as acute heart failure. This is when the heart becomes too weak to pump blood around the body, which can cause fluid to build up in the lungs, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. Another factor which could affect life expectancy and physical development is dwarfism.
Dwarves can expect to; – have delayed development of some motor skills such as sitting unaided and walking – a greater susceptibility to ear infections and hearing loss – breathing problems due to having a smaller chest – weight problems – curvature of the spine – bowed legs – trouble with joint flexibility and early arthritis – lower back pain – leg numbness – crowding of teeth in jaw Finally with some forms of dwarfism life expectancy can be shorter but with other forms dwarves can live for just as long as a healthy normal sized person. Intellectual Development The sensorimotor stage is the first stage of intellectual development (according to Piaget’s theory) which begins at birth and continues until 2 years of age.
This stage can be split into 6 sub-stages. During this stage and infants knowledge of the world is limited to their sensory perceptions (vision, hearing, taste, touch and smell) and motor activities (e. g. sitting alone, standing holding onto things and walking). Children use skills like this to learn about their environment. According to Piaget the development of object permanence (child’s understanding that objects continue to exist even though they cannot be seen/heard) is one of the most important things to overcome at this stage. The six separate sub-stages (which I previously mentioned) are characterized by the development of a new skill. Reflexes (0-1 month)
During this sub-stage the child understands the environment through reflexes they are born with Primary circular reactions (1-4 months) This sub-stage involves coordinating sensation and new schemas. ( A schema is a cognitive concept that helps organize and interpret information, schemas can be useful as they allow us to take shortcuts in interpreting vast amounts of information. ) For example, a child may suck their thumb or twist their hair around their finger by accident and then later intentionally repeat the action. These actions are repeated because the infant finds them pleasurable. Other intellectual development at this time includes that an infant will be startled by loud noises and begins to recognise their main carer’s voice.
Secondary circular reactions (4-8 months) Now the child becomes more focussed on the world and begins to intentionally repeat an action in order to trigger a response in the environment. For example, a child will purposely pick up a toy in order to put it in his or her mouth. Coordination of reactions (8-12 months) During this sub-stage the child starts to show clearly intentional actions. This child may also combine schemas in order to achieve a desired effect. Children now begin exploring the environment around them and will often imitate the observed behaviour of others such as if an adult is cleaning the table a child may attempt to mirror their actions.
The understanding of objects now begins as during this time children begin to recognize certain objects as having specific qualities e. g. they may notice that a rattle makes a noise when shaken. Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months) Children now begin a period of trial and error experimentation, the will find new ways of doing things and trying out different sounds/actions mainly to get attention from their main caregiver. Early representational thought (18-24 months) At this final stage of infancy children begin to use symbols to represent objects and they will begin to understand things through thinking about their actions rather than just doing them.
The pre-operational stage means pre-logical; during this stage Piaget believed that children could not think in a logical way. Children can use words to communicate but they do not understand the logical implications involved in language. Piaget explained that pre-operational children cannot properly understand how ideas like number, mass and volume really work. During the pre-operational stage children become very skilled at using symbols in playing and pretending for example, a child is able to use an object to represent something else, such as pretending a broom is a horse. – Children can begin to do role playing and play parts such as ‘ mummy and daddy’ or ‘ doctors’. – Language skills and vocabulary are quickly developed in this stage. Can think/talk about an object without it being present – Intuitive thought occurs now this is when a child is able to believe in something without knowing why he/she believes it – At this stage their thoughts and communications are typically egocentric (about themselves) Experiment to prove that children do not properly understand ideas such as mass; We know this as in one conservation experiment, equal amounts of liquid are poured into two identical containers. The liquid from one container is then poured into a different shaped cup, such as a tall and thin cup, or a short and wide cup. Children are then asked which cup holds the most liquid. Despite already seeing that the liquid amounts were equal, children almost always choose the cup that appears fuller. [pic] [pic]
After seeing this experiment the majority of children would still chose cup ‘ A’ as having the most water in. The concrete operational stage begins at around seven years and continues until approximately age eleven. During this time, children gain a better understanding of mental operations and begin thinking logically about concrete events, however have difficulty understanding abstract reasoning or hypothetical concepts. Therefore we know that the child is now mature enough to use logical thought or operations (i. e. rules) but can only apply logic to physical objects. Also at this age egocentric thinking is lost and the child has the ability to master most conversation types.
Logic: Piaget determined that children in the concrete operational stage were fairly good at the use of inductive logic. Inductive logic involves going from a specific experience to a general principle. On the other hand, children at this age have difficulty using deductive logic, which involves using a general principle to determine the outcome of a specific event. One of the most important developments in this stage is an understanding of reversibility, or awareness that actions can be reversed. An example of this is being able to reverse the order of relationships between mental categories. For example, a child might be able to recognize that his or her dog is a Labrador, that a Labrador is a dog, and that a dog is an animal.
Therefore she will find it easy to ‘ group objects’. The formal operational stage The formal operational stage begins at approximately age twelve to and lasts into adulthood. During this time, people develop the ability to think about abstract concepts. Skills such as logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning also emerge during this stage. Piaget believed that deductive logic becomes important during the formal operational stage. Deductive logic requires the ability to use a general principle to determine a specific outcome. This type of thinking involves hypothetical situations and is often required in science and mathematics.
While children tend to think very concretely and specifically in earlier stages, the ability to think about abstract concepts emerges during the formal operational stage. Instead of relying solely on previous experiences, children begin to consider possible outcomes and consequences of actions. This type of thinking is important in long-term planning. In earlier stages, children used trial-and-error to solve problems. During the formal operational stage, the ability to systematically solve a problem in a logical and methodical way emerges. Children at the formal operational stage of cognitive development are often able to quickly plan an organized approach to solving a problem.
An example of the distinction between concrete and formal operational stages is the answer to the question “ If Kelly is taller than Ali and Ali is taller than Jo, who is tallest? ” This is an example of inferential reasoning, which is the ability to think about things which the child has not actually experienced and to draw conclusions from its thinking. The child who needs to draw a picture or use objects is still in the concrete operational stage, whereas children who can reason the answer in their heads are using formal operational thinking. Piaget devised several tests of formal operational thought. One of the simplest was the ‘ third eye problem’.
Children were asked where they would put an extra eye, if they were able to have a third one, and why. Schaffer (1988) reported that when asked this question, 9-year-olds all suggested that the third eye should be on the forehead. However, 11-year-olds were more inventive, for example suggesting that a third eye placed on the hand would be useful for seeing round corners. Emotional development Infancy… 0-3 years It has been suggested that the attachment made within this stage of life could be crucial and may affect the rest of your life. A psychologist named Bowlby has argued that infants have an innate instinct to form an attachment with their main caregiver.
The quality of this attachment may affect emotional development for the remainder of the child’s life for example if a child has considerable time away from their main care giver in the critical period (first two and a half years) of their life this could have serious consequences on their mental health and ability to form attachments in the future. Ainsworth et el and Marris argue that the quality of our early attachments will influence how we feel about ourselves and others. Infants that have a secure attachment (which is when all of a child’s needs are put before the mothers and a child is given plenty of love and care) will grow up with the emotional resources needed to cope with uncertainty in life, will be able to easily form meaningful relationships and will be empathetic. Insecure-ambivalent children will grow up to become anxious and will continue to be insecure.
Finally insecure-avoidant children will grow up to avoid close relationships and could be intolerant and impatient. Childhood… 4-9 years At this stage if the correct attachment has been formed between a child and their main care giver they will still be emotionally attached and dependant on the adult to care for them. Relationships with other family members may influence how a child feels valued and will give them a sense of self-worth. The way that a child gets on with teachers and class members may impact on their self-confidence. The child will now begin to display signs of concerns and sympathy, also they will start to become jealous of other children.
This stage is important as a child might develop a permanent sense of confidence or alternatively inferiority. Adolescence… 10-18 years During adolescence a sense of self continues to develop. Development of a sense of identity should begin to be formed in this stage. Building on all prior developmental stages, the child should learn to see their abilities realistically and develop their talents and interests in preparation for adult life. When prior stages have been stunted identity remains confused and full maturity cannot be achieved. This could be a stressful time as self-esteem may depend on the development of identity. Adulthood … 19-65 years
Self-concept continues to develop, with a person’s family, work and achievements forming important features of this. Adults become less self-conscious than adolescents and gain confidence with experience. Concern with body image is usually less than in adolescence, especially in adults who are in long-term, stable relationships. Adults are usually more emotionally stable than previously and are more able to control feelings. Older adulthood… 65+ years Retirement can result in a person feeling less valued than before and wondering what purpose their life can serve. For some people, the job they do is an important part of their self-concept, so retirement will be a loss. This might also bring reduced self-esteem.
During this stage, the decline in abilities can result in a loss of confidence, especially if people have difficulty in caring for themselves. For some people in this life stage, there is continued companionship in a long-term partnership and continued enjoyment of a sexual relationship. However, the death of a partner is also very likely during this stage, and this bereavement can be very upsetting. After the end of a long-term relationship the person might not be able to form another partnership and so might become isolated and lonely. Social development Infancy… 0-3 years Infants have an inbuilt tendency to interact with carers. By 2 months they may start to smile at familiar human faces. By 3 months a child should be able to respond when adults talk to them.
At 5 months infants can clearly distinguish familiar and unfamiliar people. This is when infants form their first relationships as they form emotional attachments to carers. Childhood… 4-9 years Four years old; Moods change rapidly and unpredictably for example a child may be laughing one minute, crying the next. They may throw tantrums over minor frustrations like a block structure that will not balance. A child will now sulk over being left out. Boasts, exaggerates, and “ bends” the truth with made-up stories or claims of boldness. Enjoys role-playing and make-believe activities and willingly cooperates with others and participates in group activities.
A child of this age may often appear selfish and not always able to take turns or to understand taking turns under some conditions as they will tattle on other children. Will show pride in accomplishments showing this by seeking frequent adult approval and praise Five year olds; Enjoys participating in group play and shared activities with other children and can suggest imaginative and elaborate ‘ make-believe’ play ideas. Are generally subservient to parent/caregiver requests. Should now have better self-control over swings of emotions. Six year olds; By this age the friendship with parent is less dependent but still needs closeness, nurturing and being provided with food/warmth etc.
Often can’t view the world from another’s point of view and also does not understand ethical behaviour or moral standards especially when doing things that have not been given rules yet. By 7 years children are aware of the sexual differences and the majority prefer to play with children of the same sex and girls usually prefer to play with toys aimed at them e. g. princess costumes and pink fluffy toys, whereas equally boys will prefer to play with ‘ boys toys’. This strong awareness of gender will continue until adolescence. Adolescence… 10-18 years The need to develop independence from their parents now becomes apparent. Parents’ opinions begin to become less important to them than the opinions of other adolescents. It becomes increasingly important for them to fit in with their peer group and gain their approval.
It may become important to wear the right clothes or listen to the right kind of music to fit in with a group. In early adolescence teenagers tend to do things together in groups, it is generally in group situations that experimental behaviour takes place such as experimenting with alcohol or drugs. With increasing sexual maturity in this age, adolescents begin to look for a partner; therefore they may start to experiment with sexual relationships. Adulthood… 19-65 years New types of relationships begin to form as now a person may have a serious partner or get married; this comes in hand with making decisions, accepting responsibility & sharing.
Relationships with parents begin to change as young adults start to relate to their parents more as equals than superiors so parents should realise that their offspring now take responsibility for themselves. Starting a job involves developing working relationships. Formal relationships like those at work where certain rules must be followed and informal relationships such as friends – casual or social relationships. Social lives outside of family and work may become non-existent or may diminish as this is the time when many adults have children and their child becomes their main priority. Older adulthood… 65+ years This is a time of great social change for most people. Right now the official age of retirement is 65.
As lifespan increases and people are becoming increasingly active in later life, they will spend a larger part of their lives in retirement, unless the retirement age is increased. Some older people miss regular contact with work mates, whilst others enjoy having more time to spend on their personal hobbies & interests. The children of older adults will probably be adults, living their own lives, sometimes far away. This may leave the parent/older person feeling isolated & unneeded. Equally they may have the pleasures of grandchildren, without being responsible for them which makes ‘ losing’ their children easier to cope with. They may suffer bereavement of close friends, partners, and relatives leaving them having to adapt to a smaller social circle and learning to cope with death.
