Human Growth and Development

Human growth and development is the study of how people change as they go through life.
Development is similar for everyone, but each person grows and develops at an individual rate.

Areas of Development
Physical development - all the bodily changes that occur as a person grows and ages. Intellectual development - a persons ability to learn something and then apply this knowledge to new problems and experiences. Emotional development - changes in a persons ability to establish a unique identity and express feelings. Social development - learning to interact with other people.

Hierarchy of Human Needs

A psychologist named Abraham Maslow developed a system of basic human needs. Hierarchy of human needs:
Food, shelter, bodily comfort Safety, security To feel loved, have a sense of belonging Self-esteem, approval Desire to live up to ones potential

Erik Erikson

Erik Eriksons Theory of Personality Development

Life is a series of 8 stages from birth to death Must meet challenge or crisis of each stage. Positive outcome / negative outcome How you meet challenge affects personality development.

Stage 1: Trust and Mistrust Birth to One Year

Positive outcome love, affection and stable environment = trust Negative outcome mistreated, abused or neglected = mistrust.

Stage 2: Autonomy and Doubt Ages One to Three

Seek to control self & environment. Positive outcome Freedom to explore = autonomy or self confidence Negative outcome No freedom = feeling of worthlessness.

Stage 3: Initiative and Guilt Ages Three to Five

Child expresses desire to take initiative in activities Positive outcome Master peer relationships and language Negative outcome Child develops feelings of guilt that will affect self-directed activity throughout life

Stage 4: Industry and Inferiority Ages Six to Eleven

Child develops cognitive abilities to enable in task completion (school work, play) Positive outcome Self discipline and development of natural talents. Negative outcome Feeling of inferiority.

Stage 5: Identity and Identity Confusion Ages Twelve to Eighteen

Form ego identity & self-image Positive outcome Build sense of identity/self, who they are, what they want to do, what they believe in. Negative outcome No identity = identity confusion

Stage 6: Intimacy and Isolation Ages Nineteen to Thirty five

Work to build intimacy and mutual caring.
Positive outcome Marriage and children Negative outcome No intimacy = loneliness and isolation.

Stage 7: Generativity and Stagnation Ages Thirty five to Fifty

Active involvement in contributing something lasting to world.
Positive outcome Raise children, activities, community service Negative outcome Unable to contribute = boredom, restlessness, feeling that life is useless.

Stage 8: Integrity and Despair Ages Fifty and Up

Evaluation of entire life
Positive outcome Look back on life with contentment. Negative outcome Good perspective on life. No integrity = despair.

Summary
No one moves through all 8 stages with only successes. Successes need to outnumber the failures. Can become stuck in a stage. Struggle to create a healthy personality is what makes life satisfying.