Human Development across Lifespan

This reflective journal discusses and analyses the learning procedure of human development across lifespan. It covers various stages of development, theories, biological basis, and growth in different stages of life. The author reflects on how this knowledge can be applied in personal and professional life.

Running head: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ACROSS LIFESPAN
Human Development across Lifespan
Name of the university
Name of the student
Author note

1HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ACROSS LIFESPAN
Introduction
This assessment, a reflective journal, will discuss and analyse the learning procedure
starting from week 1 to 10 and further report the outcome of the study. The central idea of the
subject revolves around human development since the beginning of a child’s ability to learn
new things.
Reporting
On the first week, the teachers segregated the students into two groups to brainstorm
questions on basic ideas, various stages and components of human development. The stages
of life span has been explained with the gain stability loss model. The socio cultural
perspective has been explained with different examples from various continents and we were
taught the impacts of cultural differences. In addition, the teachers taught us the influences of
nature and nurture process in human development precisely with modern people’s
perspective of development through lifespan.
The second week was dedicated for learning development theories and understand the
issue which raise while development. Among them, theory of Freud and Erikson have been
considered. A reading of Svetina, (2014) can help to perceive better idea about the
philosophical theory of Erikson regarding the subject. It mainly deals with cognitive
development and various psychological stages of learning resistance were taught to us.
Third week dealt with development on biological basis, which means the process of
pregnancy and birth of child. The class was based on a group activity of researching on
various topics related to genetic coding and environmental influence on genetic improvement.

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In week 4, during infancy children’s physical, cognitive and psychosocial growth
have been discussed in detail, whereas week 5 gave us the idea about the nature of these three
development in early childhood.
On the beginning of the 6th week, we came to know various principles of growth in
middle childhood. Brain and perpetual developments are important stages of this stage.
Week 7 was all about learning the development of human brain and transformation
which human body experiences during the adolescent age. The week 8th, 9th and 10th discusses
the development process of early, middle and late adulthood respectively.
Responding
I have learnt how human beings go through such a process throughout their lifespan.
The first week was an introductory session in between students and teachers to have an
understanding on student’s perception regarding human development. With the help of gain
stability model I have understood that it is true that aging is losing physical capability yet
gaining more knowledge and experience depends on old age. In addition, I have understood
the entire development process and stages that I have to explore in future.
Second week was critical enough, as I have gained valid information regarding
various theories given by philosophers like Freud and Erikson. I have learnt, birth, gene
combination, complexities to gene development and every biological aspects of forming a
human life in third week. Teachers presented all the materials through digital mode and
explained orally with further clarifications. In the fourth, fifth and sixth week, I have
understood the stages and various categories of development in infancy, early childhood and
mid childhood respectively. Seventh week was interesting, as I have learnt the stages of
gradual transformation of human body and its reasons. Eighth and ninth week curriculum was
immensely helpful in terms of gaining knowledge how development process undergoes

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through adolescent, early and late adulthood period. People get irritated while such changes
happening in their body and mind. A reading of Yeager, Trzesniewski & Dweck, (2013) will
be supportive enough address those issues. The entire learning procedure was highly
interactive and teachers help us to understand and clarify queries regarding the doubts with
the lessons spending a different schedule for that.
Relating
I have realized gradually that the understanding of development theory is not only
important for my education curriculum but also helpful for making myself a better person.
 According to Karmiloff-Smith (2018), I will be able to solve various small issues
within myself that would assist me to achieve a better personality. It has given me
additional insight into how I can develop myself into a better person and future
decisions have become easier to take.
 Prediction does not work all the time but there is nothing wrong to say, better
understanding of the development process will help to raise my children in a better
way. Having a detail knowledge of the human development according to the age and
social scale, I will be able to interact more appropriately with people and understand
the psychology of them.
 Occasionally, as per the study of Maratos (2017), children have a difficult time while
expressing their views and feelings. A good knowledge of development theory will
help me to solve these kind of problems and it will be crucial in terms of detecting
abnormality in human physique and character as well.
Reasoning
In order to answer why I should engage myself in this study, I can say it will be
immensely helpful for assisting individuals, families or ethnic groups to understand specific

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health or psychological problems while growing up across the lifespan irrespective of
contexts and dynamic atmosphere. Understanding of various theories will be helpful for me if
I engage myself in practicing as a teacher, social worker or counsellor. After learning the
physical and psychosocial development process, it would be reasonable enough if I can
improve my skills towards leadership and administrative career (Moss, Gibson & Dollarhide,
2014). In addition, I can become school psychologist as well. Teaching and education sector
is the most promising area to explore, as the role of psychology is evident in a teaching and
learning scenario. In addition, as described in Lent and Brown (2013), business sector needs
individuals with strong personality and power of analysis. Therefore, in depth perceptions of
Psychology will help to be a corporate trainer, public relation executives and HR
professionals. Research field has various scopes after learning such development theories in
bachelor level. Options of becoming survey researchers, psychologist or sociologist or
teaching as a college professor will justify the requirements of studying the subject.
Conclusion
Therefore, it has been understood after learning the development theories throughout
the lifespan is going to open up so many job and career opportunities. In addition to that, it is
helpful to address the childhood issues. I can improve myself into a better person and
acknowledge the abnormalities if anything occurs.

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References
Karmiloff-Smith, A. (2018). Development itself is the key to understanding developmental
disorders. In Thinking Developmentally from Constructivism to
Neuroconstructivism(pp. 97-117). Routledge.
Lent, R. W., & Brown, S. D. (2013). Social cognitive model of career self-management:
Toward a unifying view of adaptive career behavior across the life span. Journal of
counseling psychology, 60(4), 557.
Maratos, O. (2017). Trends in the development of imitation in early infancy. In Regressions
in mental development (pp. 81-102). Routledge.
Moss, J. M., Gibson, D. M., & Dollarhide, C. T. (2014). Professional identity development: A
grounded theory of transformational tasks of counselors. Journal of Counseling &
Development, 92(1), 3-12.
Svetina, M. (2014). Resilience in the context of Erikson’s theory of human
development. Current Psychology, 33(3), 393-404.
Yeager, D. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2013). An implicit theories of
personality intervention reduces adolescent aggression in response to victimization
and exclusion. Child development, 84(3), 970-988.