Human Development Across the Lifespan

Running head: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
Human development across the lifespan
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1HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
Introduction:
Physical development is the development of gross and fine motor skills starting from
infancy to late adolescent period. During a single life span, human being goes through various
developmental phases such as infancy and toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood,
adolescence, adulthood and late adulthood. Each development phases, physical development of
an individual may proceed in a different manner (Santrock, 2014). Adolescence is one of the
periods of development that initiates at puberty and ends with the emergence of adulthood. The
age range of adolescent includes 12-18 years and people in this age group achieve many
significant physical milestones while maturing through this phase (Noller & Callan, 2015). The
main purpose of this report is to research on the developmental phase of adolescence and review
physical development occurring at this stage.
Physical development between 12 to 18 years:
Adolescence (12-18 years) is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood
that is associated with physical, emotional and intellectual growth of an individual at a rapid
pace. Physical changes become most prominent at this stage because of the initiation of puberty.
Puberty marks the beginning of sexual maturity among adolescence (Herting et al., 2017).
However, the initiation of puberty and the speed of sexual maturity may vary for different
individual. This is also understood from the review of Freud’s theory of psychosocial
development as he states that children’s pleasure seeking urges are dependent on different areas
of the body. As per Freud’s five stages of development, children under 12 years comes under
genital stage as in this stage sexual urge emerge and it marks the period of transition to
adulthood too (Freud, 2018).

2HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
Puberty plays a major role in the physical development of adolescence as physiological
changes associated with puberty is one of the major reason for rapid physical growth and
psychological changes in a person. The onset of puberty is 10-11 years for females and 11-12
years for males. However, the difference between reproductive maturity of females and male is
that females attain reproductive maturity four-five years before males. Hormonal changes at
puberty are the reason for development of primary and secondary sex characteristics (Simmons
2017). This is marked by physiological changes in weight, body, appearance, height and other
important systems of human body. Such changes occur due to the release of growth hormones,
thyroid hormones and androgens. The maturation of adrenal gland and sex glands and the
regulation of the pituitary gland play a role in triggering behavioural and physical changes in
adulthood. Growth physical changes occurs at differences time, however physical development
and growth during adulthood follows a specific sequence (Forbes & Dahl, 2010).
Several changes in the structure of brain also define certain behaviours specifically found
during the age of 12-18 years. Risk taking behaviour and heightened emotions is highly found in
adolescents and this is explained by changes in the frontal lobe of brain which is involved in
judgement and control function (Arain et al., 2013). Tymula et al. (2012) argues that adolescents
are more like to engage in risky and impulsive behaviour compared to adults. The reasons for
this is understood from a brain development and behaviour study which explains two processes
of brain maturation that predispose adolescent children to engage in risk taking activity. Romer
(2010) explained that frontostriatal reward circuits mature early during adolescence and this is
the reason for adolescent to venture into risk taking behaviour such as driving and binge
drinking. Another source of risk taking is the presence of pre-existing impulsivity that starts from
early childhood and continues till adolescence period. Hence, to control such behaviour in a