The Developmental Tasks and Stages

Objectives:

 Identify the tasks that corresponds to the developmental stagesof every students


Abstract

You aren't the same as you were when you were a baby. Everyone grows and
changes, but how do people develop? Watch this lesson to find out about Havighurst's
developmental task model, including the six stages of life.

Although many theorists are responsible for contributing to the Developmental Tasks
Theory, it was Robert Havighurst who elaborated on this theory in the most systematic
and extensive manner.

The main assertion of Robert Havighurst’s theory is that development is continuous

throughout an individual’s entire lifespan, occurring in stages. An individual move from
one stage to the next by means of successful resolution of problems or performance of
certain developmental tasks. These tasks are typically encountered by most people in
the culture where the individual belongs.

Think about when you were a baby: you crawled around, you goo-goo-ed and ga-ga-ed, and
you cried whenever you wanted food. I'm betting that things are different now. You probably
walk more than you crawl, and you communicate with words instead of 'goo-goo' and 'ga-ga,'
and when you're hungry you probably go to the refrigerator and get food instead of sitting and
crying until someone feeds you.
Development is the process of growth and change that people go through in life. Robert J.
Havighurst was a psychologist in the 20th century who developed a theory on how people
develop through life. Let's look closer at Havighurst's theory of development: the stages of
life and the sources of developmental tasks.
Developmental Stages

According to Havighurst’s theory, when people successfully accomplish the

developmental tasks at a stage, they feel pride and satisfaction. They also earn the
approval of their community or society. This success provides a sound foundation that
allows these people to accomplish the developmental tasks that they will encounter at
later Havighurst developmental stages.

The eight (8) developmental stages cited by Santrock are the same with
Havighurst’s six (6) developmental stages only that Havighusrt did not include
prenatal period.

The developmental stages & tasks (Havighurst, 1950)

1. Infancy (from birth to 18-24 months)

2. Middle and late childhood (6 – 11 years of age, the elementary school years)
3. Adolescence (10 – 12 years of age ending up to 18 – 22 years of age)
4. Early adulthood (from teens or early 20s lasting through the 30s)
5. Middle adulthood (40 – 60 years of age)
6. Late maturity (60s and Above)

The developmental stages & tasks (Santrock, 2002)

1. Prenatal period (from conception to birth)

2. Infancy (from birth to 18-24 months)
3. Early childhood (end of infancy to 5 – 6 years (first grade).
4. Middle and late childhood (6 – 11 years of age, the elementary school years)
5. Adolescence (10 – 12 years of age ending up to 18 – 22 years of age)
6. Early adulthood (from teens or early 20s lasting through the 30s)
7. Middle adulthood (40 – 60 years of age)
8. Late adulthood (60s and Above)
John Santrock and Robert Havighurst’s stages of development and
developmental tasks

Prenatal Stage

While you might think of child development as something that begins during infancy, the
prenatal period is also considered an important part of the developmental process. Prenatal
development is a time of remarkable change that helps set the stage for future psychological
development. The brain develops over the course of the prenatal period, but it will continue to
go through more changes during the early years of childhood. The first two weeks after
conception are known as the germinal stage, the third through the eighth week is known as the
embryonic period, and the time from the ninth week until birth is known as the fetal period.

Germinal Stage Embryonic Stage Fetal Stage

 The germinal stage  At this point, the mass of
begins at conception
when the sperm and egg
cell unite in one of the
two fallopian tubes. The
fertilized egg, known as
a zygote, then moves
toward the uterus, a
journey that can take up
to a week to complete.
Cell division begins
approximately 24 to 36
hours after conception.
 The embryo begins to
 Once cell differentiation is
cells is now known as an
embryo. The beginning
of the third week after
conception marks the
start of the embryonic
period, a time when the
mass of cells becomes
distinct as a human. The
embryonic stage plays
an important role in the  The early body systems
development of the
brain.
divide into three layers
each of which will
become an important
body system.
Approximately four
weeks after conception,
the neural tube forms.
This tube will later
develop into the central
nervous system
including the spinal cord
and brain.
mostly complete, the
embryo enters the next
stage and becomes known
as a fetus. The fetal period
of prenatal develop marks
more important changes in
the brain. This period of
development begins during
the ninth week and lasts
until birth.
and structures established
in the embryonic stage
continue to develop. It is at
this point in prenatal
development that the
neural tube develops into
the brain and spinal cord
and neurons continue to
form. Once these neurons
have formed, they begin to
migrate to their correct
locations. Synapses, or the
connections between
neurons, also begin to
develop.
Infancy and Early Childhood (0 – 5 years old)

In utero, the brain develops rapidly, and an infant is born with essentially all of the nerve
cells it will ever have; brain development is particularly rapid during the third trimester.
However, after birth, neural connections must form in order for the newborn ultimately to
walk, talk, and remember. Mark Rosenweig and David Krech conducted an experiment
to demonstrate the importance of enriched environments during development. They
compared rats raised alone to those that were allowed to use a playground in the
company of other rats. Those in the impoverished (solitary) environment developed a
thinner cortex with fewer glial cells, cells that support and nourish the brain's neurons.
Other studies have demonstrated that stimulation provided by touch or massage
benefits both premature babies and infant rats, a fact that argues for providing an
enriched environment for a developing organism.

Santrock
 Birth to 18-24 months
 Time of extreme dependence on
adults
 Many psychological activities are
just beginning (language, symbolic
thought, sensory - motor
coordination & social learning)
 End of infancy to 5-6 years old
(preschool years-grade 1)
 Young children learn to become
more self- sufficient and care for
themselves, develop school
readiness skills and spend many
hours in play with peers.
Havighurst
 Learning to walk.
 Learning to take solid foods
 Learning to talk
 Learning to control the elimination
of body wastes
 Learning sex differences and
sexual modesty
 Forming concepts and learning
language to describe social and
physical reality.
 Getting ready to read
Middle and late Childhood (6 - 11 years old)

Middle childhood brings many changes in a child’s life. By this time, children can
dress themselves, catch a ball more easily using only their hands, and tie their shoes.
Having independence from family becomes more important now. Events such as
starting school bring children this age into regular contact with the larger world.
Friendships become more and more important. Physical, social, and mental skills
develop quickly at this time. This is a critical time for children to develop confidence in
all areas of life, such as through friends, schoolwork, and sports.

PSYCHOSOCIAL INFERIORITY VS. INDUSTRY

 Erik Erikson divided human
development into eight stages,
each marked by a central crisis
that must be resolved for healthy
development to continue. The
crisis of middle childhood is
industry versus inferiority. School
is the center of the child’s world,
and he/ she feels a strong a need
to prove that he can accomplish
tasks on his/ her own. Navigating
expectations, successfully
completing projects and working
through conflicts with friends are
ways in which the child develops
self—confidence.
 At the school-going stage, the
child's world extends beyond the
home to the school. The emphasis
is on academic performance.
There is a movement from play to
work. - The child soon learns that
he can win recognition from
parents, teachers and peers by
being proficient in his school work.
The attitudes and opinions of
others become important. - If
children are praised for doing their
best and encouraged to finish
tasks then work enjoyment and
industry may result. Children's
efforts to master school work help
them to grow and form a positive
self—concept.
 Santrock
 6-11 years old (elementary school
years)
 Fundamental skills of reading,
writing, and arithmetic are
mastered
 Child is formally exposed to larger
world and its culture
 Achievement becomes a more
central theme of the child’s world
and self-control
increasesreadiness skills and
spend many hours in play with
peers.
Havighurst
 Learning physical skills necessary
for ordinary games.
 Building wholesome attitudes
toward oneself as a growing
organism
 Learning to get along with age-
mates
 Learning an appropriate masculine
or feminine social role
 Developing fundamental skills in
reading, writing, and calculating
 Developing concepts necessary for
everyday living.
 Developing conscience, morality,
and a scale of values
 Achieving personal independence
 Developing attitudes toward social
groups and institutions
Adolescence (10 – 12 years of age ending up to 18 – 22 years of age)

As a young person enters adolescence, their parents are still largely responsible
for all aspects of their health. By the end of adolescence, health issues will be almost
entirely the responsibility of the young person. The challenge is to maintain an effective
clinical relationship while the health responsibilities transfer from the parents to the
young person.

Specialized clinical communication skills are needed to take an accurate history,

bearing in mind new life domains not applicable to children (sex and drugs) and adding
communication and engagement of the family to the standard adult consultation.
Physical examinations of adolescents require consideration of privacy and personal
integrity as well as requiring additional skills such as pubertal assessment. For effective
treatment of illness in adolescence, doctors need to know about adolescent
development if they are to manage adeptly issues of adherence (compliance), identity,
consent and confidentiality, and relationships between young people and their families.
Evidence from randomized controlled trials clearly shows that such skills can be
developed and practiced effectively in primary care.

Santrock
 10-12 years old to 18-22 years old
 Begins with rapid physical changes
(dramatic gains in height in weight,
changes in body contour, and
development of sexual
characteristics such as
enlargement of breasts,
development of pubic and facial
hair, deepening of voice)
 Pursuit of independence & identity
are prominent
 Thought is more logical, abstract &
idealistic
 More time is spent outside family
Havighurst
 Achieving new and more mature
relations with age-mates of both
sexes
 Achieving a masculine or feminine
social role
 Accepting one's physique and
using the body effectively
 Achieving emotional independence
of parents and other adults
preparing for marriage and family
life Preparing for an economic
career
 Acquiring a set of values and an
ethical system as a guide to
behavior; developing an ideology
 Desiring and achieving socially
responsible behavior
Early adulthood (from teens or early 20s lasting through the 30s)

By the time we reach early adulthood, our physical maturation is complete,

although our height and weight may increase slightly. In early adulthood, our physical
abilities are at their peak, including muscle strength, reaction time, sensory abilities, and
cardiac functioning. Most professional athletes are at the top of their game during this
stage, and many women have children in the early-adulthood years.

The aging process, although not overt, begins during early adulthood. Around the age of 30,
many changes begin to occur in different parts of the body. For example, the lens of the eye
starts to stiffen and thicken, resulting in changes in vision (usually affecting the ability to focus
on close objects). Sensitivity to sound decreases; this happens twice as quickly for men as for
women. Hair can start to thin and become gray around the age of 35, although this may happen
earlier for some individuals and later for others. The skin becomes drier and wrinkles start to
appear by the end of early adulthood. The immune system becomes less adept at fighting off
illness, and reproductive capacity starts to decline.

Santrock Havighurst
 Late teens or early 20s to 30s  Selecting a mate
 Time of establishing personal &  Achieving a masculine or feminine
economic independence, career social role
development, selecting a mate,  Learning to live with a marriage
learning to live with someone in an partner
intimate way, starting a family &  Starting a family
rearing child  Rearing children
 Managing a home
 Getting started in an occupation
 Taking on civic responsibility
 Finding a congenial social group
Middle adulthood (40 – 60 years of age)

During middle adulthood, the aging process becomes more apparent. Around the
age of 60, the eyes lose their ability to adjust to objects at varying distances, known as
presbyopia. Most people between the ages of 40 and 60 will need some form of
corrective lenses for vision deficits. Middle-aged adults are also at higher risk than
younger adults for certain eye problems, such as glaucoma. Hearing also further
declines: 14 percent of middle-aged Americans have hearing problems. Skin continues
to dry out and is prone to more wrinkling, particularly on the sensitive face area. Age
spots and blood vessels become more apparent as the skin continues to dry and get
thinner. The muscle-to-fat ratio for both men and women also change throughout middle
adulthood, with an accumulation of fat in the stomach area.

Santrock
• 40 to 60 years old
• Time of expanding personal &
social involvement & responsibility
• Assisting next generation in
becoming competent & mature
individuals, reaching & maintaining
satisfaction in a career
Havighurst
 Achieving adult civic and social
responsibility
 Establishing and maintaining an
economic standard of living
 Assisting teenage children to
become responsible and happy
adults
 Developing adult leisure-time
activities
 Relating oneself to one’s spouse
as a person
 Accepting and adjusting to the
physiologic changes or middle age
 Adjusting to aging parents.
Late adulthood and late maturity (60s and Above)

Late adulthood (old age) is generally considered to begin at about age 65. Erik Erikson
suggests that at this time it is important to find meaning and satisfaction in life rather than to
become bitter and disillusioned, that is, to resolve the conflict of integrity vs. despair. It has been
estimated that by the year 2030, Americans over 65 will make up 20% of the population.
Despite the problems associated with longevity, studies of people in their 70s have shown that
growing old is not necessarily synonymous with substantial mental or physical deterioration.
Many older people are happy and engaged in a variety of activities. Gerontology, an
interdisciplinary field that studies the process of aging and the aging population, involves

Santrock
• 60s and above
• Time for adjustment to decreasing
strength and health, life review,
retirement and adjustment to new
social roles
Havighurst
• Adjusting to decreasing physical
strength and health
• Adjusting to retirement and
reduced income
• Adjusting to death of a spouse
• Establishing an explicit affiliation
with one’s age group
• Meeting social and civil obligations
• Establishing satisfactory physical
living arrangement.

psychology, biology, sociology, and other fields.

Analysis

In studying the topic about Developmental tasks and stages, our group provide
an analysis about the subject matter that will show the knowledge that we acquired
throughout our study and report.

The Stages of Development and Developmental tasks helped our group provide reliable and
accurate analysis about the certain topic while studying it that will show the learnings that
our group obtained throughout our brainstorming and presentation.

 Other than infancy, no stage in human development results in such rapid or dramatic
change than adolescence. During adolescence, a child matures into an adult
physically. Within a matter of four to five years, the average child grows nearly a foot
taller, assuming adult size, shape, and reproductive status.
 Within a matter of four to five years, the average child grows nearly a foot taller,
assuming adult size, shape, and reproductive status.
 The study of adolescence in general, and puberty in particular, is challenging as a
result of their complexity. A multitude of factors interact, affecting the timing and
trajectory of development in the second decade of life.
 Every Developmental stage has corresponding Tasks.
 Growth and Development occurs in six stages
 According to Havighurst’s theory, when people successfully accomplish the
developmental tasks at a stage, they feel pride and satisfaction.
 Each developmental stage has on its own corresponding accomplishments.
 At this Developmental Stages according to Robert Havighust, a developmental task
is a task which arises at or about a certain period in the life of the individual.
 Different shapes the Early Adulthood, Middle Adulthood, and Later Maturity, every
stages and make it more useful
Reflection

 Learning the Stages of Development helped to cherish more what I have now
rather than focus on the things that I do not have because life is too short to
worry things that will not help us to develop.
 The Developmental Tasks made our group acquired more knowledge on what
are the skills that will develop on every stage of our lives.
 It is also based on our topic that people will never be the same at some point in
their lives because we all have our choice on deciding what we want for our lives
to be.
 Humans will go on the same phase of growing and getting old but what is within
them and what they do while they still have a chance is what matter the most.
 When people fail to accomplish a developmental task, they’re often unhappy and
are not accorded the desired approval by society.
 These developmental tasks may be observed in different forms in varying
societies or, alternatively, may be observed is some cultures but not in others.
 As middle age lurked its unwanted presence I began to recognize how true and
applicable the saying “life is too short” applied to almost everything the average
middle-aged person set to accomplish.

 The Developmental task might people develop their mindset to easily

understand.
 It helps understand the changes, growth, and stability of behavior that occur
throughout the lifespan.
 Our report about the Research in Child and Adolescent Development will not serve as a
compliance or requirements in our subject but also a part of our learning and
development as a person.

Work Distribution

Members De Guzman, Paul Albalate, Robert Solomon, Rochelle

Nica
Categories

1. Assigned Topic Introduction to the Early Adulthood, Infancy, Early

topic, Prenatal Period Middle Adulthood, Childhood, Middle
Later Maturity Childhood, and
Adolescence

2. Research Robert Havighurts& Robert Havighurst& Robert Havighurst&

John Santrock John Santrock John Santrock

The 6 Stages of The Developmental The Developmental

Development and the Tasks on Early Tasks on Infancy,
8 Stages of Adulthood, Middle Early Childhood,
Development and Adulthood, and Middle Childhood,
their Developmental Later Maturity and Adolescence
Tasks

2. Analysis 4th to 6th bullet 7th to 9th bullets 1st to 3rd bullet

3. Reflection 5th to 6th bullets 7th to 9th bullets 1st to 4th bullet
Links

https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/development-tasks/

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/early-and-middle-
adulthood/

https://www.verywellmind.com/stages-of-prenatal-development-2795073

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/psychology/psychology/developmental-
psychology-age-13-to-65/development-in-late-adulthood

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK224703/
 Technological University of the Philippines

College of Industrial Education

S/Y: 2019-2020

Written Report
On
The Stages of Development
and Developmental Tasks
(Professional Education 1)

Group 1
Albalate, Robert

De Guzman, Paul Alexis T.

Solomon, Rochelle Nica