This report will explore some of the stages and strands of human development across lifespan, focusing mainly on early years. It will touch upon theories including Bowlbys attachment theory and Maslows hierarchy of needs in relation to the case study. The writer will look at three stages of human development, and focus on one strand for each stage. Infancy is perhaps the most important stage of a persons developmental life. Not only do babies grow physically at a rapid rate, their mental and emotional state also develops much more rapidly than adults. Infant and child development is often split into stages: physical, social, cognitive, emotional and language development. (Jan P. Piek, 2006) In order to achieve these stages to their highest standard, it is important that all of the babys needs are met entirely. As birth rates dwindle, it is more often found that the first baby a parent holds will be their own. Therefore, the importance of understanding the stages of development and what a baby needs to achieve them is vital. Following infant development, childhooddevelopment begins. This is from the age of two years old to around twelveyears old. This is when the childs personality takes shape, and from their ownsurroundings and backgrounds, they develop their own identity. Mental changesoccur from the age of 2, such as handedness (the nature of preferring to useone hand over the other). Starting school and nursery allows the child toexplore a whole new world of social interaction. This means the child learns awhole host of new skills and interests within themselves. Although age two to twelve is a large part ofthe childs life, developmental changes often happen very quickly. Adolescence is the next developmentalstage across lifespan. From the ages of around thirteen to eighteen, we areconsidered adolescents. It is the period of ones life where we transition fromchildhood to adulthood. Aside from maturing physically and sexually, teenagersdevelop a larger range of responsibilities, such as becoming financiallyindependent. Although adolescents are generally described as egocentric, theyare able to understand and provide the process of abstract reasoning and becomeinvolved in adult relationships and roles. (Bjorklund & Blasi, 2010). Around this time in a persons life, it is verycommon for peer pressures to occur, the individual feeling obligated to takepart in high risk behaviours such as the misuse of alcohol and drugs.One of the strands the writer haschosen to describe relating to infancy is physical development. Developmentwithin babies encompasses a wide variety of changes, from reflexes, sensoryabilities to physical growth. When an infant is born, the body has all themuscle fibres required within a human body, although they are smaller than theywill eventually be at full growth. Babies muscles are mostly made up of waterbut contain high quantities of fat. The lungs grow quickly between the ages ofzero to two, becoming more efficient as they grow, allowing them to develop a strongerstamina for activity. Also from the ages of zero to two, development of motorskills can be divided into local motor skills, non-local motor skills andmanipulative skills. These motor skills are used to test various motormilestones. The physical development of babies is highly dependent on the careprovided by adults. Babies need the correct quantities of food, medical careand appropriate stimulus. The main structures of a babys brain at birth showthat the mid braid and the medulla are the most developed parts and areconnected to the spinal cords. These regulate vital functions of a baby such asheartbeat and respiration. The least developed part of a new-born is thecortex, which is mainly known to perception, body movement, thinking and languagewhich continuously grows with the child. (Bee & Boyd, 2003)Social development in children betweensix to twelve are seen to form friendships through play and physicalinteraction, which is then developed in later stages by the concept of trust.Relationships with their peers become more stable and many children to begin todevelop long-term relationships, they are becoming more independent but remainattached to their parents. However, parents at this stage will begin to seetheir children developing their capacity for self-regulation and therefore ableto supervise their own behaviour, at least sometimes. The important aspects ofa child developing self-regulation can be dependent on the parents abilityself regulate. The interaction between siblings is seen as less important thanthat of parents or peers. Another important factor for socialisation ofchildren within this age group is their perception of social status. Theoristssuggest three main groups, popular, rejected and neglected. Where children arewithin these groups, usually involves factors outwith their control. (Fordham& Stevenson-Hinde, 1999) Some theorists see the forming of relationships asimportant as it can shape their ability to develop peer relationships in thefuture. Children of this age group will begin to develop their understanding offamily roles and processes and relationships within families.Theorists suggest that adolescentshave two main growth spurts in their brain (cerebral cortex becomes thicker),which enables cognitive processes and ability to develop, including the abilityto think more abstractly. This part of the brain can also allow people toconsider their own strengths and weaknesses. The second growth spurt occurs atthe approximate age of seventeen and involves the frontal lobes. This area ofthe brain controls logic and planning increasing again the ability forcognitive functions shown in the way that teenagers and young adults problemsolve and process thoughts. (Glenda Beamon Crawford, 2007) There are some theorists such asKeating who endeavour through research to discover if critical thinking ofadolescents is a learned skill or part of brain function. According to Keating(1988) there was no persuasive evidence of fundamental constraints on theability of adolescents to engage in critical thinking. Developments in neuroscience haveprovided a clearer understanding of brain development and for the purpose ofthis assignment the writer will pay particularly attention to the development ofzero to two year olds. Neuroscience is thestudy of the nervous system, It is a branch of biology that focuses on theworkings of the human brain. When looking at neuroscience, there are manydiffering views and opinions from countless theorists and scientists, with a verycommon argument when it comes to the development of infants and children isNature vs Nurture. The Nature argument derives from the idea of inbornbiases, such as the ability to snuggle, to cry and a few days after birth theability to smile is prevalent in most babies. Some babies seem easier to soothe when upsetthan others. This could be from either the ability of the parents or the inbornbias of the child. Children are born with their own way to respond to certainsituations, without the influence of other people. On the other side is the Nurtureargument, which is the theory that a childs development depends on theirenvironment, upbringing and standard of living. However some theorists suggestthese both work together. Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk created a way of understanding how children cope whentheir primary environment is a stressful one. She explains the release ofcortisol within our bodies when we are in a stressful situation. This chemicalhelps us cope with immediate stress, allowing us to flee the situation. When achilds cortisol levels are imbalanced, due to their erratic livingenvironment, they are unable to concentrate in situations where, as adults, weexpect them to. (Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, 2013). When comparing recent theoristsideas, such as Zeedyk, to older understandings of infantile neuroscience suchas Jean Piagets cognitive theory, stark differences occur. Piaget identified four strictdevelopmental stages, which he suggested every child fits into: thesensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage nd theformal operational stage. (John Grace, 2006) This is unusual, as present theorist, likeZeedyk, try to avoid using a strict set of stages because the understandingthat every child works differently is much wider than before. Neuroscience aims to understand howgroups of neurons interact to generate behaviour. Studies of the brain are completed throughvarious methods, one of which is MRI scans. As stated previously, neurosciencehas taught us that babies are born with fully developed Mid-brain and medullawhich are connected to the spinal chord and are regulating basic functioning.The most infantile part of the brain is the cerebral cortex, the brain is madeup of two main cells which are both fully developed at birth and are neuron andglial, further development will be the creation of synapsis, the connectionbetween neurons. The first two years of brain development is seen asexceptionally important for later cognitive development, for example, if a babyis not nurtured properly, is fed a poor diet or is not stimulated regularly intheir early months, the brain will not develop to its highest capability,particularly in the brains stage of plasticity (development). (Bjorklund &Blasi, 2010) From the case study, the writer haschosen to look at two theories that could be used to help structure and assessCraigs needs in an effective way. The writer has chosen to use Maslowshierarchy of need in the first instance to create a clearer picture of assessedneed. Maslows theory was that in order to meet our highest of needs, our lowerdeficiency needs must be met first. This relates to Craigs situation, as he ishomeless and so a lot of his basic needs are not met. For instance, he may behungry, thirsty, and sleepless and he may not even know when he can next go tothe toilet. Without these deficiency needs being met, according to Maslow, Craigwould be unable to move onto his safety needs. This could perhaps be why Craigabuses alcohol and drugs, using them as a coping mechanism. Without meeting hisdeficiency needs, his safety needs do not seem as important, Craig may feel noparticular drive to keep himself safe from harm. Without feeling safe, his loveand belongingness needs cannot be met. This could explain his promiscuous sexlife, as his life is not stable or predictable. This then leads on to Craigsself esteem. As his deficiency needs are very poor, Craig could find it hard tothink highly of himself. His confidence in himself is most likely non-existentand deep rooted. In order to tackle this situation, Craig would first needsomewhere to live and sleep in order to feel safe and secure. This would coverhis most basic needs, like sleep and knowing where to go to the toilet. If hewere accommodated in a homeless unit, he would be provided with food and drink.Also, along with having a sheltered unit to sleep in, Craig may feel a lotsafer. This would give Craig a huge base to build up from in order to focus onbettering his future. (Rosalind Charlesworth, 2014)Another theoretical approach thatrelates to Craigs situation is Albert Banduras behaviourist approach. This isthe social learning theory, which is built on the idea that the way we act asadults, is based on our observation of our parents from our early years. We arewhat we learn. Bandura conducted an experiment called the Bobo dollexperiment. Bandura collected a group of children from ages three to six andhad them watch their parents aggressively attack a doll. They then allowed thechildren to go into the room with the doll alone, and observed if they imitatedtheir parents actions. Most of the children behaved in the same way, if notmore extreme after watching the way their parents behaved towards the doll.This related to Craigs situation, as from an early age, he observed his motherand father abusing substances. Later in life, he imitates this behaviour, as itis stated he is alcohol and drug dependent. However, this is not certain, asmany people who have had these experiences do not turn to drugs an alcohol byway of imitating behaviours. Craig may be using these substances as some sortof coping mechanism, rather than straightforward imitation. (Colette G., Sean M., 2012) Both of these theories are alike inthe sense that they mention elements such as motivation, observational learningand socialisation which both theorists describe as important in order for theindividual to develop to their full potential. However, I believe Maslowshierarchy of needs relates more to Craigs situation as it is clear, some, ifnot all, of his deficiency are unfulfilled. Starting from the beginning, Craigwas severely abused as a young child. His parents not only physically abusedCraig, but also sexually and emotionally. It is widely known that when a childis abused, they very often experience mental health issues at the time and alsolater in life, such as depression, anxiety and dissociation. This could explainsome of Craigs behaviours. You could link Craigs alcohol and drug misuse tohis childhood, where he frequently witnessed his mother and father abusingsubstances. This could have effectively engrained a notion in Craigs brain,from an early age, that drugs and alcohol were the norm, or seen as copingstrategies when problems were evident. With his parents being intoxicated a lotof his childhood, Craig may have missed a lot of school. His education may alsohave been affected if he could not concentrate during class due to being highlyalert at all times, in a state of fight or flight.. This shows that it would beextremely difficult for Craig to ever sit quietly in an education settingand without the proper education, Craigwould find it very difficult to find a job. Without a job, Craig would havevery little income, leaving him with only one choice, to live on the streets.Having no money for food, drugs or alcohol, Craig could have resulted instealing to sustain these things. This would explain his minor criminaloffences. Being sexually abused by his parents as a child may be the reasonCraig, when older, became sexually promiscuous. . Without being given theopportunity to make simple choices as a child, such as what he wanted fordinner or a sweetie from the shop, when choosing the right partner, Craig maynot know what is best for him, as in self regulation as discussed earlier. All of these factors combined would seriouslyaffect Craigs resilience and well being as his self-worth could deterioraterapidly. To conclude, lifespan development isdescriptive as development covers a lifetime. Theorists, researches andscientists endeavour to understand and make sense of the human condition. Thisentails research into behaviour and the structure and functions of the brain.No research to date is completely conclusive but continues to develop as newdiscoveries and a greater understanding of the human condition grows. REFERENCESBOOKS Keating.D.F, 1988, Adolescents Ability to Engage in Critical Thinking, OrientarialInstitute for studies in education.Bee.H, Boyd.J, 2003, Lifespan Development,Boston, USA.Jan P. Piek, 2006, Infant Motor Development, Human Kinetics, Australia Glenda Beamon Crawford, 2007, Brain-BasedTeaching With Adolescent Learning in Mind, Corwin Press, California, USA.DavidF. Bjorklund, Carlos Hernández Blasi, 2010, Child and Adolescent Development, Cengage Learning.Colette Gray, Sean MacBlain, 2012, Learning Theories in Childhood, SAGE Publications Ltd. Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, 2013 Sabre Tooth Tigers & Teddy Bears, Connected Baby, USA. Rosalind Charlesworth, 2014, Understanding Child Development, CengageLearning. WEBSITESJohn Grace, The Guardian, 2006. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2006/jan/24/schools.ukAccessed: 22/11/2016JOURNALSFordham.K,Stevenson-Hide.J. 1999,Shyness, FriendshipQuality, and Adjustment During Middle Childhood, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry and allieddisciplines.Get Help With Your AssignmentIf you need assistance with writing your assignment, our professional assignment writing service is here to help!Find out more
