Life-Span Integration

LIFE SPAN INTEGRATION

This presents the application of a student 's understanding of the social development ' aspects of Developmental Psychology ' focused on three selected social-related life events within a life span context

The focus of study of developmental psychology are the changes ' that occur in an individual ( intraindividual ) and among individuals ( internindividual ) in a social context (Hurlock , 1980 . The scope of study of the discipline spans from conception ' to death ' of each individual - in what is called the life span ' Hurlock (1980 provides nine significant facts about development (1 ) early

foundations are critical (2 ) roles of maturation and learning in development (3 ) development follows a definite and predictable pattern (4 ) all individuals are different (5 ) each phase of development has characteristic behavior (6 ) each phase of development has hazards (7 development is aided by stimulation (8 ) development is affected by cultural changes (9 ) social expectations for every stage of development (pp . 5-9 . Closely related to these nine developmental ' facts are Havighurst 's developmental tasks during the life span ' namely (a babyhood and early childhood (b ) late childhood (c ) adolescence (d early adulthood (e ) middle age (f ) old age (pp . 9-10 . Developmental psychology is founded on the theory of personality ' of Erik H Erikson (see Hall and Lindzey , 1980 , pp . 87-108 ) which fall under two major headings (1 ) a psychosocial theory of development from which emerges an expanded conception of the ego and (2 ) psychohistorical studies that exemplify his psychosocial theory in the lives of famous individuals (pp . 87-88 . The term psychosocial ' is what are separately termed by Hurlock as intraindividual ' and interindividual ' entities interacting in a given social context . It means that the stages of a person 's life from birth to death are formed by social influences interacting with a physically and psychologically maturing organism (p . 88

In the psychosocial theory of development of Erikson , development is seen as that precedes by stages . The first four occur during infancy and childhood , the fifth stage during adolescence , and the last three stages during the adult years up to and including old age . In Erickson 's writings , particular emphasis is placed on the adolescent period because it is then that the transition between childhood and adulthood is made . What happens during this stage is the greatest significance of adult personality . Identity , identity crises , and identity confusion are undoubtedly the most familiar of Erikson 's concepts (p . 91 . The eight developmental stages of Erikson are (I basic trust vs . basic mistrust (II ) autonomy vs . shame and doubt (III initiative vs . guilt (IV ) industry vs . inferiority (V ) identity vs identity confusion (VI ) intimacy vs . isolation (VII ) generativity vs stagnation (VIII ) integrity vs . despair (pp . 92-99

A pocket book published by Reader 's Digest (n .d ) in the early 1980 's entitled , They Changed Our World ' lists 35 events along with corresponding key personality or person in such event that changed the face of the world forever . Three of the 35 events in said pocket book are selected for this

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