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Essay on Eight Periods of Human Development

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There are eight periods of human development that include, prenatal period, infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. These eight periods make up the three major developmental periods; child, adolescent and adult development.

The prenatal period takes place in the first two weeks of conception. Heredity and environmental influences (which are often negative) are also developed during this stage. At this stage the organism is more susceptible to these influences, than during any other period. Infancy is the next stage, various changes start to occur and attachments start to form. Coordination, sensory and motor skills start to develop, as well as the expression of …show more content…

They form relationships with their peers, develop spoken vocabulary, and began to decipher between genders and their roles. Middle childhood is the development of personality, motivation, and inter-personal relationships. Growth at this stage is usually slowed until puberty is reached. Children at this age tend to learn by hands-on learning activities.

The adolescent individuals begin to reach sexual maturity and established their identity as an adult. This period marks the transition in which individuals think and reason. They also start to encounter conflicts between their family and their peers.

Finally, adulthood consists of early adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood. Early adulthood is a stage where individuals are physically in their best condition. Memory and thinking abilities are sharp, life decisions are made, and they take on roles of independence. Middle adulthood is when individuals start to reflect on their lives as a whole. Retirement planning and sadness over unaccomplished goals began to surface, during this particular stage. Some physical changes such as hearing and vision start to take place. Focusing more on health, relationships and becoming tolerable with death are all signs of late adulthood development. The immune system, vision, hearing, and muscle strength start to decline. Loss of memory is a cognitive trait that is related

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