LIFE SPAN DEVELOPMENT – DEVELOPMENTAL
TASK
CHILDHOOD, ADOLESCENCE, ADULTHOOD
Presenter: C.B Rajeswari

What is Lifespan development
and developmental task?
 Lifespan development - The term lifespan development refers to
age-related changes that occur from birth, throughout a persons' life,
into and during old age.
 Developmental Task - A developmental task is a task that arises at
or about a certain period in life, unsuccessful achievement of which
leads to inability to perform tasks associated with the next period or
stage in life.

Lifespan development stages or human
development stages
1. Pre-natal stage
2. Infancy stage ( birth – 2years)
3. Early Childhood ( 3 – 5 years)
4. Middle and Late Childhood (6- 12 years)
5. Adolescence ( 13 – 18 years)
6. Early Adulthood (19 – 20 years)
7. Middle Adulthood ( 30 – 60 years)
8. Late Adulthood ( 61 and above) finally to Death.

1. Pre-natal Period –
Prenatal development refers to the process in which a baby develops from a single
cell after conception into an embryo and later a fetus.
It is further classified in three phases
 Germinal stage : First 2 weeks “ conception , implantation and formation of
placenta”
 Embryonic stage: 2 weeks – 2 months ( Formation of vital organs and
Systems)
 Fetal Stage: 2 months – birth

2. Infancy : (Birth to 2 yrs)
Infancy is the period from birth to two years constitutes the infancy stage of
life.The infant's basic needs being met by the parents and this interaction
leading to trust or mistrust.
Characteristics of infant:
 Trust Vs. Mistrust
 Begins to walk and talk upto 3 – 4 words as sentence
 Famous behavior saying “ NO”
 Great imitators
 Need intense care

3. Early Childhood (3 – 5 yrs)
– E.Childhood is basically from age of 3 –5 years. Which is classified into three
stages
Characteristics:-
 Learning to take food, walk and to talk
 Learning to control the elimination of body wastes
 Learning sex differences and learns clothing styles
 Getting ready to read
 Learning to distinguish right and wrong and learning to develop a
conscience. They Develop Fears (dogs, cats, etc..)

4. Middle & Late Childhood (6 – 12 yrs)
Middle & Late childhood is generally defined as ages 6 to 9 and 9 through 12.
Up until this point, most children have been growing at fairly predictable rates.
Now, all bets are off due the often wild fluctuations in physical development
 Beginning to develop appropriate masculine or feminine social
roles
 Developing fundamental skills in reading, writing,
and calculating , a conscience, a sense of morality, and a scale of
values , attitudes toward social groups and institutions
 Developing concepts necessary for everyday living
 Parental approval still important

5. Adolescence - Adolescence refers to the period of human growth that occurs
between childhood and adulthood. Adolescence begins at around age 10 and ends
around age 21. Adolescence can be broken into three stages: early adolescence, middle
adolescence, and late adolescence.
Three stages of Adolescence
(i) Early Adolescence (12 - 14 yrs)
(ii) Middle adolescence (15 – 17 yrs)
(iii) Late Adolescence (18 – 20 yrs)

Adulthood
Successful completion of this stage can lead to comfortable relationships
and a sense of commitment, safety, and care within a relationship.
Avoiding intimacy, fearing commitment and relationships can lead to
isolation, loneliness, and sometimes depression. Success in this stage will
lead to the virtue of love.

6. Early Adulthood:(19 – 29 yrs)
The period from the end of adolescence, i.e., from approximately 19
years to about 35 years of age is generally viewed as the early adulthood
period. This is the period in which social roles and relationships are
materialized. The young adult becomes a fully functioning social being
assuming the role of a married family person
 Completion of physical development
 Maturation and accepts criticism and hangout with same age groups

7. Middle Adulthood ( 30 – 60 yrs)
The period of life from about thirty five years of age to sixty is viewed
as the mid life during which people become aware of some decline in
their physiological functions. Muscular strength and performance of
major organ systems such as digestive and circulatory systems
deteriorate.
 Changes in physical appearances
 Has a major roles

8.Late adulthood and old adulthood ( 60 and above)
The period of life from the sixties till death is the period of old age.
However, with increasing life expectancy and longer work period there
is a delayed onset of the actual feeling of old age. Besides retirement
from active work life, the old people have to cope with many other
challenges such as their own declining physical fitness, ill health, death
of near ones in the family including possible loss of spouse and
loneliness.

Erikson and other psychologists in lifespan development of human being

Book Reference
 The development of Introduction to Psychology by Stagnor, Charles(2011) University o
Maryland Publisher: Flat World Knowledge, L.L.C. (2011)
 The Manipulation of Human Behavior by Biderman, Albert D., and Herbert Zimmer
(Eds.)My John wiley and sons Inc. First edition 1961
 Understanding human behavior and Development by Created by Miss D. Wali and C. Regis
 Behavior and Psychology by Ralph Waldo Emerson
 Development and its wages – Author unknown
Web links
 www.verywell.com ( list of psychological disorders by Kendra cherry)
 simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson
 wiseegeek.com
 Picture sources from coursecontentlearn21.com

Thank You All
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