Activity . O VERVIEW OF D EVELOPMENTAL S TAGES Development is commonly described in terms of periods or stages. You must have observed that your younger brother or sister, or parents, and even yourself, all behave in different ways. If you observe people living in your neighbourhood, you would find that they too do not behave in a similar manner.
This variation is partly because everyone is in a different stage of life. Human life proceeds through different stages . For example, you are at present in the stage of adolescence and after a few years you will enter the stage of adulthood. Developmental stages are assumed to be temporary and are often characterised by a dominant feature or a leading characteristic, which gives each period its uniqueness.
During a particular stage, individual progresses towards an assumed goal - a state or ability that s/he must achieve in the same order as other persons before progressing to the next stage in the sequence. Of course, individuals do vary with respect to the time or rate of development from one stage to another. It may be noted that certain patterns of behaviour and certain skills are learned more easily and successfully during certain stages. These accomplishments of a person become the social expectations of that stage of development.
They are known as developmental tasks . You will now read about the different stages of development and their main features. Prenatal Stage The period from conception to birth is known as the prenatal period. Typically, it lasts for about weeks.
You know by now that the genetic blueprint guides our development during the prenatal period and after birth. Both genetic and environmental factors affect our development during different periods of prenatal stage. Prenatal development is also affected by maternal characteristics, which include mother’s age, nutrition, and emotional state. Disease or infection carried by the mother can adversely affect prenatal development.
For example, rubella (German measles), genital herpes, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are believed to cause genetic problems in the newborn. Another source of threat to prenatal development is teratogens