Chapter 9: Lifespan Development
Q1
The development of the human body occurs just like other animals, from a union of a single
female and male sex cells to a fully developed fetus. The prenatal development stage is the
growth period from a child’s conception, the formation of an embryo through to birth. The
prenatal development period has three stages
i. Germinal Stage; It is the development period between the time of sex cells union
(conception) until two weeks of implantation. At this point, the zygote is formed, and
the sex and genetic makeup are set at the germinal stage.
ii. The embryonic Stage; Is the prenatal stage from (implantation) 2 weeks to eight
weeks of pregnancy. The zygote travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus and
grows to the embryo.
iii. Fetal Stage; Prenatal development from nine weeks of pregnancy till birth. At this
stage, the embryo develops to a recognizable human shape at the size of a kidney.
The embryonic stage is considered the most critical period since its when the internal and
external organs develop.
Q2
Piaget, in his studies, developed an account of how genitive development in kids and youths
gradually develop to reason logically and scientifically in theory known as Piaget’s theory of
cognitive development. The theory is divided into 4 stages;
i. Sensorimotor Stage; Occurs between birth to two years, where infants learn the world
around them through sensation and interaction. They learn things like looking,
grasping, sucking, and listening.
ii. Preoperational Stage; Occurs between two to seven years. At this stage, kids start to
think symbolically and use pictures and words to represent objects. Kids are generally
egocentric.
iii. Concrete Operational Stage; Occur between seven to eleven years. At this stage,
children start to think logically on concrete events, understand concepts of
conversation and become logical in reasoning
iv. Formal Operation Stage; Occurs between twelve years onwards, occasioned by
adolescent through to young adulthood. Youths start to be philosophical, moral,
ethical, political, and social issues.
Q3
Eriksen’s theory of psychological development states that personality advances in a
predetermined order in eight stages of psychological growth, starting from infancy to
adolescence through adulthood. In every stage, an individual experience a psychosocial crisis
which eventually have a negative or positive outcome in one’s personality advancements.
According to Erikson, the development is a crisis of psychological nature since they revolve
around psychological wants that conflict with societal expectations.
Authoritative parenting is the best reasonable nurturing style for most children as children
natured through this, tend to have self-discipline and clarity of purpose.
Q4
Kohlberg applied Piaget’s storyline to expound on moral development in three stages;
i. Preconventional morality; The initial stage of moral development and last until nine
years. At this stage, kids lack a personal code of morality; therefore, they depend on
parental moral decisions
ii. Conventional Morality; The stage of adolescent and early adulthood, often
characterized by acceptance and recognition of societal rules on right and wrong and
initialization of moral standard values
iii. Postconventional morality; Last stage of moral development and is characterized by
learning and understating of the universal ethical principles
Q5
Kubler-Ross divided the principle to death and dying into five stages to describe the
conditions of terminally ill patients
Denial is the first stage characterized by grief as one seems to think that life makes no sense
Anger is the second stage, a critical stage for the healing process, and patients engulf in
bitterness of betrayal by friends and family
Bargaining stage: patients are willing to do anything within or without their capability to
survive. Most patients convert and start to believe in religion
Depression; When things fail to change even after begging, feelings of emptiness and
hopelessness creeks in
Acceptance is the stage where patients come to terms that death is inevitable and accept the
will and purpose of their maker.
