Theories of Human Development: Sadia Bashir M.A, M.Phil (ELM), M.Phil (Education)

LECTURE 4
THEORIES OF HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT
Sadia Bashir
M.A, M.Phil (ELM), M.Phil (Education)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• After this lecture students will be able to:
1. Understand the developmental task theory and its stages.
2. Explore the Erikson’s psychoanalytic theory.
3. Identify the difference among all stages of psychosocial theory
4. Explore strengths and weaknesses of these theories
1. DEVELOPMENTAL TASK
THEORY
• Although many theorists are responsible for contributing to the
Developmental Tasks Theory, it was Robert J. Havighurst who
elaborated this theory in a most systematic and extensive manner.
• Havighurst’s main claim is that development is continuous throughout the entire
lifespan, occurring in stages, where the individual moves from one stage to the next
by means of successful resolution of problems or performance of developmental
tasks.
1. DEVELOPMENTAL TASK THEORY
• These tasks are those that are typically encountered by most people in the culture
where the individual belongs. If the person successfully accomplishes and
masters the developmental task, he feels pride and satisfaction, and
consequently earns his community or society’s approval. This success provides a
sound foundation which allows the individual to accomplish tasks to be
encountered at later stages.
• Conversely, if the individual is not successful at accomplishing a task, he is
unhappy and is not accorded the desired approval by society, resulting in the
subsequent experience of difficulty when faced with succeeding developmental
tasks. This theory presents the individual as an active learner who continually
interacts with a similarly active social environment.
1. DEVELOPMENTAL TASK THEORY
Infancy - Early Childhood

(birth to 5 years)
Middle Childhood (6 to 12 years )
Adolescence (13 to 18 years)
Early adulthood (19 to 29 years)
Middle Adulthood (30-60 years)
Later Maturity (60>)

THE DEVELOPMENTAL TASK
CONCEPT
• From examining the changes in your own life span you can see that critical
tasks arise at certain times in our lives. Mastery of these tasks is satisfying
and encourages us to go on to new challenges. Difficulty with them, slows
progress toward future accomplishments and goals.
• Robert Havighurst(1952, 1972, 1982) has identified critical developmental
tasks that occur throughout the life span. Although our interpretations of these
tasks naturally change over the years and with new research findings.
Havighurst's developmental tasks offer lasting testimony to the belief that we
continue to develop throughout our lives.
CONCEPT
• Havinghurst (1972) defines a developmental task as one that arises at a
certain period in our lives, the successful achievement of which leads to
happiness and success with later tasks; while leads to unhappiness, social
disapproval, and difficulty with later tasks.
• Havighurst uses lightly different age groupings. He identifies three sources

of developmental tasks (Havighurst, 1972)
CONCEPT
Tasks that arise from physical maturation. For example, learning to walk,
talk, and behave acceptably with the opposite gender during adolescence; and
biological development
Tasks that from personal sources. For example, those that emerge from the
maturing personality and take the form of personal values and aspirations, such
as learning the necessary skills for job success.
Tasks that have their source in the pressures of society. For example,
learning to read or learning the role of a responsible citizen.
STAGE 1
INFANCY - EARLY CHILDHOOD
(BIRTH TO 5 YEARS)
1. Learning to take solid foods
2. Learning to walk.
3. Learning to talk
4. Learning to control the elimination of body wastes
5. Learning gender differences
6. Forming concepts and learning language to describe social and physical
reality.
7. Getting ready to read
STAGE 2
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD
(6 TO 12 YEARS )
1. Learning physical skills necessary for ordinary games.
2. Building wholesome attitudes toward oneself as a growing organism
3. Learning to get along with age-mates
4. Learning an appropriate masculine or feminine social role
5. Developing fundamental skills in reading, writing, and calculating
6. Developing concepts necessary for everyday living.
7. Developing conscience, morality, and a scale of values
8. Achieving personal independence
9. Developing attitudes toward social groups and institutions
STAGE 3
ADOLESCENCE
(13 TO 18 YEARS)
1. Achieving new and more mature relations with age-mates of both sexes
2. Achieving a masculine or feminine social role
3. Accepting one's physique and using the body effectively
4. Achieving emotional independence of parents and other adults
5. Preparing for marriage and family life Preparing for an economic career
6. Acquiring a set of values and an ethical system as a guide to behavior;
developing an ideology
7. Desiring and achieving socially responsible behavior
STAGE 4
EARLY ADULTHOOD
(19 TO 29 YEARS)
1. Selecting a mate
2. Achieving a masculine or feminine social role
3. Learning to live with a marriage partner
4. Starting a family
5. Rearing children
6. Managing a home
7. Getting started in an occupation
8. Taking on civic responsibility
9. Finding a congenial social group
STAGE 5
MIDDLE ADULTHOOD
(30-60 YEARS)
1. Maintaining economic standard of living

2. Performing civic and social responsibilities
3. Relating to spouse as a person
4. Adjusting to physiological changes
STAGE 6
LATER MATURITY
(60>)
1. Adjusting to deteriorating health and physical strength

2. Adjusting to retirement
3. Meeting social and civil obligations
4. Adjusting to death or loss of spouse
APPLICATION OF THIS THEORY
• The assertions and principles presented by Havighurst are quite easily

understandable and clear.
• The applications of the theory extend to the field of education and have asserted
influence over educators and psychologists worldwide. Although the theory has
its roots in the 1930s, it continues to stimulate the insights of contemporary
psychologists, prompting the publication of new manuscripts and books based
on the concepts of the developmental task theory.
• Over the years, the reception and interpretation of Havighurst’s theory of
developmental tasks have evolved with the increase of new findings.
Nevertheless, this theory has remained strong in its proof that development is
continuous throughout the entire lifespan.
Next Topic
ERIKSON: NEO-FREUDIAN
PSYCHOANALYTIC
THEORY
Psychosocial Stages
Strengths and Weaknesses
PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGES OF
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
• 8 successive stages over the lifespan

• Addresses bio, social, situational, personal influences
• Crisis: must adaptively or maladaptively cope with task in each
developmental stage
• Respond adaptively: acquire strengths needed for next
developmental stage
• Respond maladaptively: less likely to be able to adapt to later
problems
• Basic strengths: Motivating characteristics and beliefs that derive

from successful resolution of crisis in each stage
STAGE 1: BASIC TRUST VS. MISTRUST
• Birth to age 1
• Totally dependent on others

• Caregiver meets needs: child develops trust
• Caregiver does not meet needs: child develops mistrust
• Basic strength: Hope
• Belief our desires will be satisfied
• Feeling of confidence
STAGE 2: AUTONOMY VS. SHAME AND
DOUBT
• Ages 1-3
• Child able to exercise some degree of choice
• Child’s independence is thwarted: child develops feelings of
self-doubt, shame in dealing with others
• Basic Strength: Will
• Determination to exercise freedom of choice in face of
society’s demands
STAGE 3: INITIATIVE VS. GUILT
• Ages 3-5
• Child expresses desire to take initiative in activities
• Parents punish child for initiative: child develops feelings
of guilt that will affect self-directed activity throughout life
• Basic strength: Purpose
• Courage to envision and pursue goals
STAGE 4: INDUSTRIOUSNESS VS.
INFERIORITY
• Ages 6-11
• Child develops cognitive abilities to enable in task
completion (school work, play)
• Parents/teachers do not support child’s efforts: child
develops feelings of inferiority and inadequacy
• Basic strength: Competence
• Exertion of skill and intelligence in pursuing and
completing tasks
• Stages 1-4
• Largely determined by others (parents, teachers) – child

develops a competent ego
• Stages 5-8
• Individual has more control over environment
• Individual responsibility for crisis resolution in each stage
• An individual develops self-realization

STAGE 5: IDENTITY VS. ROLE CONFUSION
• Ages 12-18
• Form ego identity: self-image
• Strong sense of identity: face adulthood with certainty and
confidence
• Identity crisis: confusion of ego identity
• Basic strength: Fidelity - faithfulness
• Emerges from cohesive ego identity
• Sincerity, genuineness, sense of duty in relationships with
others
STAGE 6: INTIMACY VS. ISOLATION
• Ages 18-35 (approximately)

• Undertake productive work and establish intimate
relationships
• Inability to establish intimacy leads to social isolation
• Basic strength: Love
• Mutual devotion in a shared identity
STAGE 7: GENERATIVITY VS.
STAGNATION
• Ages 35-55 (approximately)

• Generativity: Active involvement in teaching/guiding the next
generation
• Stagnation involves not seeking outlets for generativity
• Basic strength: Care
• Broad concern for others
• Need to teach others
STAGE 8: EGO INTEGRITY VS.
DESPAIR
• Ages 55+
• Evaluation of entire life
• Integrity: Look back with satisfaction
• Despair: Review with anger, frustration
• Basic strength: Wisdom
• Detached concern with the whole of life
N D
S A
T H
N G S
R E S SE
ST N E
A K
W E
CONTRIBUTIONS OF ERIKSON
 Personality develops throughout the lifetime
 Identity crisis in adolescence
 Impact of social, cultural, personal and situational forces in forming
personality
CRITICISMS OF ERIKSON
• Ambiguous terms and concepts

• Lack of precision
• Some terms are not easily measured empirically
• Experiences in stage may only apply to males
• Stages are not mutually exclusive, neither do they fit in
neatly packaged age intervals
CRITICISMS OF ERIKSON
• The order of the stages may not be same for every one e.g., gender
difference etc.
• Identity crisis may only apply to those affluent enough to explore
identities
STAY BLESSED
HAVE A GOOD DAY

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LECTURE 4

Infancy - Early Childhood

Middle Childhood (6 to 12 years )

Adolescence (13 to 18 years)

Early adulthood (19 to 29 years)

Middle Adulthood (30-60 years)

Later Maturity (60>)

• Havighurst uses lightly different age groupings. He identifies three sources

1. Maintaining economic standard of living

1. Adjusting to deteriorating health and physical strength

• The assertions and principles presented by Havighurst are quite easily

• 8 successive stages over the lifespan

• Basic strengths: Motivating characteristics and beliefs that derive

• Totally dependent on others

• Largely determined by others (parents, teachers) – child

• Individual has more control over environment

• Individual responsibility for crisis resolution in each stage

• An individual develops self-realization

• Ages 18-35 (approximately)

• Ages 35-55 (approximately)

 Personality develops throughout the lifetime

 Identity crisis in adolescence

 Impact of social, cultural, personal and situational forces in forming

• Ambiguous terms and concepts

• Identity crisis may only apply to those affluent enough to explore

HAVE A GOOD DAY

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