Psy_375

Human development over the life span is a very important matter that varies from the norm (Berger, 2011). To summarize the analysis, human lifespan development is divided into three developmental realms. Those realms are biological, cognitive and psychosocial (Berger, 2011), which pertains to the interaction between social and psychological aspects (Berger, 2011). Human developmental progress is additionally fragmented into three age fields, which are childhood, adolescence and adulthood (Berger, 2011). These age domains are sectioned even further into seven accompanying age groups—infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood, and late adulthood (Berger, 2011). Each developmental domain and period of age is interconnected (Berger, 2011). What a 45-year-old grasps, and the stage of development in each area— biological, cognitive, and psychosocial— of the 45-year old, will be much different from a teenager. The prefrontal cortex—part of the frontal lobe, located just behind the forehead—is in charge of intellectual actions and theoretical thought processes (Maturation of the Prefrontal Cortex, 2012). This is one of the last parts in the brain to form. Full maturity of this sector of the brain is not reached until roughly age 25 (Maturation of the Prefrontal Cortex, 2012). This explains why adolescents are so dissimilar in behavior than most adults are, and do not begin intangible thought until 25 years or older—their frontal lobe is merely undeveloped as of yet. This is why scientists cannot study developmental phases and age-related subjects on the same schedule. Stages in development depend on stages of rational intelligence (Maturation of the Prefrontal Cortex, 2012). There is also a relation between one’s developmental scope and one’s life experiences. For example, if a person has never had extensive scholastic experiences, they would not be at the same developmental juncture as one who has had comprehensive academic experiences (Maturation of the Prefrontal Cortex, 2012). References Berger, K.S. (2011). The developing person through the life span (8th ed.). New York, NY. Maturation of the Prefrontal Cortex. (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.hhs.gov/opa/familylife/tech_assistance/etraining/adolescent_brain/Development/prefrontal_cortex/