Scenario Analysis - Research Paper Example

Adult Development: There are four basic models of theories that explain the process of development in adult. They are biological, sociological, psychological, and integrative (Merriam and Caffarella, 1999). Biological theoretical model explains how physiological changes influence an individual’s tendency to learn and develop. As people age, their eye-sight weakens. They acquire auditory impairments. Moreover, they are not as agile and active as their younger class mates. Accordingly, their tendency to grab the concept retards and they need to be given more time and attention in the class.

Owing to their reduced vision and hearing troubles, most aged students should be seated in the front rows and youngsters should be made to sit in the rear of the class. Sociological models explain the process of development in adults from a social and cultural perspective. People’s tendency to learn is influenced by their cultural traits and social interactions. Some people are inspired by their ideals. In an attempt to follow them, they tend to seek education. Sociological models cover such factors as class, gender, race, and sexual interests of the adults and study their impact on their development tendency (Imel, 2001).

Psychological theoretical model explains the sequence of development and the effect of life experiences and phases on an individual’s tendency to learn. Generally, young people are much more enthusiastic about learning and developing their career as compared to old people. They have a whole life in front of them and they are keen to learn as much as they can in order to do their best in their professions. On the other hand, old people tend to be more selective in their learning areas. A vast majority of old people would rather choose to learn about religion than economics.

One’s choice and preferences alter with age and they have a direct impact on one’s tendency to learn. Therefore, in this area, old people might require additional counseling than young students. Integrative models tend to analyze the interrelationship among the biological, sociological and psychological traits of the development process. These models also assess the influence of the three models upon one another. Adult development is fundamentally understood with the help of integrative models since they combine the concepts from the rest of the three models, thus adopting a holistic approach to the explanation of the development process in adults.

Factors that are of immense importance in the discussion of adult learning and development are the cognitive factors. The way life is perceived varies from individual to individual and depends upon several factors including the individual’s age, culture, experience and mentality. People learn by reflecting upon their past experiences. Reflection is one of the most fundamental cognitive processes that are directed at improving an individual’s behavior. Research has shown that “maintaining a lifestyle that is intellectually stimulating predicts better maintenance of cognitive skills and is associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in late life” (Hertzog et al., 2009, p. 1).

Concluding all that is said above, in order to understand the adult development, integrative models should be combined with a study of the cognitive factors. References: Hertzog, C., Kramer, A. F., Wilson, R. S., and Lindenberger, U. (2009). Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development. Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 9(1): 1-65. Imel, S. (2001). Adult Development. Trends and Issues Alert. 22. Retrieved from http://www.calpro-online.org/eric/docs/tia00090.pdf. Merriam, S. B.

, and Caffarella, R. S. (1999). Learning in Adulthood. 2d ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.