Human Development Paper - Essay Example

Lifespan perspective of human development al affiliation: Lifespan perspective of human development The lifespan perspective of human development provides information about the growth and development in one’s lifespan. The concept explains the nature of people, the way in which people come to be, how they will change in the future and their behavior in the future. The concept of this idea is also strengthened by the psychoanalytic theory that offers more insight into the different stages that one goes through in life before maturity.

The lifespan perspective of development also provides information on the interaction of heredity and the environment in influencing ones development and growth. It is, therefore, an important concept that cannot be overlooked nor ignore but should be embraced to ensure a better understanding of one’s life from childhood to adulthood (Kali & Cavanaugh, 2015). Theories related to human growth and development One of the theories of growth and development is the psychoanalytic theory. Sigmund Freud proposed the theory.

The theory asserts that any childhood experiences have long-lasting effects during the course of one’s development. In this light, any issue that one faces in life plays a significant role in the future life of an individual. Another theory of growth and development is the cognitive theory of development proposed by Jean Piaget. The theory argues that mental operations and the human thought process influences the nature of one’s growth and development. Also, according to the theory, children do not just receive information in a passive manner but they also develop and construct their understanding of the society and the world in which they live.

Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is another important theory of development. According to the theory, the human life goes through at least eight stages before full maturity of the mind and body is reached. In this light, no human can be termed complete if he has not gone through the eight stages of development that the theory points out. The stages range from issues to do with trust, doubt, confusion, intimacy, stagnation and integrity by the time of one’s maturity and adulthood (Kali & Cavanaugh, 2015).

Aspects of the life span perspective One of the aspects of the lifespan perspective is multi-contextual development. According to this point of view, the different spheres of life such as family patterns, economic constraint, and historical background are all encased in one’s life and influences the way one always turn out to be. Another aspect is that development is multicultural. The concept contributes to one’s life in those different cultures that one is exposed to help shape life and also influences the type of person that one becomes.

Moreover, multidiscipline is another aspect of the life span perspective. Therefore, other disciplines such as biology, psychology, medicine, and economics among others always provide insight on how to live a more desirable life through their study. Furthermore, the development is multidirectional in that changes occur in every way and not in a particular direction hence not in any predictable way (Kali & Cavanaugh, 2015). Explain how heredity and the environment influence human development.Both heredity and the environment affect human development in many ways.

For instance, two twins raised under one roof are likely to have more similarities that two twins raised in different places. The example shows that the environment influences the nature of the behavior that one adopts. The environment affects ones development in that one must acquire characteristics that help them to take to the environment in which they live in. As such, any separation results in the development of entirely different characteristics. On the other hand, Heredity also influences ones development in that there is a tendency for one to possess characteristics of one’s family.

The case of heredity diseases is a perfect example of how heredity influences ones development. There is the transmission of certain features, especially during the childbirth. The characteristics are then reflected in one’s life during growth and development (Kali & Cavanaugh, 2015).ReferenceKail, R., & Cavanaugh, J. (2015). Human development: A life-span view. Cengage Learning.