ZACHARY JORDAN PILFOLDMHS 555: LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, NEPROFESSOR DURHEIM

FALL A 2015OCTOBER 22, 2015

Life’s Developmental Journey

Biological

Around 18 months I was able to walk on my own

No more crawling or needing to be held

Gross Motor Skill formation using “large muscles” allowed me to walk around (Santrock, 2014, p. 161).

Birth to 24 months

Cognitive

Around 5 months I was able to recognize my name.

Entered Sensorimotor Stage

Piagets Cognitive Development toward “Symbolic thought” allowed me to respond to my name (Santrock, 2014, p. 24).

Video example featuring Gabi as she responds to her name.

Birth to 24 months

[Kristin M]. (2011, March 20). Responding to name [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/qUEfd4oy68

Socioemotional

Around 18 months I would become frustrated openly acted out to get attention.

Chess and Thomas Classification on Difficult Child

Often I would “react negatively” to try and get attention (Santrock, 2014, p. 328).

Please view the video to the left for an example of this type of attention seeking behavior.

Walking, responding, and acting out helped to further my development up till potty training which happened around 2 years olds.

Birth to 24 months

[Alex25dco]. (2006, August 5). Crying game [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/rWy9xjijaKE

BiologicalAround 2-3 years old I started using the restroom by myself. Chess and Thomas Classification Easy Child I often “adapted easily to new experiences” and an example would be potty training (Santrock, 2014, p. 328).

2-5 years

Cognitive

Around 4 years old I was able to draw objects and put puzzles together.

Highlights concrete operational stage

This stage allowed me to “classify objects in different sets” depending on how I viewed them (Santrock, 2014, p. 193).

2-5 years

Socioemotional

I attended Head Start and thus met other children that I became friends with.

Extrafamilial Connections were made

Connection to “positive organizations” within my sphere of influence allowed me to form friendships (Santrock, 2014, p. 11).

Potty training, recognizing patterns, and meeting new people helped to facilitate further development especially toward sport activities starting at age 6.

2-5 years

Biological

Started playing “youth” football and soccer around age 11.

Active niche-picking experienced

I gravitated toward “sports,” however, my parents were not athletes

(Santrock, 2014, p. 61).

6-11 years

Cognitive

Started Attending School in the Seward Public School District at Seward Elementary.

Extrafamilial Context – “Attending effective schools” (Santrock, 2014, p. 11).

6-11 years

Socioemotional

Felt out of place initially in school and amongst my peers

I needed extra resources for reading

Industry vs. Inferiority

I always felt “incompetent” around my peers (Santrock, 2014, p. 22).

Sports especially football, school, and resources made my transition into my teens easier for me.

6-11 years

Biological

Started playing football for Seward school district, started track, and quit playing soccer around age 13.

Practice and Social Play Formation

Mastery of skills for sports and “interaction” with peers was facilitated (Santrock, 2014, p. 530).

12-15 years

Cognitive

Learned to start driving for myself to and from school while living in the country.

Formal Operational Stage Entered

This stage allowed me to reason abstractly, idealistically, and “logically” (Santrock, 2014, p. 193).

Sports especially football motivated me to be more outgoing especially when I was 16.

12-15 years

Socioemotional

Very outgoing amongst my peers, had lots of friends, and was in the cool crowd.

Extrinsically motivated

Often viewed situations by whether or not I’d receive a “reward” or a punishment be being more outgoing with my friends (Santrock, 2014, p. 573).

12-15 years

Biological

Started playing varsity football but quit track.

Provides exercise, develops “self-esteem,” persistence, and peer relationships (Santrock, 2014, p. 164).

16-19 years

Cognitive

Left Seward Middle School, enrolled in Seward High School, and continued playing sports.

Regular exercise is associated with “higher academic achievement” in students (Santrock, 2014, p. 148).

16-19 years

Socioemotional

Still outgoing, started dating, but realized I cared more about sports at this point in time.

Intimacy vs. Isolation Stage Entered

During this stage I started “forming intimate relationships” and overcame identity vs. identity confusion (Santrock, 2014, p. 22).

Sports, exercise, and dating helped to set up my development for my 20s.

16-19 years

Biological

Stopped playing sports all together but started focusing heavily on lifting and gaining muscle mass.

Body Image “preoccupation with one’s body image” (Santrock, 2014, p. 96).

20s

Cognitive

Graduated from Seward High School and started attending College at Concordia University, Nebraska.

Graduated from CUNE with a BA in Psychology and Behavioral Science.

Attended Masters Program at Concordia University, NE.

Graduated with a Masters in Human Services.

The more “education” one has the more income they will earn (Santrock, 2014, p. 565).

20s

Socioemotional

Became more religious.

Actively seeked out my own views on religion.

Was Baptized.

Became a Methodist.

Religion – “stronger spiritual orientation linked to longer life” (Santrock, 2014, p. 461).

20s

Biological

Body Image concerns, Education pursuits, and Religious ties helped set up my development for my 30s.

Start to gain weight

At age 30 functioning begins to decline about “1%” especially towards muscle strength (Santrock, 2014, p. 165).

Video to left is advice by Tony Muriello on ways to increase muscle strength for 30 year olds

30s

[IllPumpYouUp.com]. (2012, December 12). Gaining Muscle & Bodybuilding in Your 30’s and 40’s! [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/I7idPIK9OQs

Cognitive

Teaching, mentoring, and leading others in the workplace.

Graduating with a Ph. D in Human Sciences with a specialization in Child, Youth, and

Families from UNL.

High self-efficacy allows one to “expend effort and persist longer” at achieving educational

efforts (Santrock, 2014, p. 576).

30s

Socioemotional

Developing relationships with my colleagues in the field, getting married, and having kids.

Once adults reach there 30s they experience increasing pressure to “settle down” and get married (Santrock, 2014, p. 475).

Finishing my education and starting a family helped spur my development toward my 40s.

30s

BiologicalBody starts to slow down. It’s hard

to get going to meet the days challenges.

Older adults move more “slowly” than young adults (Santrock, 2014, p. 165).

Please watch video to right on aging process and slowing it down

40s

[Dr. Ann Wellness]. (2013, June 12). How to Slow Down the Aging Process [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/_64suGtlUmw

Cognitive

Learning and Managing my own non-profit to help youth and former foster youth transition into adulthood.

Parenting my children and teaching them to be good people using a mixture of “authoritative” and indulgent/permissive parenting style (Santrock, 2014, p. 489).

40s

Socioemotional Children start doing sports, entering the school system, dating,

graduating, and start attending college.Adolescent have “attachments” to parents as well as romantic

partners (Santrock, 2014, p. 345). Slowing down, parenting, and forming attachments with my

children help set my developmental mindset for my 50s.

40s

BiologicalThe wear and tear over the

years causes my body to need more sleep.

Nearly “50%” of older adults have sleeping problems and need naps to catch up (Santrock, 2014, p. 117).

50s

Cognitive

Relationships with peers my own age start to become a priority again.

My children are now out of the nest. Coping with new life stressors starts.

Starting to think of retirement.

Need the Four M’s of Financial Success in place: “Milestones, Measurement, Monitoring, and Management” to retire successfully and without worry (Burke and Goldman, 2015, p. 8).

Normative age-graded influences and normative history-graded influences (Santrock, 2014, p. 7).

50s

Socioemotional Having close friends becomes a

priority to do activities with. Tend to choose “close friends” over

making new friends (Santrock, 2014, p. 528).

Naps, close friends, and thinking about retirement set up my development for my 60s.

Please video on right about Retirement statistics from 2013

50s

[AccretiveWealth]. (2013, June 28). Saving for Retirement in Today’s Economy [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/bhodvwfEckM

Biological

May develop lots of health problems such as arthritis among others.

Arthritis – “Inflammation” of joints (Santrock, 2014, p. 130).

60s

Cognitive

Finally reaching retirement, trying to find ways to still be active, maybe start volunteering more.

Volunteering has a “positive effect” on an individuals health (Martinson and Minkler, 2006, p. 321).

Activity Theory – “more involved the more satisfied of life I will live” (Santrock, 2014, p. 534).

60s

Socioemotional

Start giving back my time, energy, and spirit to my wife and children. Build better relationships with them because I realize I put most of my time into my work and career.

Older adults expressed a “strong feeling of responsibility” to their families later in life then they had previously felt before (Santrock, 2014, p. 508).

Volunteering and spending time with family highlight my developmental pursuits for my 70s.

60s

BiologicalBecoming increasingly less active. Less likely to want to do

strenuous physical or social activities. Physical functioning “declines” (Santrock, 2014, p. 99).

70s

Cognitive

Looking and trying to find a greater sense of meaning in my own life.

“Reflective thinking” – thinking deeply about work and other life areas (Santrock, 2014, p. 213).

70s

Socioemotional

Reflect on life (Family, Career, Friends, and passions). Put all of my energy left into my relationships with wife, children, and grandchildren. Reflecting on the death of friends and family members.

Postformal Thought – “reflective” and realistic thinking (Santrock, 2014, p. 213).

Searching for meaning, reflecting on my life, and thinking about my independence highlight my development toward my 80s

70s

Biological

Lost the ability to be independent. Must rely on others to help me.

Risk of “physical disability” increases (Santrock, 2014, p. 99).

80s and Beyond

CognitiveActively try to connect my ill life circumstances to a greater

Christian calling to allow for self comfort.Physically my body has died but “spiritually” my body will

live on due to my Christian beliefs (Santrock, 2014, p. 598).

80s and Beyond

Socioemotional

Understanding, dealing, and making sure all the preparations are in place for my own ultimate end of life. Place greatest importance on family and friends.

Actively use “advance care planning” to communicate to my family and friends about the care I wish to receive (Santrock, 2014, p. 600).

80s and Beyond

[AccretiveWealth]. (2013, June 28). Saving for Retirement in Today’s Economy [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttps://youtu.be/bhodvwfEckM

[Alex25dco]. (2006, August 5). Crying game [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/rWy9xjijaKE

Burke, T. V., & Goldman, T. A. (2015). Strategies to Help Defined Contribution Plan Participants Improve Financial Wellness and Achieve a Secure Retirement. Benefits Quarterly, 318-11.

[Dr. Ann Wellness]. (2013, June 12). How to Slow Down the Aging Process [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttps://youtu.be/_64suGtlUmw

[IllPumpYouUp.com]. (2012, December 12). Gaining Muscle & Bodybuilding in Your 30’s and 40’s! [Video file].Retrieved from https://youtu.be/I7idPIK9OQs

[Kristin M]. (2011, March 20). Responding to name [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/qUEfd4_oy68

Martinson, M., & Minkler, M. (2006). Civic Engagement and Older Adults: A Critical Perspective. Gerontologist, 46(3), 318-324.

Santrock, J. W. (2014).  A Topical Approach to Life-Span Development. (7th Ed.). Dallas, Texas: McGraw-Hill.

References