Studying Growth

Our LIFESMART text outlines distinct developmental periods to human life. In each developmental period, human beings develop physically, cognitively, and socially.  From the information mastered in this class, I am able to see Lifespan psychology at work—all the time—in every day life. This course has provided nomenclature to the various developmental changes and growths occurring at every moment of our human lifespans. Now, I am able to relate and apply the various theories and perspectives learned in the course in order to:  Foster the relationships I have with my family, friends, and self  Identify where I am at developmentally and psychosocially Determine a sense of identity both personally and sexually  Seek meaning and value in sexual relationships    Look forward from stage to stage in my life to better prepare for coming stressors  Respond positively to stressful situations  Participate in cultural rites of passage  ...

“Death is the destination we all share, no one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be because death is very likely the single best invention of life.” -Steve Jobs This quote particularly stuck out to me in Steve Jobs’s Stanford address. Death is a part of life that we all fear because it is the final part of our life’s journey. As humans, it is only innate to fear or even dread death because we have worked so hard in the duration of our lifespans developing our fullest senses of self, creating intrinsic and meaningful relationships, and finding value in our impact on society. It is the absolute and definitive end to the cumulation of all of our live’s hard work, acquisition of knowledge, triumph over stressors, and cognitive development. Through the shared experience of death, one thing often repeated is: “they lived a good life”. It is this “they lived a good life” mentality that makes the road to our shared destination worth traveling. The construct of the uncertaintie...

Chapters 9 & 10 strays away from adolescence and into adulthood. In our reading, we see a persons physical changes making way for social and cultural transitions. During emerging adulthood, young adults 18-25 are engaging in experimentation and exploration as they attempt to form and navigate life paths on their own. Here, a person is not only able to reproduce, but they realize that they are responsible for their own lives and are able to take on adult responsibilities. Further, young adults are able to use the life experience gained throughout adolescence pertaining to personal interest building, problem solving strategies, and perspective development. In this phase, lifestyle changes such as diet, fitness, and substance use majorly affects cognitive development as well as into the other phases of life.  As technology advances and emphasis on the media and pop culture increases, I believe that the transition from adolescence to adulthood is getting harder and harder. Ado...