It is argued that human beings first develop the ability to use symbols in the form of images and words during early childhood. As the child develops their intellectual abilities they become more skilful at using and manipulate these symbols. The progressive pattern of the child’s intellectual development can be seen in the way that the child plays, the play becomes more imaginative throughout childhood, for example a broom can become a horse.
There is a significant change that happens during later childhood, when children discover what they need, and can use general rules for understanding and relating to the world around them, these rules can be known as concrete operations. When I child develops these operations, he or she will understand that adding will make something bigger or more, and subtracting will make something smaller or less.
The foundation of human and social and human development that is established during infancy is built upon during childhood, when the child tries to form an increasing number of relationships with new people in new situations such as teaches at school and making friends with other children. Most children will have experienced a huge amount of emotional and social development ay 8 years of age, a lot of this development will have happened since the end of infancy.
Adolescence
During adolescence the child will experience a period of rapid growth, major physical growth and development. ‘Puberty’ is the term used to describe the period in adolescence when physical changes to the human reproductive system leads to sexual maturity. The physical changes that occur during puberty are mainly the result of hormone activity. Hormones are sections of the endocrine glands. The body produces a number of hormones from the pituitary and other endocrine gland. The table below shows the physical developments sue to hormones.
A persons ability to think in more solid ways is extended during adolescence and the level of a persons thinking, language use and memory is greater than in childhood years. Many teenagers develop abstract thinking abilities during adolescence. Abstract thinking, for example improves the adolescents ability to:
- Contemplate the future
- Understand the nature of human relationships
- Use foresight to predict possible consequences
- Empathise
In addition to developing this type of thinking ability, many young people also develop their memory capacity and find that they can apply their intellectual skills and capacities more effectively. Coping with the physical effects of puberty and forging a sense of personal identity are two of the key emotional tasks of adolescence. The changes triggered during adolescence often trigger concerns of being normal and about self images.
Adulthood
Adulthood is the life stage that is associated with physical and emotional maturity and social freedom. It’s the phase of life which people associate with independence. Adulthood, like the preceding life stages, is a continually changing life stage which physical, intellectual, emotional and social development is experienced. A lot of social and emotional development and change occurs during early adulthood. Later adulthood and old age are associated with significant physical changes and slowing down, though not necessarily a loss of intellectual capabilities.
As well as being the period of identical developmental change, adulthood and old age are life stages where continuities can be observed. Physical and intellectual attributes and capacities are maintained for much of this period, and the social and emotional patterns of life are often repeated.
- Briefly explain why adolescence is called a transitional stage and give supporting examples (approx 150 word)
Adolescence is the stage of maturation between childhood and adulthood. The term denotes the period from the period of puberty to maturity; it usually starts at about age 14 in males and age 12 in females. The transition to adulthood varies among cultures, but it is generally defined as the period when individual begin to function independently from their parents. Adolescence is the stage when individuals begin to think in more complex ways and in addition to this, language skills and memory becomes greater. During adolescence the ability to think about things that they are not directly experienced with becomes evident even though this ability is not evident during earlier years.
- Briefly explain the structure of DNA and discuss what roles genes play in growth, development and determining characteristics (approx 250 words)
A baby is made up of two different, but now combined, sets of genes. Each cell of the babies body is a microscopic compartment that houses a chemical ribbon known as DNA. DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid which occurs in the nuclei of cells, is the material that makes up genes and consists of long chains typically paired in a double helix. DNA provides the information to enable the human body to work. Each cell in the human body contain genetic information needed by the whole body, DNA tell each cell to use only the information needed, for example it tells brain cells to behave like brain cells and skin cells to behave like skin cells. DNA is packed with chromosomes. In turn these chromosomes contain shorter stretches of DNA ribbon, these are known as genes. Each cell of the human body contains 46 chromosomes arranged in pairs. This full complement of chromosomes in a cell is called the genotype. This is the blueprint that contains genetic instructions to make a human being. Genes are units of heredity information. They pass on biological characteristics such as eye colour, and diseases such as Huntington’s chorea.
- What is meant by the nature/nurture debate? (approx 100 words)
The nature/nature debate is the controversy surrounding the relative influence of environment and heredity on children’s behaviour. The nature thought is that the contribution of genetic predetermination and innate knowledge gives rise to all the inherited characteristics and qualities of development. This is also known as biological determinism.
The nurture side is that the effects and influences of the environment; that is social status, upbringing and other external factors are primarily responsible for development. In other words development changes result from the external environmental forces. This is a debate which on ongoing and long standing. It is also thought by many people that a mixture of both nature and nurture is the most appropriate, this debate is argued by both scientific and philosophical circles. This debate is open to interpretation and personal input.
Discuss what is meant by the term ‘lifestyle’. Give some examples of factors which may influence this state, both positively and negatively (approx 200 words)
The term lifestyle is a combination of attitudes, habits and behaviours that have a significant influence on the way a person lives and experiences their daily life. It is used in a variety of ways in the context of human development. It sometimes refers to the particular attitudes and habits that a person has, or to what is typical of a defined group of people. In this sense the lifestyles of ‘healthy’ people are seen to be distinctive and different form the lifestyles of ‘unhealthy’ people. ‘Lifestyle’ is also associated with the consumption or use of a whole variety of things that affect human health and development. These range from the foods you consume to the use of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. In this sense, ‘lifestyle’ factors refer to both your attitudes and behaviours.
There are several factors that can influence a persons lifestyle, either positively or negatively. The nutritional and dietary choices that a person makes can lead to a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle, a person needs to maintain adequate nutrition to meet their specific health and growth needs, food that contains a high level of fat, sugar or salt is likely to be of poor nutritional quality.
Another factor that can influence a persons lifestyle is the amount of exercise they do. A person that takes more exercise is more likely to live a healthier lifestyle than a person that does not take regular exercise.
Stress can also influence lifestyle, if a person is stress it may be down to factors within their lifestyle, such as excessive work roles/long hours, lack of sleep, health problems or financial commitments and problems. On last factor that can affect a persons lifestyle is alcohol and drugs. Although alcohol is legal and widely used within the adult population, if it is misused then a person may show a variety of health and mental risks.
- Discuss what is meant by environmental influences on growth and development (approx 150 words)
Environmental factors are external influences on human growth and development, because they exist outside the human body and are more a part of the environments in which we live. Environmental factors have a more indirect and varied impact on human development, compared to genetic influences. Environmental conditions affect human health and development negatively when they expose you to poisonous, harmful and unpleasant substances such as chemical pollutants in the short or long term, or when adequate supplies of clean water are not available. Like most industrialised countries, Britain has no problems with drought at the present, but pollution and destruction of the environment have been highlighted as a consequence of industrial activity and modern lifestyles. The main threats to human health and development occur where the food system becomes damaged or compromised and the air quality is contaminated by pollution.
Environmental pollution can affect growth and development by affecting the food quality, air quality and water sanitation. The nutritional quality of a persons food intake has a direct impact on their growth, development, health and wellbeing. Climate change and the industrial processing and manufacturing of food are issues causing growing concern among both health care practitioners and the general public as consumers of food.
Carbon dioxide emissions from cars, factories and households pollute the air that we breathe carbon monoxide, which is poisonous, is also emitted. As a result, air pollution continues to contribute to the higher levels of respiratory disorders, such as asthmatic symptoms and bronchitis that are prevalent in urban areas. Children, pregnant women, elderly people are the population groups most likely to be affected by environmental influences .
- Name the three definitions of health promotion and briefly describe each one (approx 200 words)
Health promotion is a range of social, educational and psychological strategies that are used to motivate people to improve and maintain their standards of personal health and wellbeing.
There are three definitions of health promotion these being negative, positive and a whole society approach.
Health education is sometimes based on a negative, biomedical understanding of health for example, informing people about the dangers of smoking, aims to keep them ‘healthy’ by ensuring that they avoid developing lung cancer etc.
Health-promotion activity that aims to promote health improvement through behaviour change generally adopts a positive approach to ‘health’. Campaigns that encourage people to stop smoking, eat fewer fatty foods and to do more exercise are all part of the health improvement approach. They are based on the belief that ‘health’ is a positive state that can be acquired through individuals changing their behaviour and living in a ‘healthy’ way.
A ‘whole society’ approach, or collective approach, to health promotion is often the one adopted by governments. The collective approach moves health promotion away from the level of personal responsibility and individual activity. Governments may try to promote the health of a whole nation, or a significant part of the population, through legislation. Examples include laws that make the wearing of seatbelts compulsory, laws that make pollution of the air and water supply illegal and policies that ensure children form low income families get free school meals.
