Developmental Task
Infancy and Early Middle Childhood
Childhood (0-5) (6-12)
1. Learning to walk 1. Learning physical skills necessary for
2. Learning to take solid foods ordinary games
3. Learning to talk 2. Building a wholesome attitude towards
4. Learning to control the elimination of oneself
body wastes 3. Learning to get along with agemates
5. Learning sex differences and sexual 4. Learning an appropriate sex role
modesty 5. Developing fundamental skills in reading,
6. Acquiring concepts and language to writing and calculating
describe social and physical reality 6. Developing concepts necessary for
7. Readiness for reading everyday living
8. Learning to distinguish right from 7. Developing conscience, morality and a
wrong and developing a conscience scale of values
8. Achieving personal independence
9. Developing acceptable attitudes towards
society
Adolescence Early Adulthood
(13-18) (19-29)
1. Achieving mature relations with both
1. Selecting a mate
sexes
2. Achieving a masculine or feminine 2. Learning to live with a partner
social role
3. Starting a family
3. Accepting one’s physique
4. Achieving emotional independence of 4. Rearing children
adults
5. Managing a home
5. Preparing for marriage and family life
6. Preparing for an economic career 6. Starting an occupation
7. Acquiring values and ethical system to
7. Assuming civic responsibilities
guide behavior
8. Desiring and achieving socially
responsible behavior
Middle Adulthood Later Maturity
(30-60) (61-and over)
1. Helping teenage children to become 1. Adjusting to decreasing strength and
happy and responsible adults health
2. Achieving adult social and civic 2. Adjusting to retirement and reduced
responsibility income
3. Satisfactory career achievement 3. Adjusting to death of spouse
4. Developing adult leisure time activities 4. Establishing relations with one’s own
5. Relating to one’s spouse as a person group
6. Accepting the physiological changes of 5. Meeting social and civic obligations
middle age 6. Establishing satisfactory living quarters
7. Adjusting to aging parent
The Developmental Task (Santrock, 2002)
1. Prenatal period (from conception to birth) – It is involves tremendous growth- from
a single cell to an organism complete with brain and behavioral capabilities.
2. Infancy (from birth to 18-24 months) – A time of extreme dependence on adults.
Many psychological activities are just beginning – language, symbolic thought,
sensorimotor combination and social learning.
3. Early childhood (end of infancy to 5-6 years (Grade 1) – These are the preschool
years. Young children learn to become more self-sufficient and to care for
themselves, develop school readiness skills and spend many hours in play with
peers.
4. Middle and late childhood (6-11 years of age, the elementary school years) – The
fundamental skills of reading, writing and arithmetic are mastered. The child is
formally exposed to the larger world and its culture. Achievement becomes a more
central theme of the child’s world and self-control increases.
5. Adolescence (10-12 years of age ending up to 18-22 years of age) – Begins with
rapid physical changes – dramatic gains in height and weight, changes in body
contour, and the development of sexual characteristics such as enlargement of
breasts, development of pubic and facial hair, and deepening of the voice. Pursuit
of independence and identity are prominent. Thought is more logical, abstract and
idealistic. More time is spent outside of the family.
6. Early adulthood (from late teens or early 20s lasting through the 30s) – It is the
time of establishing personal and economic independence, career development,
selecting a mate, learning to live with someone in an intimate way, starting a family
and rearing children
7. Middle adulthood (40 to 60 years of age) – It is the time of expanding personal and
social involvement and responsibility; of assisting the next generation in becoming
competent and mature individuals; and of reaching and maintaining satisfaction in a
career.
8. Late adulthood (60s and above) – It is a time for adjustment to decreasing strength
and health, life review, retirement, and adjustment to new social roles.
