Unit 1 You and Others 12
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Emotional growth and development involves feelings. People learn to recognize
and respect their feelings. They
accept
their feelings, or view them as normal
and proper. They fi nd ways to express feelings that do not hurt themselves or
others. For instance, a child learns to express anger through talking rather than a
temper tantrum. This is a sign of emotional growth. Trying to understand ideas
from a different point of view is another sign of emotional growth.
Reading
Review
1. Explain the following statement: “Life is a constant process of growth
and development.”
2. What are the four major types of growth and development?
3. Which of these four types of growth and development can you
infl uence? Give examples.
Stages of Growth and Development
A normal life span has three main stages of growth and development.
These are childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Some experts divide these
stages into smaller stages. For instance, they may divide adolescence into
early and late adolescence.
People change during each life stage. They grow and develop physically,
intellectually, socially, and emotionally. These types of growth and
development are closely related. More than one type of growth can occur at
a time. As your body grows, so do your abilities. You are able to learn new
ideas. You also get along with others and are better able to show emotions.
Experts in human development have identifi ed developmental tasks for
each stage of life.
Developmental tasks
are skills or behavior patterns most
people achieve at certain stages of their lives. You can think of developmental
tasks as goals of growth. Some examples are learning to stand, walk, talk, and
care about others. Another example is making career choices.
People need to achieve the tasks in each stage of development. If they do
not, they may have problems reaching the goals of the next stage. For instance,
learning to share is a developmental task of childhood. Forming mature
relationships is a developmental task of the teen years. Very young children
need to form close relationships with their parents or caregivers. Then, when
they become teens, they will be better able to form positive peer relationships.
Reading
Review
1. What are the three different stages of growth and development?
2. Why is it important to achieve the developmental tasks during each
stage of development?