Human Physical Development Case Study
Thomas, an eighteen-year-old high school senior, is the subject of this case study. Thomas is preparing for college and is questioning the direction of his life and the decision he is making to have a positive impact on his own future. Thomas has become anxious and frustrated about his future, which has led to fights with his parents, the breakup of his girlfriend, and the disappearance of his high school friends. With all of this going on, he began to suspect that his support system was disintegrating all around him.
Theories of Human Development
Human development is the process of maturation. It refers to the biological and psychological development of a person over their lifetime. It includes the stages of development from infancy through childhood and adolescence to adulthood (Coon & Mittere,2016).
There are several types of development theories in this case study. Some of these theories include Erik Erikson’s psychological development theory of the eight stages of personality development, Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, and Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development (Coon & Mitterer,2016).
Stage five of Erikson’s psychological dilemma is visible in Thomas’s case study; this is where he has to create his own identity, and by doing so, he is experiencing Kohlberg’s theory of moral development; this is where he is learning how to develop values that are appropriate for his emotions and cognition behaviors (Coon & Mitterer, 2016). Thomas also demonstrated the second stage of moral development, known as conventional moral reasoning, and despite his desire to stay in the area and be with his girlfriend, he is willing to comply with his family’s expectations. He also encounters Piaget’s cognitive theory, in which his emotions and mental state of the situations cause him to become aggressive toward his parents, and he develops a sense of isolation from everyone around him. With these developments, he demonstrated a mental unpreparedness for the next stage of his future.
Human Development Theories in Action
There are many psychological events that occur in this case study, so before the author can apply the human development theories, the author will break down the different scenarios to which each theory applies. The first and most important point is that the character, in this case, is an eighteen-year-old who is about to enter young adulthood and is currently faced with a major decision about his future. Thomas is currently trying to find his own identity, which is causing him frustration and confusion, according to Erickson’s psychological theory (Coon & Mitterer, 2016). As a result of his new reality, Thomas adopts an unsettling attitude, which leads to fights with his parents. It also doesn’t help that his girlfriend has broken up with him, so with these two factors combined, Thomas becomes isolated.
The fact that Thomas will be leaving his high school friends behind when he leaves for college is another source of conflict for him as he adjusts to his new identity.
With this theory, Thomas is attempting to control his frustration, aggression, and anger about the situation while also attempting to comprehend the consequences that await him in the future. Many people, like Thomas, encounter this theory at the same point in their lives, and many of Thomas’ actions are the direct result of life-changing events.
Lawrence Kohlberg’s moral development theory is the other development theory that Thomas is experiencing. The stage demonstrated by Thomas is known as the conventional level; at this level, Thomas is willing to please others and follow the authority, rules, and values of decision-making in his future (Crain, 1985). The conventional level is usually reserved for adolescents and adults, and Thomas is an adolescent who is following his parents’ expectations of him going to college even though he has his own reservations about his future. According to Kohlberg, at this level, an individual views the preservation of his/her family’s expectations, group, and nation as valuable in and of themselves, regardless of the obvious consequences (Kohlberg) (1963).
Cognitive development is another theory demonstrated by Thomas in this case study. This theory is supported by the fact that Thomas’s girlfriend dumped him and that none of his high school friends will be around when he starts college. He also had to deal with the fact that he would be living on his own and would need to find work. This stage of cognitive development is known as the nature of intelligence, and it is at this point that Thomas is experiencing the transformation and state of being in college. The transformation of the changes he is about to go through is that he will have to leave behind his parents, friends, and girlfriend when he leaves for college. This indicates that he is maturing and taking on new responsibilities. As a result, he is suffering from separation anxiety, which is based on attachment theory. The fact that he will be leaving his only home causes anxiety and may result in a highly emotional and irrational response, such as him becoming physically aggressive. And while this type of intelligence is adaptive, it must be a function to represent both the transformational and state that is listed in the case study (Piagett,1971).
Conclusion
To summarize, we have all experienced or will experience the same situation in our lives as Thomas, and our actions may be similar as well. Some of us may require more time to make decisions as well as transition into the situation we are dealing with at the time. So it is critical that we all learn from our past experiences and pass that knowledge on to others, particularly our children, so that they do not go through the same life-changing experience and, if they do, can cope with decision-making in a less frustrating manner. It is also critical that we all learn how to make decisions based on logic rather than emotion because decisions based solely on emotions frequently fail.
References
Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. O. (2016). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior (14th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Crain, William C. (1985). Theories of Development (2Rev ed.). Prentice-Hall.
Kohlberg, L. (1963). The development of children’s orientations toward a moral order: I. Sequence in the development of moral thought. Vita Humana, 6, 11-33
Piaget, J. (1977). The role of action in the development of thinking. In Knowledge and development (pp. 17–42). Springer US.
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Question 
Observe or interview a child or adult in the age range of interest to you. You should have observed or interviewed at least three times during the duration of this course. The person you observed or interviewed should not be a family member. Each observation or interview should have lasted 30-45 minutes.
Human Physical Development Case Study
In 1,000-1,250 words, including the following in your case study.
- Give a brief physical description of the person observed.
- Discuss the cognitive, social, moral, and emotional development of the person observed, using concepts and terms studied in this course.
- The Developmental Milestone Chart that has been created during this course will help in the completion of this assignment.