Human Development

Human Development is a life-long process of physical, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional growth and change. Enormous changes happens during early stages of life from babyhood to adolescence (Advocates for Youth, 2000).

Along this topic, there are two important terms that you need to become familiar – GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT. Growth refers to quantitative changes that occurs such as change in height and weight. On the other hand, Development refers to qualitative changes that occurs such as the menstruation for girls and the presence of adam’s apple for the boys.

Through out the entire life-span, there are 5 major aspects of development that we need to consider. these are: 1. Physical, 2. Social, 3. Mental, 4. Moral, and 5. Emotional.

In this context, the issue between nature vs.
nurture is also discussed. Nature
refers to hereditary components which provides
us our potentials while nurture
refers to the environmental components which shape those potentials.