Comparing development at two different life stage
PART I: Data Collection
General description
About the Project: The project aimed to establish the physical, cognitive and psychosocial development of two individuals at different life stages.
Study Subjects: My study subjects included a nine-year-old boy by the name Abdullah and Hamad, a twenty-two-year-old male client. Abdullah resides with his family and goes to school daily. Hamad also stays with his family and likes to remain quiet.
Interview Settings: The duration of the project was a two-week period. In both the study subjects, the researcher interviewed and observed them over the study’s duration. Likewise, their families provided additional information about the subjects that the researcher required.
Part I: Data Collection and analysis table
Cognitive Development
Observations/interview information
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Your comments about what you have observed/heard | Relate to stages/theories/literature about development that you have studied | References
Journal/book/internet |
Examples of subjects activities Yes/No |
| · Abdullah learns through a combination of seeing and touching
· Abdullah can see things from his brothers’ perspectives.
· He can classify different things as either living or non-living.
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· This shows that Abdullah is can only think using concrete operations.
· Abdullah is showing signs of cognitive development, as he can understand other peoples’ opinions. · Clearly, this is sign of his cognitive development that only utilize concrete objects. |
All these findings are characteristic to the concrete operation stage according to Piaget’s cognitive development. Individuals in this stage are able to manipulate concrete objects, understand other peoples’ perspective (London, 2011). | Class notes
(London, 2011) |
An exercise of classifying various things as either living or non-living |
Cognitive Development
Observations/interview information
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Your comments about what you have observed/heard | Relate to stages/theories/literature about development that you have studied | References
Journal/ book/internet |
Examples of your subjects activities Yes/No |
| · He does not accept things plainly without seeking explanation.
· He admits that sometimes emotions may influence his judgment about issues. |
He demonstrates utilization of logic to make his decisions. Thus, he utilizes deductive reasoning and thinks abstractly even though he admits that his emotions may cloud his reasoning. | Hamad exhibits a post-formal operational thinking according to (Sigelman & Rider, 2014). In this form of thinking one exhibits exceptional use of logic to make decisions.
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Sigelman and Rider, (2014)
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| Psychosocial Development
Observations/interview information
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Your comments about what you have observed/heard | Relate to stages/theories/literature about development that you have studied | References
Journal/ book/internet |
Examples of your subjects activities Yes/No |
| Abdullah enjoys going to school. He also works hard to achieve good grades. Moreover, he enjoys the company of his brothers and copies everything they do. He also loves playing after finishing his school homework. He also admits that his parents have given him the chance to reach his goals. | In my opinion Abdullah’s social and psychological development as he exhibits a healthy social life and mental status. | According to Erickson’s psychosocial stages, Abdullah lies in the ‘industrious versus inferiority stage’. A basic requirement for the attainment of developmental task at this stage is love and support from parents (London, 2011).
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Erickson in (London, 2011)
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Psychosocial Development
Observations/interview information
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Your comments about what you have observed/heard | Relate to stages/theories/literature about development that you have studied | References
Journal/ book/internet |
Examples of your subjects activities Yes/No |
| Hamad admits that he has no friends of the opposite sex. He is only socially connected to his family and with friends of the same gender only. Moreover, he likes to stay alone and does little of the talking during the interview session. He works as a police officer. | Clearly, Hamad is struggling with making friends of the opposite sex. | According to Erikson, he is in the intimacy versus isolation stage. In this stage, one must establish intimate relationship to avoid the risk of living in solitude (Newman & Newman, 2014). | Erickson in (Newman & Newman, 2014) | |
Physical Development
Observations/interview information |
Your comments about what you have observed/heard | Relate to stages/theories/literature about development that you have studied | References
Journal/ book/internet |
Examples of your subjects activities Yes/No |
| Abdullah is very active in class and takes part in sports. The parents report that Abdullah was fat in his infant years but now he is slowly becoming thin and tall. | Abdullah’s age is characterized by minimal increase in physical growth thus the slight increase in height despite he is thin appearance. | According to Craig and Dunn, (2010) school-going age children exhibit a slow increase in physical growth and they appear to be thin. | Craig & Dunn, (2010)
Class notes |
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Physical Development
Observations/interview information
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Your comments about what you have observed/heard | Relate to stages/theories/literature about development that you have studied | References
Journal/ book/internet |
Examples of your subjects activities Yes/No |
| Hamad has a well-built physical stature characterized by his muscles. Moreover, he has a well-developed beard. He is also physically fit and exercises twice a day.
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Hamad is at the optimal peak of his physical growth. | According to Craig and Dunn, (2010) individuals above twenty years are at their peak of physical growth. | Craig & Dunn, (2010) |
