Lifespan Research:
Comparison/Contrast of Early Childhood versus Adolescent Population
Abstract
Life is a series of stages and we are mere puppets in the game of life. From childhood to adolescence to old age we undergo a series of transformations which are physical, emotional, social and cognitive or mental in nature.
Childhood is said to be the essence of purity and life, which adolescence is said to be the shape of existence. The child is governed by the environment his/she is put into which the adolescent creates his/her own space. The development is gradual up to a point in time in both the phases until society and culture make their marks or stands.
Both phases of life are characterized by change the difference being that in childhood the change is managed by external forces while the adolescent is more or less often the change agent and manager.
Lifespan research has been referred to as the study undertaken to investigate both social and psychological factors which in turn contribute to influencing mental health. The term lifespan denotes the approach utilized i.e. examination of factors from childhood to adolescence to old age. This paper is an attempt to compare and contrast childhood and adolescence with regard to social, physical and cognitive aspects. The paper first sketches out a description of childhood, secondly significant characteristics of adolescence in the first 4 pages, lastly the paper compares and contrasts the two stages over a variety of parameters.
Assumption
Both phases of life take place in a normal setup of a family unit with supportive parents and an “accepted” upbringing.
EARLY CHILDHOOD (2-6 years)
Early childhood refers to the age group of 2 to 6 years of development and is the stage where multiple changes (social, physical, cognitive) are observed to take place. Many a psychologist has classified this age to be one paramount importance as many critical behavioral attributes develop in this...