Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF NUEVA ECIJA
PUTLOD-SAN JOSE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
BRGY. PUTLOD, JAEN, NUEVA ECIJA PHILIPPINES 3109

Personal Development
Quarter 1 - Module 3:
Developmental Tasks According to Developmental Stage

LESSON 1: Developmental Skills and Tasks of Adolescence

According to R. Harvighurst a developmental-task is a task which an individual has to

and wants to solve in a particular life-period. Havighurst writes, “A developmental-task is the
midway between an individual need and a social demand. It assumes an active learner
interacting with an active social environment”. The idea of the concept is that children and
young people want to solve problems themselves (the active learner).
His main assertion is that development is continuous throughout the entire lifespan,
occurring in stages, where the individual moves from one stage to the next by means of
successful resolution of problems or performance of developmental tasks. These tasks are
those that are typically encountered by most people in the culture where the individual
belongs. If the person successfully accomplishes and masters the developmental task, he feels
pride and satisfaction, and consequently earns his community or society’s approval. This
success provides a sound foundation which allows the individual to accomplish tasks to be
encountered at later stages. Conversely, if the individual is not successful at accomplishing a
task, he is unhappy and is not accorded the desired approval by society, resulting in the
subsequent experience of difficulty when faced with succeeding developmental tasks. This
theory presents the individual as an active learner who continually interacts with a similarly
active social environment.

Robert Havighurst emphasized that learning is basic and that it continues throughout life span.
Growth and Development occurs in six stages.

Infancy and Early Childhood Middle Childhood Adolescence

1. Learning physical skills
necessary for ordinary
games.
2. Building wholesome
attitudes toward oneself as a
growing organism
3. Learning to get along with
age-mates
4. Learning an appropriate
masculine or feminine social
role
5. Developing fundamental
skills in reading, writing, and
calculating
6. Developing concepts
necessary for everyday living.
7. Developing conscience,
morality, and a scale of
1. Achieving new and more
mature relations with age-
mates of both sexes
2. Achieving a masculine or
feminine social role
3. Accepting one's physique
and using the body
effectively
4. Achieving emotional
independence of parents and
other adults
5. Preparing for marriage and
family life Preparing for an
economic career
6. Acquiring a set of values
and an ethical system as a
guide to behavior;
developing an ideology
1. Achieving new and more
mature relations with age-
mates of both sexes
2. Achieving a masculine or
feminine social role
3. Accepting one's physique
and using the body
effectively
4. Achieving emotional
independence of parents and
other adults
5. Preparing for marriage and
family life Preparing for an
economic career
6. Acquiring a set of values
and an ethical system as a
guide to behavior;
developing an ideology
 values 8. Achieving personal 7. Desiring and achieving 7. Desiring and achieving
independence socially responsible behavior socially responsible behavior
9. Developing attitudes
toward social groups and
institutions

Early Adulthood Middle Age Later Maturity

1. Selecting a mate 1. Achieving adult civic and 1. Adjusting to decreasing

2. Achieving a masculine or
feminine social role
3. Learning to live with a
marriage partner
4. Starting a family
5. Rearing children
6. Managing a home
7. Getting started in an
occupation
8. Taking on civic
responsibility 9. Finding a
congenial social group
social responsibility
2. Establishing and
maintaining an economic
standard of living 3. Assisting
teenage children to become
responsible and happy adults
4. Developing adult leisure-
time activities
5. Relating oneself to one’s
spouse as a person
6. Accepting and adjusting to
the physiologic changes or
middle age
7. Adjusting to aging parents.
physical strength and health
2. Adjusting to retirement
and reduced income
3. Adjusting to death of a
spouse
4. Establishing an explicit
affiliation with one’s age
group 5. Meeting social and
civil obligations
6. Establishing satisfactory
physical living arrangement

LESSON 2: Challenges Experienced during Adolescence

Adolescence is a complicated period for most people. They are saddled with decisions
about career, lifestyle and sex. Planning life directions will also be difficult if they are not
equipped on how to deal with difficult situations that they are facing. For the adolescent, this
period is a dramatic challenge, one requiring adjustment to changes in the self, in the family,
and in the peer group. Adolescence is also considered a time of excitement and of anxiety; of
happiness and of troubles; of discovery and of confusion; and of breaks with the past and of
links with the future.
Geldard and Geldard (2006) explain that adolescence is a time in a young person’s life
where they move from dependency on their parents to independence, autonomy and maturity.
The young person begins to move from the family group being their major social system, to the
family taking a lesser role and being part of a peer group becomes a greater attraction that will
eventually lead to the young person to standing alone as an adult. Adolescence is a period that
extends over a substantial part of a person’s life. However, each adolescent experience
individual changes and growth at differing rates, with some moving through the adolescent
phase quicker and more smoothly than others. Some adolescents have supportive families,
others face this daunting period of their lives alone. Some adolescents may remain at home
with their families, but their families are emotionally distant so the adolescent can feel as if
they are “alone in a crowd”

The following are some of the challenges experienced by adolescents:

1. Physical Development
• Most girls have completed the physical changes related to puberty by age
• Boys are still maturing and gaining strength, muscle mass, and height and are
completing the development of sexual traits.
2. Emotional Development
• May stress over school and test scores.
• Is self-involved (may have high expectations and low self-concept).
• Seeks privacy and time alone.
 • Is concerned about physical and sexual attractiveness.
• May complain that parents prevent him or her from doing things independently.
• Starts to want both physical and emotional intimacy in relationships.
• The experience of intimate partnerships.
3. Social Development
• Shifts in relationship with parents from dependency and subordination to one that
reflects the adolescent’s increasing maturity and responsibilities in the family and the
community,
• Is more and more aware of social behaviors of friends.
• Seeks friends that share the same beliefs, values, and interests.
• Friends become more important.
• Starts to have more intellectual interests.
• Explores romantic and sexual behaviors with others.
• May be influenced by peers to try risky behaviors (alcohol, tobacco, sex).
4. Mental Development
• Becomes better able to set goals and think in terms of the future.
• Has a better understanding of complex problems and issues.
• Starts to develop moral ideals and to select role models.

Young people in the adolescent age range are commonly described as rebellious, self-
centered, troubled, or just plain difficult. This time is also full of freedom, independence, and
accelerated growth. While it is true that adolescence can be an unrestrained time for children
and parents alike, the adolescent can navigate these years successfully to mature into healthy
adults. Adults can better understand the goals of adolescence and work with their teens by
providing support in their growth. Adolescents and adults around them can benefit from
learning more about this challenging time in young people's lives.
Phases of Adolescence
Psychologists break down the age range for adolescent people into three distinct
phases. These are early, middle, and late adolescence. Each of these phases comes with
its characteristics, challenges, and goals.
• Early adolescence occurs between 10-14 years of age
• Middle adolescence occurs between 15-17 years of age
• Late adolescence continues from age 18 to adulthood

ACTIVITY 1

TRUE OR FALSE. Write TRUE if the statement is correct otherwise FALSE. Read each statement
carefully.
TRUE 1. In ages 0-5, the child started to distinguish right from wrong and developing a conscience.
FALSE 2. Adolescents at the age of 6-13 are very concerned with their physical appearance.
FALSE 3. A young adult ages 27-35 will start to listen to parents’ advice.
FALSE 4. Close relationships with peer groups become important at the age of 40-60
FALSE 5. Retirement starts at 40
TRUE 6. Accepting the physiological changes of middle age starts at 30-60
FALSE 7. Assuming civic responsibility begins at the age of 14
TRUE 8. Development is continuous throughout the entire lifespan
TRUE 9. Establishing relations with one’s own age group is one of the developmental tasks under the
stage of 61 onwards.
TRUE 10. Relating to one’s spouse as a person is one of the tasks under the middle adulthood.
FALSE 11.Erick Erickson is the founder of Developmental Tasks Theory
TRUE 12.This Developmental Tasks Theory presents the individual as an active learner who continually
interacts with a similarly active social environment.
TRUE 13.According to the Developmental Task Theory if the individual is not successful at accomplishing
a task, he is unhappy and is not accorded the desired approval by society, resulting in the subsequent
experience of difficulty when faced with succeeding developmental tasks.
FALSE 14.Achieving personal independence starts at the age of 8
FALSE 15.Early Adulthood starts at the age of 35.
TRUE 16. Most girls have completed the physical changes related to puberty by age
TRUE 17. Boys are still maturing and gaining strength, muscle mass, and height and are completing the
development of sexual traits
TRUE 18. In Emotional development of an adolescent they may complain that parents prevent them
from doing things independently.
TRUE 19. Becomes better able to set goals and think in terms of the future. Has a better understanding
of complex problems and issues
TRUE 20. During Adolescence stage, becomes better able to set goals and think in terms of the future
TRUE 21. During adolescent stage teens starts to develop moral ideals and select role models.
TRUE 22. The young person begins to move from the family group being their major social system, to
the family taking a lesser role and being part of a peer group becomes a greater attraction that will
eventually lead to the young person to standing alone as an adult
TRUE 23. Adolescence is also considered a time of excitement and of anxiety; of happiness and of
troubles; of discovery and of confusion; and of breaks with the past and of links with the future.
TRUE 24. One of the challenges experienced by adolescent in their social development is shifting in a
relationship with parents from dependency and subordination to one that reflects the adolescent’s
increasing maturity and responsibilities in the family and the community
TRUE 25. Boys are still maturing and gaining strength, muscle mass, and height and are completing the
development of sexual traits during their adolescent stage.

ACTIVITY 2
Direction: Below are the lists of tasks and activities perform by a person. Try to figure out the
suitable task for each development stages.
a. Infancy and Early Childhood (0-5)
b. Middle Childhood (6-12)
c. Adolescence (13-18)
d. Early Adulthood (19-30)
e. Middle Adulthood (30-60)
f. Later Maturity (61-)

A. 1. Learning to take solid foods

A. 2. Readiness for reading
B. & C. 3. Achieving mature relations with both sexes
A. 4. Learning an appropriate sex role
E. 5. Accepting the physiological changes of middle age
D. 6. Learning to live with a partner
F. 7. Adjusting to decreasing strength and health
F. 8. Satisfactory career achievement
E. 9. Adjusting to aging parent
B. 10.Developing fundamental skills in reading, writing, and calculating
B. & C. 11.Achieving emotional independence of adults
C. 12.Acquiring values and an ethical system to guide behavior
C. 13.Desiring and achieving socially responsibility behavior
A. 14. Learning to control the elimination of body wastes
E. 15.Adjusting to aging parent

REFERENCE:

SDO Bataan Self Learning Module