The concepts of psychological age and developmental psychology are closely interconnected. Each age category has its own characteristics, and people can look and behave differently depending on many different factors.
The concept
The concept of age in psychology (briefly speaking) differs significantly from the chronological order, which originates from the day we were born. Consider the very concept of age.
Age is a stage of growth and individual development of a person. Two types can be distinguished - chronological and psychological. They are expressed as temporary units, separating the moment the object is born into the world until its psychological maturity.
The concept of age in developmental psychology is determined on the basis of the stage of ontogenetic development, which is based on the laws of body formation, living conditions, upbringing and training.
Initially, the psychological age was considered mental due to the work of French scientists. This indicator was determined on the basis of a special study, which included test tasks. It was later proposed to consider the ratio of mental to chronological age.
Domestic psychology is based on the works of L.S. Vygotsky, who raises the question of the problems of cultural age. That is, two people who have the same age according to passport data and approximately the same category of intellectual development can differ in cultural age.
Periods
So, we continue to discuss the concept of age in psychology. Age and development require gradation in life stages. Consider this concept on the basis of four approaches applied to the assessment of past years.
- Biological age. Based on the formation of the human body.
- Psychological. Based on cultural behavior.
- Social age. Displays the degree of acceptance of public roles and tasks, as well as their functions.
- Physical. It is estimated solely by the amount of time spent.
According to indicators of biological age, the life path is divided into the following stages:
- Children under 16 years old.
- Youth - people aged 16 to 21 years.
- Maturity - up to 60 years.
- Old age dates back to 60 years.
So we examined the periods and the concept of age in psychology. What factors influence psychological age?
The main structural components of age
Biological age includes changes that occur outside: gray hair, pigmentation, wrinkles that are perfectly visible in the mirror (we cannot see the state of internal organs). And biological age can also be judged by factors such as fatigue, weakness, and persistent illness. Biological aging is characteristic not only of older people, but also of young people.
So, the concept of age in psychology and the basic structural components of age:
- Lifestyle (physical activity, personal care, the presence of bad habits, stress, etc.) make up 50%.
- The environmental situation around you is about 20%.
- Genetic features - about 20%.
- The quality and standard of living is about 10%.
You may notice that people who live in favorable conditions in adulthood look much better than their peers. It is also important to note that the psychological mood of a person plays a decisive role in slowing down the biological clock. There must be a clear belief that it is necessary to spend money and time to combat aging.
According to the doctor of psychological sciences S. Krauss, there are no special changes in the body at the age of thirty or forty. But it’s human nature to be upset, realizing such an unattractive figure. On the basis of this, people often consider themselves old, and at the same time change their attitude to life. Most begin to limit themselves in many ways, referring to age. After which the process of psychological aging starts, people stop playing sports and begin to devote less time to their appearance. Women, in pursuit of the preservation of beauty, resort to procedures that do not correspond to their age. For this reason, the biological aging process is accelerating.
According to most scientists, the biological age of a person depends on 200 indicators. A person who does not look for signs of premature aging is full of strength and energy, and his appearance is practically not affected by serious changes.
Methods of developmental psychology
The concept of age in developmental psychology is briefly and generalized. As for the methods, the main ones are:
- The method of cross sections. Based on the study of a large number of people of different ages. The aim of the study is to obtain comparative data on the psychological nuances and characteristics of each age category.
- The method of longitudinal study. This study is a long study of the same test people. The aim of the study is to track age-related changes and the psyche.
High-quality identification of the peculiar stages of mental development and determination of age limits is a very difficult task, since the psychological age differs significantly from the actual number of years lived.
Features of the psychology of childhood
The concept of psychological age in modern age psychology is confirmed by the fact that a model of behavior in later life is laid almost from the conception period itself.
What is the role of childhood in mental development? The concept of age in the psychology of children will be considered in more detail.
Age-related child psychology places maximum emphasis on positive aspects. Researchers of our time believe that the baby begins to get acquainted with the world before he is born. Therefore, responsibilities are distributed so that kindergarten teachers are busy completing primary education for children. And for everything else, and especially for the foundations of this process, only the child’s parents are responsible.
There is an opinion that children under three years old tend only to absorb the information received. And upon reaching this age period, they are able to make their first attempts to influence the world around them. It is this period that is considered the beginning of the formation of rules of behavior that acquire great depth. Children are able to comprehend the incoming signals. It is at the age of five that feelings of fear begin to arise in children. And they consciously begin to be interested in the causes of various events that occur around them or in the world.
After the child becomes a schoolboy, he is faced with yet another difficult change - new landmarks. The naive perception of the world continues to persist, but an understanding of the ongoing interactions is already well developed. It is during this period that children tend to realize that they become an individual. Along with this, an irresistible desire to express your "I" appears. It is very important for parents in this period of personality formation to support their child, but at the same time to direct some influence on him.
Youth
What is the concept of age in developmental psychology during adolescence? Personal development reaches its peak precisely in this period. People of this age category tend to prove their innocence and independence, therefore, conflicts often arise. The most difficult moment of this period is that people can already make independent and balanced decisions, but they, more than ever, need the care of family and friends, as well as their correct guiding influence.
The desire to get the most out of your life right now provokes fatalistic sentiments. Psychologists advise in a given period of time to build a special line of behavior in such a way that the person does not feel or is not aware of the prohibitions and restrictions of personal freedom, but also calmly accepts the advice.
Features of adolescence
The concept of age in modern psychology in relation to adolescents does not establish clear boundaries, since they are denoted based on the individual characteristics of a person. Along with the concept of adolescence, the concept of the so-called transition period is often used. In this period, a person goes through the greatest path of personality development, which is associated with internal conflicts. And through external breakdowns, a sense of irritation, a teenager acquires a sense of personality.
In adolescence, the foundations of conscious behavior are laid, a general orientation is formed in moral representations and social attitudes.
It is the features of the development of cognitive abilities that directly affect academic performance and behavior in learning. And the success of the educational process depends on motivation. But in real life, you can see that students are not attracted to new knowledge, but rather, try their best to oppose the learning process.
Leading positions in the interests of young people are occupied by social activities and intimate and personal communication with peers. It is during this period that the awareness of learning is characteristic, as motives appear associated with ideal professional intentions. Therefore, training soon acquires a personal meaning.
Operations such as analysis, generalization and classification are actively developing. Adult logic of thinking is acquired.
The memory in the intellectual component is activated. But not meaning is used, but only mechanical memorization. It is common for a teenager to catch mistakes in the speech of teachers, parents and older people. At this stage, the authority of the native speaker becomes very important. And personal training and the correct perception of the language and its meanings individualize the self-knowledge of a person in adolescence.
It is very important for teens to communicate with peers. Psychology in the concept of age (the types of age we examined above) places a special emphasis on this issue. It is in communication that a teenager seeks to find his place, and the absence of such an opportunity can lead to social maladaptation and possible offenses. During this period, the assessment from friends is much higher than from parents or teachers. A teenager is influenced by a group and its values. He tends to worry when his popularity with peers is in danger.
Young people tend to rely on the opinions of others, and not make decisions on their own. The desire to live by their own rules and follow their ideal picture of the world often provokes conflicts between a teenager and his parents. Therefore, it is important to understand that negativity, aggression and resentment are an emotional reaction of a teenager to his own insecurity.
The teenage period is very important, since it is during this period that the foundations of the further life of a person are laid. The assertion of one's own independence, the formation of personality and the development of plans for the future - all this is formed in this age category.
Mature age
The concept of age in modern psychology highlights maturity as the best of the periods. It is at this time that the flowering of vitality occurs. But time is not without several crises.
During adulthood, a person has a huge number of possibilities. It is typical for him to exert influence on the people around him and at the same time not to stop in his development.
This period is characterized by the presence of forces that can be used in the spiritual, creative and intellectual fields. And besides this, it is common for a person to understand the significance of what is happening, and therefore there is a real interest in his own improvement.
The most positive aspects that are included in the concept of age in developmental psychology are opportunities based on the transfer of personal experience and knowledge to the younger generation. Due to this process, a person is fully aware of his importance and usefulness in a vast world.
If life in this age period does not work out in the best way, then there comes a crisis time, filled with stagnation, a feeling of desolation and constant immersion in thoughts about problems.
In addition to all of the above, maturity is characterized by a sense of permanence and stability. Being in such a state for a long time, a person begins to ponder the correctness of the choice made in a particular issue or situation, as well as the fullness of the realization of his own potential.
Elderly age
The definition of age and developmental psychology includes old age. Unfortunately, old age brings with it a deterioration in health, a decrease in the circle of people to communicate with and retirement. And the most unpleasant thing is that along with this all may come the development of a sense of uselessness and futility. This condition is associated with the fact that a person has a lot of free time, followed by apathy, which is accompanied by an unwillingness to learn something new and develop further.
People of this age category need help from relatives. It is necessary to give an elderly person a chance to feel needed.
After sixty years, the attitude towards his appearance changes. Elderly people are more focused on internal harmony and health status. It is during this period that it is common to realize the whole value of life, along with this there is calm and prudence. Often, relatives may notice that the character of an elderly relative has changed for the worse, this is due to the weakening of control over character traits that a person previously hid.
Crises in developmental psychology
At each stage of development, a person has to overcome internal conflicts and age-related crises. Everyone faces such difficulties, but some people are especially difficult to survive these periods. Age psychology distinguishes 3, 7, 13, 17, 30 and 40 years.
Children aged about 3 years old tend to go through the "I myself" stage. Increasingly, the baby refuses adult help, arguing that he can perform this action on his own. Children during this period become very moody and stubborn, may not respond to requests from parents. This is due to the fact that now the process of increasing cognitive interest and the search for opportunities to influence others is actively going on. Often children at this age try to show their importance and do not let their parents out of the house, forbid them to touch their toys, etc.
The age of 7 years falls on admission to school. The child begins to understand social roles, and some of them try to try on themselves. Interest in everything new is actively manifested and sometimes it may seem to the child that some very important information is hiding from him. Children at this age begin to learn self-control in order to properly express their own opinions and restrain violent emotions.
At the age of 13, a teenager does not have enough words and begins to demand evidence. There is an interest in art, mainly music is preferred. You may notice the teenager’s desire to be alone, often due to discontent or anxiety.
17 years of age is due to a serious transition to adulthood. This stage is connected with the final choice of the sphere of further activity. Some unrest in adolescence still remains. But in general, a person is ready to try his hand and find evidence that he is an established person.
The crisis of 30 years is connected with the awareness of the road traveled. There are doubts about the right choice. Thoughts about missed opportunities arise. Often there is a change of priorities. And if there is an inability to improve one’s position, then the person becomes depressed.
The crisis of 40 years is a turning point in the life of everyone. The period is especially acute if problems in 30 years have not been resolved. Often during this period, career and family problems intertwine, which only exacerbates the situation.