A person's age can be assessed from different points of view: chronological, biological, social and psychological. Throughout his life, an individual goes through many different periods, each of which influences the formation of himself. I will tell you in this article what it is – age periodization of personality, and why it is so important for psychology.
Concept
Dividing life into various intervals is necessary to determine one or another stage of development of a human being, depending on the years he has lived. This analysis must be carried out not only for scientific purposes, but also to regulate social processes: there is a limit, upon reaching which criminal liability arises, and a number of rights and obligations arise. Within the framework of this material, we will be interested in other aspects related to growing up - these are mental and related physiological characteristics, problems and values. Knowledge about them will help you better understand yourself, your motives and decisions, and build a competent dialogue with your inner self and the world.
Features of the main stages of personality existence
The periods of a person’s life have their own characteristics: each stage complements the previous one, bringing with it something new, something that has not yet happened in life.
Youth is characterized by maximalism: the dawn of mental and creative abilities occurs, the basic physiological processes of growing up are completed, appearance and well-being improve. At this age, a system of life values is established, time begins to be valued, self-control increases, and others are re-evaluated. A person decides on the direction of his life.
Having reached the threshold of maturity, a person has already reached certain heights. In the professional sphere, he occupies a stable position. This period coincides with the strengthening and maximum development of social status, decisions are made thoughtfully, a person does not avoid responsibility, appreciates the present day, can forgive himself and others for the mistakes he has made, and really evaluates himself and others. This is the age of achievement, conquering peaks and obtaining maximum opportunities for your development.
Old age is more associated with losses than with gains. A person ends his working life, his social environment changes, and inevitable physiological changes appear. However, a person can still engage in self-development, in most cases this happens more on a spiritual level, on the development of the inner world.
Periodization of mental development in human life
This model involves assessing the state of the individual to determine the degree of its maturity. The so-called psychological age consists of the following components:
- Parameters of mental development. It is calculated based on the results of passing special tests.
- Level of social adaptation. Shows the level at which an individual is in relation to society, his communication skills.
- Emotional formation. This includes the ability to self-control, express and suppress emotions.
The final figure – the coefficient of mental “adulthood” – may well not correspond to the biological indicator.
Different views
In psychology, there is no consensus on what age categories of people there are. Each specialist identified his own stages and justified the solution with different views on the problem.
Elkonin
The most common ideas are about the age periods of a person’s life, which were derived by Elkonin. He divided the entire stage of human existence into early childhood, preschool age, and school age.
He developed his classification only for children, i.e. before reaching 18 years of age. It is this that has become the main one for use in the educational field. Elkonin believed that further division was impossible. The whole problem is that adults have a wide variety of paths.
Important! Depending on the situation in the country, generations' ideas about life changed. After 18 years it is difficult to distinguish any age periods
Too many factors influence a person: training, work, military service, etc. Each individual has his own feelings and values that influence his actions
After 18 years, it is difficult to distinguish any age periods. Too many factors influence a person: training, work, military service, etc. Each individual has his own feelings and values that influence his actions.
Pythagoras
In ancient times, scientists also had many ideas about the world around them. The emergence of the Pythagorean theory is associated with the change of seasons. So, he believed that spring is the moment of the appearance of life, the beginning of existence, therefore this time of year is associated with birth.
The summer period correlated with growing up. At this time, a person flourished and demonstrated his best qualities. This time can also be called the stage of vigorous growth.
Autumn is the time of maturity, when a person is wise by experience and knows what he wants from life. The individual becomes wise, balanced and willing to accept different points of view.
Winter is the fading of life that comes with old age. A person is not afraid of death, since he understands well that his life has come to an end.
Vygotsky
The peculiarity of the scientist’s approach was that he managed to connect periods of stability and crisis. At the moment of birth, the baby falls into a crisis, then develops calmly until one year and then falls into a crisis again.
At one year of age, a child faces a developmental critical point.
The next crisis occurs for three years, after which peace lasts up to seven years. The human psyche is formed under the influence of a new environment. Therefore, you should not be afraid of the appearance of critical moments, as they are needed to improve the functioning of the body.
The child learns to recognize his own feelings. Therefore, during the teenage crisis, he studies himself, his attractiveness and experiences his first love. He is interested not only in accepted norms, but also in something forbidden.
Vygotsky also emphasized that crises accompany a person throughout his life. Some of his followers are confident that an individual experiences them every decade.
Freud
The psychoanalyst also contributed to the development of ideas about age periodization. Its periods began to be named according to what skill the child mastered at a certain stage of development.
The first is oral. The baby can suck on the breast or bottle, and satiation brings him pleasure. Anal – lasts from one to three years, at this time the child learns to control the urge to go to the toilet.
During the preschool period, the baby experiences the phallic stage, i.e. is aware of his gender
The latent stage lasts from 6 to 12 years. At this time, children are interested in the social sphere. Genital – begins at age 12 and lasts until age 18. During this period, the teenager becomes aware of sexuality.
Philosophy, psychology, sociology, and biology have their own views on age periodization. There is no consensus among experts yet.
Principles and approaches to periods of human life
The classification described above is based on the assessment of a number of criteria:
- Chronological age (directly the number of years passed since birth).
- Biological (parameters of physical development).
- Psychological (indicators of mental, emotional and social maturity).
To classify a person into a particular age category, his chronology (level of adulthood “according to his passport”) is taken as a basis and an additional analysis of other parameters is carried out. This individual approach is more objective.
Elkonin's theory
The Soviet scientist argued that periodization has enormous scientific value. Studied in detail, it allows us to identify the driving factors in the development of personality at different stages of life. This knowledge, in turn, can contribute to the building of more advanced pedagogical and educational systems. Within the framework of this idea, great importance is attached to the initial periods of life, when the formation of basic values and worldview occurs. The psychologist divided traditional age groups into more local categories:
- Childhood is divided into infancy, childhood and preschool years, then primary school age.
- The teenage stage is divided into young and old.
Erikson's theory
The scientist identified 8 stages of personality formation, each of which has its own task, as well as strengths and weaknesses.
- up to 1 year - faith/distrust;
- 1-3 - strong/weak will;
- 3-7 — activity/passivity;
- 7-12 - self-confidence/self-confidence;
- 12-18 - fidelity/diffusion;
- 18-25 - love feeling/exclusivity;
- 25-65 - care/loneliness;
- from 65 - wisdom/disdainful attitude.
Vygotsky's concept
In his system, the psychologist paid special attention to childhood, since he believed that awareness of the characteristics of each period of a child’s growing up would allow adults to regulate their behavior and better understand their child.
As Freud believed
The psychoanalyst believed that the behavioral factor of an individual is determined by his unconscious, the main driving force of which is sexuality. He identified the following stages of development of sexual energy:
- Oral: An infant under 1 year of age enjoys breastfeeding.
- Anal: the main erogenous zone at 1-3 years is the intestinal mucosa (the baby is taught to be clean).
- Phallic: the highest point of childhood sexuality at 3-5 years. The time of the birth of the Electra and Oedipus complexes.
- Latent: at the age of 5-12, sexuality moves aside and is replaced by sociality.
- Genital: the formation of sexual desires at 12-18 years of age.
Infancy
This period is distinguished by Erikson and Freud (“Oral stage”). At this stage, the foundations of personality and attitude towards the world around us are laid - trust or distrust, confidence or lack thereof.
Of course, an important role in a child’s life is played by his mother, who represents the whole world for the baby. He needs maternal care, which allows him to feel consistency and recognition in his experiences. Further development of personality largely depends on the first days of life.
If there is trust, the child perceives the world in a positive way, as reliable, predictable, and calmly endures difficulties, even the temporary absence of the mother nearby. In the absence of adequate maternal care, feelings of mistrust, fear and suspicion arise. Thus, the basis of the first period is the relationship: “trust-distrust”.
Problems of periodization
The actual age of a person does not always correspond to the degree of his psychological, biological, intellectual and social development. Established boundaries can shift depending on the individual characteristics of a person. The framework that characterizes adolescence is especially inaccurate. Essentially, one stage gives way to another after the individual develops previously non-existent qualities. This is how the transition from one point to another occurs.
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Early childhood
The period from 1 to 3 years, corresponds to the “Anal stage” according to Freud, the child masters the ability to control his excretory functions. In addition, the baby becomes physically stronger and can perform more complex actions - walking, climbing, washing.
Very often there are calls for independence “I myself”; an important point is the help of parents in independent actions. It is necessary to provide an opportunity for the development of personality and the development of autonomy of the child. If he is constantly looked after and everything is done for him, then this is detrimental to development, along with unreasonable demands.
Such things cause further insecurity and weakness of will. With positive development, will and self-control develop.
Critical moments
The periodization of an individual’s life path is associated with metamorphoses occurring in the body: hormonal levels change, which affects mood and behavior.
8 main crisis phases:
- teenage;
- transition to adulthood;
- 30th anniversary;
- approaching the fourth decade;
- 40th anniversary;
- midway (45 years);
- 50th anniversary;
- 55th anniversary;
- 56th birthday.
Overcoming crises
Living through each of these periods, a person steps through a certain stage of development, acquires new skills, knowledge, and experience. The teenager strives for independence from his parents and searches for his own path. At the age of 30, a person reevaluates his ideals and changes his views on the world. By the age of 40, he wants to strengthen himself in social roles, achieve success in his career, and thinks more rationally. Halfway through the journey, he again begins to think about the correctness of his way of life, wants to do something that will leave a mark after him. At 50, problems appear at the physiological level, health comes to the fore, and at 55, awareness of one’s experience, wisdom, and importance comes. By 56, experiences about the spiritual sphere flow into the desire to develop internally.
If you prepare yourself in advance for the approaching period of crisis, it will pass easier. The main thing is not to be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Mental health is no less important than physical health. If you are confused and cannot understand the reasons for your depression, sign up for my consultation. By connecting the metaphysical space, together we will find answers to complex questions.
Old age
Old age (from 65 years), the last stage of personality development. Another rethinking of life occurs, a person increasingly remembers the past years and realizes the correctness or error of his actions and decisions. They often say: old age is wisdom. For those who have come a long way in life and have analyzed their lives, this is so.
This stage of personality development comes when you have already managed to go through a lot in life and conquer the highest peaks.
And it is very important to be satisfied, to find joyful moments in your life. Then old age will be calm and confident, and the approach of death will no longer be scary, because life continues in the descendants and creations of man
If a person cannot find peace, then only sadness over missed opportunities and torment of conscience await him. Therefore, throughout your life you need to try to live in such a way that, years later, you can enjoy your achievements and accomplishments, write memoirs and tell your grandchildren about your life.
So we analyzed the development of personality throughout life. However, this is ideal, wisdom comes with old age, and in childhood we live by impulses and desires. It all depends on the person and his desire to develop, as well as the experience he has experienced and understanding the lessons of life and mistakes along the way.
In adulthood, there are also stages of personality development, which are based on the level of development of the mind and spiritual filling of the human essence. Of course, we can consciously influence these processes using self-development.
Philosophical concept of age periodization of human development
The study of the characteristics of maturity was given attention in ancient times. Modern scientists also periodically turn to concepts developed in the past. Thus, in China they believed that human existence can be divided into 7 segments. The best age was considered to be between 60 and 70. It was associated with spiritual maturity and wisdom.
Classification by seasons:
- Spring is the birth and formation of personality. Lasts up to 20 years.
- Summer – youth (20-40).
- Autumn is the heyday of creative development (40-60).
- Winter is old age.
The cycle of human existence was important to the thinker. This concept is based on the ideas of reincarnation and rebirth: as natural conditions change places, so do life and generations pass through the circle.
Crises of the second half of life
The Divine Comedy was written by Dante when he was 33 years old, a sacred age in many religions and myths. The autobiographical hero of the poem finds himself in a dark forest, metaphorically denoting the middle of life. Since life expectancy has increased, this crisis is now called the “40-year crisis.” This is the longest and most powerful psychological crisis. His energy is enough to destroy the life of someone who is afraid of a crisis. It is also enough for creation - but only for those who are not afraid of change and are ready to meet them face to face.
The age-related development of personality of this period is best reflected by the image of a jester, or a fool. He holds a rose in his hand - it denotes purity of thoughts. Behind his back he has a bundle of belongings - everything that could be taken from his past life. On tarot cards, the jester is often depicted with his leg raised over an abyss, with the sunset sun behind him. Below is the sea. The image of the jester symbolizes the opportunity to start over.
The most difficult crisis to comprehend is the crisis of post-retirement age, or 60-70 years. If earlier it was possible to hide from thoughts about the finitude of life, now death, figuratively speaking, “looks you in the eye.” If earlier it was possible to ask other people for help, now you will have to face the crisis on your own - no one alive has ever been “in the next world.”
It is easier for believers, since for them there is the Kingdom of Heaven, eternal life. It’s more difficult for materialists. The main idea of the crisis is “all people are mortal.” In the modern world, people try not to attach importance to this fear. They stay away from anything that is in any way connected with death - these are rituals, objects associated with funerals, the bodies of the deceased. Everything that brings the unknown is scary. The fear of death breaks into everyday life only in the form of phobias, fears, and nightmares. They either try to deny death or strive towards it. However, Freud's Thanatos alone cannot fully explain it.
Many people become more religious during this period of life. Some choose to believe in a new birth after death, reincarnation. The Tibetan Book of the Dead speaks about this.
Is age really that important?
Age periodization is a very relative concept. There is no need to strive with all our might to prolong youth: nature will take its course, and our task is to find something valuable and beautiful in each of the stages we have passed through. Yes, it is worth taking into account the physiological and mental characteristics of each period. But they should be accepted not as a fatal inevitability, but as a resource with which you can live as fully as possible.
You yourself have the right to decide by what indicators to highlight certain life intervals. Not only external beauty, youth and physical activity are important. What matters is how you feel about yourself, what plans and dreams you have and how you want to live your precious time.
Psychological infantilism
But it also happens that, according to a passport, a person turns 30 (40, 50) years old, but he remains psychologically underdeveloped. This category includes those who constantly hear addressed to them: “When will you finally grow up?” Some of them are even proud of the fact that they do not want to accept the responsibilities of adulthood. It is very difficult for an infantile adult in a world full of problems.
In order to grow up, it is necessary to go through all age-related stages of development, which psychologists call “crises.” At the same time, a crisis is not only circumstances. It is a platform on which the human soul has the opportunity to learn to solve certain problems, receiving its “bonuses” for this. At three years old, a child learns to be independent. This time is called the “3-year crisis,” when the little person increasingly says “I myself.” But if he finds support from adults in his actions, he has a feeling of “I can.” Infantile adults often grow up from overprotective families.
Age-related personality development also represents a major crisis for adolescents. At the same time, the age of 12-18 years is quite fertile soil for a person to develop infantility. It is during adolescence that he decides whether to remain a child or grow up.
What are the characteristics of an infantile personality, or a child wearing the shell of an adult?
- He doesn't know how to control his emotions. Often expresses anger, whims, blames others;
- Does not have a well-developed value system. Focuses on “how it is needed, how it is accepted.” Always tries to copy those around him in what to think, say, how to dress;
- Applies to the world as a consumer. He takes a lot and gives little. The parasitic lifestyle that the infantile personality leads in the family continues in marriage. He simply passes from one guardian to another;
- Fears responsibility and making one's own decisions;
- He lives in “waiting for a miracle”, that someone stronger will come to him and solve his problems.
Literature
1. Podlasy I.P. Pedagogy. Book 1. – P.71-127.
2.Fitsula M.M. Pedagogy. – P.45-76.
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Criteria for adult life from sociologists
Sociologists have agreed on several criteria, which, however, are very subjective and depend on the teenager's own perception, if he is honest with himself.
A young person can answer for himself whether he feels like an adult by meeting the following three points:
- Responsibility
- Independent solutions
- Financial independence
An important criterion is financial independence. If you even have the first two points, and you are financially dependent on someone, then your adulthood has not yet “arrived.”
