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Middle Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Intellectual Development) 

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Middle Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Intellectual Development) 

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Intellectual development refers to the increase in complexity of processes in the brain.

As people make their way into and through the lifespan stage of middle adulthood, some individuals will start to lose memory depending on the person and whether they have a genetic predisposition to lose memory early, but many people do lose certain memories or tend to forget things easier than they usually would.

As some individuals children will leave the home during this time, they will have more time to focus on themselves and smaller things, this often includes changing the thought patterns that people would often have. This can also influence a persons emotional development as their thoughts may wander and cross paths that they hadn't crossed before which can be difficult for some people.

Another factor or intellectual development is that individuals in the middle adulthood lifespan stage of life will use the knowledge that they have, from previous experiences and past learning, in their jobs and careers more often.

During the middle adulthood lifespan stage, attention may differ from what individuals previously focused on, and their attention may deteriorate. As individuals get older, they do not have the same attention span as younger people do and cannot focus on as much for the same amount of time.

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Middle Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Physical Development)

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Middle Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Physical Development)

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Physical development relates to the changes that occur to the body and its systems.

One physical development change is the physical signs of ageing that occur which can include wrinkles starting to appear on the face and body as well as grey hair beginning to show.

Another physical development that occurs in the middle adulthood lifespan stage is the deterioration of body organs as some individuals will become ill more often or develop diseases during their middle adulthood stage. These diseases can include osteoporosis or diabetes.

The middle adulthood lifespan stage includes the physical change of growth no longer occurring at all. During the middle adulthood lifespan stage, individuals no longer grow as they gain no height during this stage, often occurring during early adulthood but is more prominent in middle adulthood as during early adulthood, there is still a chance off growth.

Another physical development is that women often go through menopause when they are in this lifespan stage. Menopause is when menstruation in a women stops and no longer occurs. Menopause can cause women to feel agitated, experience heat flashes and feel ill.

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Early Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Social Development) 

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Early Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Social Development) 

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Social development refers to the increasing complexity of behaviour patterns used in relationships with other people.

Behaviours can be altered and as people develop, their behaviours change as well. this includes how they act around others and how they conduct themselves in society. When individuals get to the early adulthood stage of the lifespan, they are usually more responsible and can develop the behaviours expected of a member of society, such as being a good listener and being generous.

Social roles and expectations can be another factor of social development during the early adulthood lifespan stage, this can include having greater responsibility as they begin full time careers and have more responsibility to live up to the social roles they play. During this lifespan stage, many people will get married and/or have children which can socially effect their lives in many ways.

Communication skills are also a factor of the early adulthood lifespan stage, this includes the interactions individuals have and how they handle that. This could be the communication that individuals have with their friends, family and romantic interests.

Relationship skills are a large factor in social development of individuals. During the early adulthood lifespan stage, the relationship skills that an individual has increasingly develop as they experience new skills and experiences which can change how a person gets along with another. As people transition into early adulthood, they develop a more detailed sexual identity and therefore look for a more serious relationship.

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Early Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Emotional Development) 

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Early Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Emotional Development) 

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Emotional development occurs when an individual experiences a full range of emotions while learning ways to express their emotions appropriately.

Self-concept is one of the factors of emotional development and relates to how people see themselves. In early adulthood, individuals become more comfortable with themselves and their self-concept increases and their emotional development develops.

As individuals grow older and into early adulthood, they're more likely to experience a wide range of emotions and the nature of their relationships will start to change (this could include an increase in romantic relationships or more conflicts in certain relationships), developing their emotional state.

Learning appropriate ways of expressing emotions is another factor of emotional development and can include having a clear understanding of their emotions and how to deal with them as they have had a significant amount of experiences. During this lifespan stage, emotional development can be influenced through individuals having children or getting married, which increases their emotional stability and independence.

Building resilience is a large factor of emotional development but by the time that someone is in the early adulthood stage of the lifespan they would have already built up the resilience that they could have unless there are certain experiences in early adulthood that could test or build up more resilience in a person.

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Late adulthood is the last stage of the lifespan and is daunting when someone reaches this lifespan as they understand that they are closer to death than many others.
Retirement is one of the most signifiant milestones as most individuals retire before they pass away and they are leaving a job that most individuals have been doing for years, and most likely enjoy, which can be a struggle for anyone.
Death is probably the most discussed and feared milestone out of any milestone from any lifespan stage. Although death can occur at any time during the lifespan or at any stage, it is most commonly referred as occurring in late adulthood.

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Late Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Social Development) 

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Late Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Social Development) 

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Social development refers to the increasing complexity of behaviour patterns used in relationships with other people.
One social change that occurs in late adulthood is that when someones husband or wife asses away, they are now alone when going to social gatherings or activities which can be very daunting for people when they have relied on that person for support in previous years.
As many people get older, they tend to go into retirement which can become a large social change to get used to in everyday life. This can lower the social interactions they have as many people have social interactions at work and enjoy it so it is an adjustment many make.
Often, many individuals in late adulthood have large amounts of free time and that allows for more time to spend bonding with family and friends and creating that support system that many people require when they age and as they near death. As individuals age, they can become more dependant on others and if there is not a solid enough support system behind them, they may falter and suffer in late adulthood.
There are many negative perceptions on late adulthood and the individuals that are a part of that lifespan stage. These perceptions can cause a difficult time and experience for elderly people as they can take what social pressures and expectations are on them harshly and seriously or judgements that are made as important or significant which could cause them to not want to participate in future social activities, etc.

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Late Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Emotional Development) 

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Late Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Emotional Development) 

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Emotional development occurs when an individual experiences a full range of emotions while learning ways to express their emotions appropriately.
One factor relating to emotional development in individuals in the late adulthood lifespan stage is that they begin to experience grief, loss and regret more often as their friends and partners pass away, which can cause large amounts of emotional distress.
Alternatively, individuals in this lifespan stage can experience emotions such as satisfaction, happiness and purpose. This occurs as many individuals become grandparents or are already grandparents and become more involved and as they have more time on their hands they can become more emotionally attached to family/friends than they have in the past.
While individuals in late adulthood experience the emotions relating to the deaths of the people they love, they can also experience emotions relating to their own death if they are aware and willing to understand they may pass away soon. These emotions often include initial anger and denial, then depression and acceptance.
When some elderly people retire, they may experience emotions such as a lack of purpose or meaning, which can be very common if the individual enjoyed their career/work. This can also alter an individual's self-concept as some may begin to believe that they are not worthy or a positive contribution to the society.

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Late Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Intellectual Development) 

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Late Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Intellectual Development) 

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Intellectual development refers to the increase in complexity of processes in the brain.
One intellectual change to occur in late adulthood during the lifespan is the increased loss of memory, which is very common among elderly people, first they begin to forget little things then start to forget things they have known for a long time, however not everyone loses their memory. An example of this is dementia which can effect elderly people easily.
Another intellectual change is the decline in neural response speeds, which can decline quickly or slowly depending on the person. This can mean that they do not respond to stimuli (such as a conversation or question) as quickly as someone who is younger and has higher response speeds.
An intellectual development relating to thought patterns in individuals in the late adulthood stage of the lifespan is that their thoughts are often more relaxed, as they have more leisure time and do not work or go to school so they do not need to be focused or stressed about those things.
Attention may also falter in individuals in the late adulthood stage of the lifespan. As their reaction times decline, their focus can start to slow or decline, they do not need to focus on too much so they can easily lose focus on small things or tasks.

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Late Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Physical Development) 

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Late Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Physical Development) 

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Physical development relates to the changes that occur to the body and its systems.
One physical development that occurs during the late adulthood lifespan stage, and happens to everyone at some point, is significant deterioration in body organs and increased risk of illness and disease, this sources from ageing.
Another physical development is the weakening of the immune system, which also results from ageing and can also source from the above physical development discussed, during the late adulthood lifespan stage.
Hearing and vision are common things to decline in the late adulthood stage of the lifespan. As individuals get older, their organs begin to deteriorate and stop working all together, this includes the eyes and ears.
Mobility is something that is often lost when people reach and experience the late adulthood stage of the lifespan as they suffer from conditions (such as osteoporosis, etc) that prevent them from properly moving around and being able to move.
Not much different form middle adulthood, late adulthood includes the increase in rate of grey hair and visible wrinkles.

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Late adulthood is often characterised by "later life" and closer to death, logistically. Additionally, late adulthood is characterised by retirement, being "grandparents" and leisurely time and activities.

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Aged 65-death

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Middle adulthood is not the same for everybody, similar to each of the lifespan stages, meaning that not all milestones will relate to everyone but they often relate to most.
One milestone is the first time becoming grandparents, which will often occur during this lifespan stage, and create a new sense of meaning or purpose and increase social activity (sometimes).
Another milestone of the middle adulthood lifespan stage is that some people may experience a "mid-life crisis" which is not common but can impact some of the population and can cause transitions in the sense of identity and relationships with others and the world in general.

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Early adulthood is characterised by a number of developments which can be connected to a number of milestones.
One possible milestone is the first full time job a person has, which increases independence, responsibility and confidence that the individual may not have had when they were younger.
Another possible milestone is getting married and/or having children. Not all people will get married in the early adulthood lifespan stage or at all, but this is a milestone for many people and can increase responsibility and change their relationships with others.

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Middle Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Social Development) 

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Middle Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Social Development) 

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Social development refers to the increasing complexity of behaviour patterns used in relationships with other people.
One factor of social development includes that as children leave home, parents often have more time to socialise with other friends and take part in social activities.
Another factor of social development includes who they spend their time with in social environments. This can occur as a result of no longer spending time with people who they know because of their children such as parents from school, etc.
A common factor of social development is that sometimes, people in this stage can become first time grandparents although that often happens in late adulthood too. Becoming grandparents can increase a persons responsibility requirements or social roles (adding grandparents to the list of social roles people are expected to fulfil).
Another factor of social development in the middle adulthood lifespan stage is that financial security, that many middle aged adults will achieve, can allow for more social activities to occur and increase the amount of literal social activity that people have with others. This can be good for middle aged adults as, when the children leave home, they look to friends for company and interaction, which can become hard to come by as people get older.

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Middle Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Emotional Development

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Middle Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Emotional Development

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Emotional development occurs when an individual experiences a full range of emotions while learning ways to express their emotions appropriately.
One factor relating to the emotional development of people in the middle adulthood lifespan stage is that they may start to feel emotions relating to loneliness. This results from, the people who have children, the effect of 'empty nest syndrome', which occurs from the children leaving the house and the parents feeling lonely or like they don't have as much of a purpose anymore.
Another factor of emotional development that occurs in the middle adulthood lifespan stage is that they may also feel free, which can also result from children leaving home. This feeling, however, is alternate to the feeling of loneliness as the parents begin to feel free and want to experience new things, intellectually challenging themselves.
During the middle adulthood lifespan stage of life, people near the age of retirement and can feel tired or bored with their lives which can therefore change their emotions and how they feel on a regular basis.
Another factor of emotional development that occurs during the middle adulthood lifespan stage of life is that people can further develop their identity. As people in the middle adulthood lifespan stage of life begin to have more free time, they also have more time to reflect on their life and their future, which can often lead to the increase in self-concept.

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Middle adulthood can be characterised by stability in work and relationships, further development of their identity, the maturation of values and beliefs, financial security, the beginning of physical signs of ageing.

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Aged 40-65

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Early Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Intellectual Development) 

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Early Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Intellectual Development) 

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Intellectual development refers to the increase in complexity of processes in the brain.
One of the factors of intellectual development is knowledge and memory, which can develop during early adulthood as early adults understand how they learn the best, which can further promote their knowledge.
Another factor of intellectual development is language as early adults continue to learn from experiences and they have a larger understanding of language and may choose to learn a new language.
Thought patterns and problem solving may also be a factor of intellectual development in early adulthood. This can include the ability to create hypothetical solutions and evaluate the best options developing, which can result from previous experiences and knowledge which develops through early adulthood as the individual continues to learn and further their knowledge, therefore making it easier to problem solve.
Attention can also be a factor of intellectual development in early adulthood. As individuals develop an understanding of a career or hobby, their focus becomes more targeted and therefore their attention is more targeted to a specific task or topic.

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Early Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Physical Development) 

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Early Adulthood - Key Characteristics (Physical Development) 

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Physical development relates to the changes that occur to the body and its systems.
People will grow significantly during this stage, including growth in height, weight, hair growth, etc.
One factor of physical development in early adulthood is that no more growth is possible in long bones as the epiphyseal plates in those long bones have fused. Despite these bones having fused, there is still multiple years until they reach maximum density/strength.
By the start of adulthood, secondary sex characteristics, which arise from changes that occur to both males and females but are not directly related to reproduction, are usually fully developed.
The organs that are directly involved in reproduction and are developed during puberty in youth, are primary sex characteristics and these are often fully developed and fully functioning by early adulthood. These changes include the organs increasing in size and as they enlarge, begin to to function in preparation for reproduction.
Another physical development of early adulthood is that the structure in the brain also continues to increase in complexity throughout youth but continue into adulthood as the individual learns new skills and experiences a range of opportunities.

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Early adulthood can be characterised by a number of different events and changes. This can include; building a career, finding a life partner, get married, having children, etc.

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Aged 18-40

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Youth is characterised by a number of characteristics and a number or milestones.
One milestone that occurs during the lifespan stage of youth is going through puberty, which is characterised by rapid hair growth, increased oil in the skin, changes in the voice, changes in the sexual organs and many others.
Another milestone that occurs during youth is starting high school (and also finishing high school), which can be a stressful time for youth as they start to take on more work and responsibility, they can be separated from their friendship groups from primary school and can form new friendships with people they have never met and youth begin to gain much more independence as they make their way through high school.

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Youth - Key Characteristics (Social Development) 

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Youth - Key Characteristics (Social Development) 

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Social development refers to the increasing complexity of behaviour patterns used in relationships with other people.
This can include the development and altercation of behaviours during the youth lifespan stage. This can source from peer group influences and various social experiences that youth encounter and can influence their choice of clothing, types of activities they choose to take part in and the music that they listen to.
Social development may also be influenced by social roles and expectations such as greater independence, a wider range of social experiences and more complex social roles.
Communication skills are also a factor of social development, which can include the types of interactions that youth have as they are given more freedom and are treated like adults sometimes. Due to this, along with youth often communicating in a number of various ways and significant influence from their social life, the communication skills of youth are further developed.
Relationship skills are another factor of the social development that occurs during youth. During this stage, relationships with parents are often recognised in a way that both the parent and child have a say in the decision making, which can source from youth gaining more independence and making their own decisions and taking responsibility for their actions and therefore contributing to conflict with their parents and other adults.

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Youth - Key Characteristics (Emotional Development) 

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Youth - Key Characteristics (Emotional Development) 

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Emotional development occurs when an individual experiences a full range of emotions while learning ways to express their emotions appropriately.
This can include self concept which includes the development of identity, exploring different values/beliefs and developing a deeper understanding of who they are as people.
Emotional development also includes experiencing a full range of emotions. This occurs as they seek emotional independence and try to solve their own problems instead of consulting adults they are close to for help. Experiencing these emotions also encourage youth to take more responsibility and accept their emotions.
Learning appropriate ways of expressing emotions is also a factor of the intellectual development which occurs during youth. This involves being able to express emotions appropriately and being able to adequately express those emotions in words which can help youth regulate emotions.
Another factor of intellectual development that occurs during the youth stage is building resilience. This includes coping strategies that were first developed early in life but are built upon in youth, the level of resilience that a person has will continue to grow throughout adulthood.

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Youth - Key Characteristics (Intellectual Development)

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Youth - Key Characteristics (Intellectual Development)

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Intellectual development refers to the increase in complexity of processes in the brain.
This can include knowledge and memory, which can come from youth focusing more on their future and therefore guiding the development of knowledge.
Another factor of intellectual development is the changes in thought patterns. During the youth stage, abstract thought develops, information is processed more efficiently and youths can comprehend concepts better than they could in childhood.
Attention can also develop during youth, as individuals may develop an interest in certain hobbies or jobs and may be able to focus their attention on things directly relating to that for a longer period of time than they would have in childhood.
Creativity and imagination can also develop in youth as a part of intellectual development. This can include the development of new ideas and innovations, the development of skills in areas such as music, poetry or painting.
Language can also develop during youth as a part of intellectual development. This includes the ability to remember words and understand what they mean. In regards to language, the transition to adulthood can be marked by an increased skill in vocabulary and grammar, as well as the USE of language.

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Youth - Key Characteristics (Physical Development)

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Youth - Key Characteristics (Physical Development)

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Physical development relates to the changes that occur to the body and its systems.
People will grow significantly during this stage, including growth in height, weight, hair growth, etc.
Changes to the reproductive systems are one of the most noticeable changes to occur, causing the growth of sexual organs and the way they function.
Puberty is one of the most well known/ most discussed physical change that occurs in the youth stage, with the increase in body hair growth, the change in facial shape and increased production of oils in the skin.
By the end of puberty, the bones in a persons body have fused enough so that there will be no more growth after that stage, the person is fully developed in that regard.

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During the youth stage of the lifespan, boys and girls will go through changes that effect all of them, including their physical development, intellectual development, emotional development and social development

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Aged 12-18