This document discusses developmental tasks and stages. It defines developmental tasks as things that must be achieved at certain ages in order to be happy and successful later in life. The document then outlines 8 major developmental stages from prenatal to late adulthood and notes that each stage involves certain developmental tasks. The overall purpose is to introduce the concept of developmental tasks and stages to help readers understand expectations at different ages.

1. Prof Ed 102
Module 2
THE STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT AND
DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS

2. Module Learning Objectives
In this module, challenge yourself to:
 Define developmental tasks in your own words.
 Describe the developmental tasks in each
developmental stage.
 Come up with research abstracts/summaries of
research on developmental tasks

3. Concept of Developmental Tasks
• In each stage of development, a certain task
or tasks are expected of every individual.
• Robert Havighurst defines developmental
task as one that “arises at a certain period in
our life, the successful achievement of which
leads to happiness and success with later
tasks while failure leads to unhappiness,
social disapproval, and difficulty with later
tasks.”

4. The Developmental Tasks
(Santrock, 2002)
1. Prenatal Period (from conception to birth)
2. Infancy (from birth to 18-24 months)
3. Early childhood (end of infancy to 5-6 years (Grade I)
4. Middle and late childhood (6-11 years of age, the elementary school
years)
5. Adolescence (10-12 years of age ending up to 18-22 years of age)
6. Early adulthood (from late teens or early 20s lasting through the
30s)
7. Middle adulthood (40 to 60 years of age)
8. Late adulthood (60s and above)