Young Adulthood, Research Paper Example

Abstract

Much of the maturation process occurs while children grow and develop into the early stages of development.  However, even more maturation and development occurs in the years after the adolescent has graduated from high school.  This paper concludes a series of experimental discussions on the development of me as a parent and my son, Gavin as he grew from an infant to a mature young man.  The psychosocial development that occurred for me likely has had an impact in Gavin’s life, and these changes are briefly discussed.

Introduction

Over the last 18 years, I have engaged my son and I in an observational and testing experiment to test the effects of the stages of development and personality on behaviors.  This experiment has proven to be very worthwhile and has taken Gavin and I on a rollercoaster of emotions as we traveled together through his development into a young adult.  I cannot be more proud of my son for the excellent skills he has developed and his abilities inside and outside of the classroom.  He has been accepted into college and begins taking classes this Fall.  However, this path was not always a smooth path and at times Gavin and I struggled interacting with one another effectively.  In this stage of the process, it is important for the results to show my own personal development as I grew from a high school graduate to the woman, working professional and mother that I am today.

When I was younger, around the age that Gavin is now, I had some issues with my parents.  These issues were very similar to those that he and I are currently dealing with and have been working through along many of his developmental stages.  My parents divorced when I was young and they also had joint custody.  Gavin has been forced to deal with these living experiences and has realized a certain amount of stress by having to spend time with one of his parents during different weekends throughout the month.  This caused a lot of stress in my own life and, like Gavin, I blamed myself for the situation and reacted very negatively because of it.  I began to lash out at my mother and picked fights with her at any point that I could rationalize was worth it.  This continued for much of my adolescence until I was a sophomore in college and had been on my own for some time.

Making friends was actually very difficult for me when I was growing up, and even in college it continued to be an issue.  I believe that much of this was a problem because of my personality.  I always showed excellent cognitive development in the classroom, very similar Gavin’s development.  Unfortunately, outside of the classroom I had very limited social skills and was unable to communicate my feelings effectively.  Those individuals that were my friends often did not consult me for advice or involve me in any major decision making.  In situations where I was not comfortable, I was often shy and reserved.

After my sophomore year of college, I broke out of my shell and began to show an immediate development of my social skills.  I really am not sure how this development began, but when I returned to school my junior year of college, I became more outgoing and less shy around new people.  Many of my friends encouraged me to sign up for extracurricular activities and to go out with them as a group to many of the local restaurants, dance clubs, and bars.  Although my social life improved, I never allowed it to cause any problems in my academics.  During my senior year of college, I became very career focused and began the job search very early which allowed me to concentrate on my career.

My personality is probably the greatest developmental change I have experienced since my high school years.  I needed the time in college to properly mature, and I matured even more when I married and gave birth to Gavin.  Becoming a parent is a very special experience, and this helped me to grow and advance my cognitive abilities and thought processes even more than my experiences in college ever did.  I am confident that Gavin’s personality will continue to grow and he will mold into the man he will become as he matures through life.

References

Ainsworth, M.D.S. & Bowlby, J. (1991). An ethological approach to personality development’. American Psychologist, 46, 331-341.

Cowie, H., Blades, M. & Smith, K. (2005).  Basic psychology: Understanding Children’s Development. Oxford: Blackwell Press

Feiler, R. (2009). Stages of Growth Child Development – Early Childhood and Middle Childhood. Retrieved on February 21, 2010 from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1826/Child-Development-Stages-Growth.html

Meadows, S. (1987). Piagets contribution to understanding cognitive development: an assessment for the late 1980s. Retrieved on February 21, 2010 from http://psychology.about.com/od/loveandattraction/ss/attachmentstyle.htm