EXERCISE SCIENCECHAPTER 18: HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
AREAS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT:
Four key components to human development are: Physical development Cognitive development Motor or skills development Social development
AGE AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT:
Chronological Age Age measured in years, months, and days Skeletal Age Age indicated by the physical maturity of the
skeleton Nutrition, diet, disease, and major bone injuries
can cause the skeletal age to lag behind the chronological ageDevelopmental Age Age as expressed in one’s ability to perform
certain tasks
HUMAN MORPHOLOGY:Endomorph Mesomorph Ectomorph
- More fatty tissue- Thicker body parts
- Mature Early- Stocky/heavily
muscled- Broader Bodies
-Late to reach maturity- Thinner Body- Narrow hips/longer
arms and legs
STAGES OF HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT:
Four basic stages each with fundamental aspects and characteristics Infancy/Toddler:
Zero to two-three years Childhood:
Four to 10 years Puberty/Adolescence:
11 to 18 years Adulthood:
18 years and older
INFANCY/TODDLER
Most marked growth in humans Double birth weight in six months; triple it in a
year By end of second year brain is 75% of adult
weight Body length typically increases by 50%
Considerable muscular development Gains in ability to perform basic tasks
Grasp, crawl, pull to stand, walk Most toddlers walk by age two, run by age
three
CHILDHOOD:
Rapid stage of growth from four to six years From six to ten years the body “stabilizes”
Uniform relationship between bone and tissue growth and development occurs
PUBERTY/ADOLESCENCE:
Growth speeds up during this phase Physical Psychological
Sexual maturity Pituitary gland triggers in both sexes Marked changes in physical appearance
Girls: breasts, body curves, menstruation Boys: semen, facial and body hair, deepening
voice
ADULTHOOD:
Most growth has taken place Other physical changes:
Weight gain Reduced oxygen capacity Rise in blood pressure Joint deterioration
Many conditions caused by: Diminished exercise Diet and nutrition issues Increased stress and responsibilities
PHASES OF MOVEMENT:
Reflexive movement (birth to four months) Humans show controlled motor development
Rudimentary Movement: (birth to two years) Locomotor activity
Manipulation and stability movements begin
Fundamental Movement: (two to seven years) Basic movement skills; three phases
Initial Elementary Mature
Sport-Related Movement: (seven years to adulthood) Three phases
General Specific specialized
DIFFERENT RATES OF GROWTH:
Cephalocaudal Sequence: Growth progresses fastest in the head Followed by the trunk Lastly the extremities
Proximodistal Sequence: Body movements that originate closer to the
centre of the body seem to develop earlier than those that originate further from the centre
FACTORS AFFECTING PHYSICAL GROWTH:
Glandular/Hormonal Activity Hormones affect metabolism Glands can suffer from diseases
Heredity Difficult to predict many areas of genetically inherited growth
Nutrition/Diet Inadequate/unbalanced diet can lead to physical
development issues Physical Activity
Lack of activity harmful/excess also negative Balance is key
Sociocultural Factors Can be difficult to assess Depends on opportunity/values
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT:
Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development Sensorimotor (birth to two years of age)
Characterized by infant demonstrating intelligence by means of motor activity without use of symbols
Knowledge based purely on immediate experience Ability to use memory to recall objects and events
Pre-Operational (two to seven years of age) Demonstrate intelligence through use of symbols Considerable language development Significant growth in memory and imagination
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT- CONT’D
Concrete Operational (seven to 11 years of age) Logical thinking develops Able to solve concrete problems logically Reversibility or operational thinking develops Develop capacity for empathy
Formal Operational (11 to 15 years of age) Demonstrate intelligence through ability to solve
increasingly complicated abstract problems using logic
Return to egocentric thinking in early stage Begin to think about social issues and one’s own
identity and appearance
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT:
Socialization Ways in which, from a young age, humans form
attachments with others Friendship
Reciprocal relationship (doing things for one another in roughly equal measure)
Committed over a long period of time Notion that common interest must be shared
INDIVIDUAL ATTRIBUTES:
The child: Is usually in a positive mood Is not excessively dependant on the teacher,
assistant, or other adults Usually comes to the program or setting
willingly Usually copes with rebuffs and reverses
adequately Shows the capacity to emphasize Has a positive relationship with one two peers;
shows capacity to really care about them, miss them if absent, and so forth
Displays the capacity for humour Does not seem to be acutely or chronically lonely
SOCIAL SKILLS ATTRIBUTES CHECKLIST:
The child usually: Approaches others positively Expresses wishes and preferences clearly Asserts own rights and needs appropriately Is not easily intimidated by bullies Expresses frustrations and anger effectively Makes relevant contributions to ongoing activities Takes turns fairly easily Shows interest in others Negotiates and compromises appropriately Does not draw inappropriate attention to self Accepts peers and adults of ethnic groups other
than own Interacts non-verbally with other children (e.g.,
smiles, waves, nods)
PEER RELATIONSHIP ATTRIBUTES CHECKLIST:
The child is: Usually accepted versus neglected or rejected
by other children Sometimes invited by other children to join
them in play, friendship, and work