Stage Development

Brain development is a constantly changing process among humans beginning prenatally and continuing throughout ones adolescence. Understanding the process of brain development has been the subject of many psychological studies. Researchers have targeted a diverse area of children's development to learn more about how individual brains operate and what causes them to progress through stages of development. I find a very crucial aspect of brain development to encompass research interested in how the brain progresses through its developmental process. These stages represent milestones in the developmental capacity of the human brain. The stage theory is not only one accepted among psychologists, but also a concept society has come to embrace and use as a statement of causation for a child or adolescent's actions or behaviors. Developmental stages are an important area of study due to the psychological and social acceptance it has endured.
Originally, the stage theory was inspired by Charles Darwin blossoming from his curiosity concerning evolution of animals into humans. This theory was later expanded by developmental theorists who claimed that a child's transition into adolescence would be marked by rapidly progressing stages, similar to that of evolution. Flavell indicated there are four primary indicators of the stage concept, which we can see exhibited within children today. Change progresses through stages qualitatively, it cannot be measured as the results of a standard test may exhibit it must be assessed in a way that ensures flexibility and understanding. The concurrence assumption relays that children will make the transition through stages on multiple concepts at once rather than advancing in one area of logistics a child will advance in multiple areas of reasoning comprehension. Children also will exhibit a movement from one stage to the next in an abrupt fashion, while they may be in a specific stage for a prolonged period of time the transition to the next occurs quite suddenly, specifically this could be displayed in a child's ability to reason. Coherent organization give us the view that stages are comprised as a whole entity, giving substance to the thought of a smooth transition into stages.
Piaget expanded on the stage theory and considered stage development to begin with the sensorimotor stage starting at birth and continuing to approximately two years of age. The sensorimotor stage has six substages, this is viewed as the most crucial time in a child's brain development. Substage one touches on the modification of reflexes of newborns, such as sucking. Substage two continues into the primary circular reactions of infants 1-4 months exhibited by an infants arm and hand movements. Substage three involves secondary circular reactions of infants 4-8 months where infants become interested in things occurring around them. Substage four involves coordination of secondary circular reactions from 8-12 months, here you can see the infant begin to gain control of its body. Substage five is focused on tertiary circular reactions from one year to eighteen months, infants are searching for ways to interact with their surrounding environment and explore the world around them. Finally, substage six is termed the beginnings of representational thought from eighteen months to two years where babies can begin taking control of their actions and mental capacities. Piaget then moves into the preoperational stage which may stem from two years of age to six or seven years, here toddlers experience substantial growth of representational ability. The concrete operations stage is displayed roughly from ages six to twelve years, in this stage the child is experiencing acquisition of operations and control over mental dynamic. Finally, he uses the formal operations stage to complete a child's cognitive development up until adolescence, here the child is realizing the effect the environment has as well as realizing their mental potential.
It is apparent to see the truth behind the research. Considering the research we have been presented with and the stage theorists methods and reasoning behind their theories one can come to understand the connection between the many studies. From Darwin's theory on evolution stemmed the implication of stages by Flavell into the definitional stage theory Piaget presents, it is apparent the human brain develops through a series of stages during ones lifetime. Not only is the stage theory accepted by many researchers, but also society as a whole.