Cognitive Development; Learning how your mind has developed

BY: SIMONE JENNIFER SMITH

Seven Stages of Mental Development

Toronto! It is that time again; time to learn something about yourself from a different perspective. I realize that the idea of psychology continues to be linked with: psychotic behaviour, mental health illnesses, maladaptive behaviour, and in many cases it is. The power of psychology is that when you are in control of your psyche (your soul), you are able to control your internal environment, and in some aspects your external environment.

This week, I am going to present seven stages that have been developed to help us understand our mindset at different ages of our life. Now, like all stages, you can move back and forth depending on life circumstances. These stages are just a way to interpret and innerstand why you may have made certain decisions at different times in your life.

The seven stages are as follows:

1. Acquisitive stage (childhood and adolescence). Children and adolescents acquire information and skills mainly for their own sake or as preparation for how to live in the real world. For example, a child might read about dinosaurs out of pure interest in the topic. PARENTS; this is a great time to pay attention to what interests your child and start supporting that interest.
   
2. Achieving stage (late teens or early 20s to early 30s). Young adults no longer acquire knowledge merely for its own sake; they use what they know to achieve certain goals and to prepare for their immediate future. For example, a young adult might take a college class in preparation for a career in a particular area. They might also start the dating process in hopes of learning the type of people they like.
3. Responsible stage (late 30s to early 60s). Middle-aged people use their minds to solve practical problems associated with responsibilities to others, such as family members or employees. For example, you might find an easier way to deal with something at work, or you might seek counseling to deal with a personal problem that you are unable to handle yourself.
   
4. Executive stage (30s or 40s through middle age). People in the executive stage are responsible for societal systems (such as governmental or business organizations) or social movements. They deal with complex relationships on multiple levels. At this stage, your mind has the ability to handle different levels of thinking, which means that you are able to work in many different fields.
5. Reorganizational stage (end of middle age, the beginning of late adulthood). People who enter retirement reorganize their lives and intellectual energies around meaningful pursuits that take the place of paid work. For some, this is when life truly begins. You have been in the rat race and realized that it is not all that it is cracked up to be. Money, material things, reputation; without meaning, these aspects of life become mundane. The idea of servitude and giving back begins to take a forefront in your life.
   
6. Reintegrative stage (late adulthood). Older adults may be experiencing biological and cognitive changes and tend to be more selective about what tasks they expend effort on. They focus on the purpose of what they do and concentrate on tasks that have the most meaning for them. A great example that I can think of is my parents; they both began to focus on their health and took it upon themselves to start working out. They are older, and they have to be careful, but this does not stop them from taking care of their health in a way that is effective for both of them
7. Legacy-creating stage (advanced old age). Near the end of life, once reintegration has been completed (or along with it), older people may create instructions for the disposition of prized possessions, make funeral arrangements, provide oral histories, or write their life stories as a legacy for their loved ones. It is a tough discussion, but the talk of wills and financial distribution comes up. If you have offspring, arrangements are made on how material possessions will be distributed.

As you went through the stages, what stage most resonated with you? Did you feel conflicted with the description of the stages? Pay attention to how you feel when you are reading new information because it can tell you a lot about yourself. Our minds are powerful, and we have only begun to touch the service of its ability.