A developmental task is a task that arises at or about a certain period in life, unsuccessful achievement of which leads to

inability to perform tasks associated with the next period or stage in life.
Robert James Havighurst
(June 5, 1900 January 31, 1991) was a professor, physicist, educator, and expert on aging.
-He published a number of papers in journal of physics and chemistry about the structure of the atom in 1924. He decided to
change careers in 1928, so he went into the field of experimental education. He worked in the field of aging. Again, in the same
year he was interested in international and comparative aspects of education. He wrote several books and published many papers.
His best-known book called "Human Development and EducationHe was inducted in the International Adult and Continuing
Education Hall of Fame.[5]
-Havighurst's educational research did much to advance education in the United States. Educational theory before Havighurst was
underdeveloped. Children learned by route and little concern was given to how children developed. From 1948 to 1953 he
developed his highly influential theory of human development and education. The crown jewel of his research was on
developmental task. Havighurst tried to define the developmental stages on many levels.
-Robert Havighurst The theory of Robert Havighurst (1953, 1972; Havighurst & Levine, 1979) is based on the concept that
successful achievement of developmental tasks leads to happiness and success with later tasks, whereas failure leads to
unhappiness, social disapproval, and diffi culty with later tasks. Havig hurst disagreed with any theory that proposes an innate
basis of growth and development. He believed that living is learning and growing is learning. Development, then, according to
Havighurst, is the process of learning ones way through life. Havighurst conceived of successful development as requiring
mastery of a series of tasks. At each level of development the child encounters new social demands. These demands, or tasks, arise
out of three sources. First, tasks arise from physical maturation. Such tasks as learning to walk, talk, and get along with ones agemates are maturation-based. Second, tasks arise out of the cultural pressures of society, such as learning how to read and learning
to be a responsible citizen. The third source of tasks is oneself. Tasks arise out of the maturing personality and the individuals
values and unique aspirations. Havighursts theory has implications for all age levels. His theory is of particular importance to
educators because it describes teachable moments in which a persons body and self are ready to achieve a certain task. Educators
can better time their efforts at teaching by identifying the tasks suitable for a particular level of development, being fully aware
that a childs level of readiness is infl uenced by biological, cultural, and self factors interacting with one another. Havighurst has
suggested six major periods of development: infancy and early childhood (birth through 5 years), middle childhood (6 through 12
years), adolescence (13 through 18 years), early adulthood (19 through 29 years), middle adulthood (30 through 60 years), and
later maturity (60 years and up).
John Santrock
received his Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the U. of Minnesota in 1973. Before coming to UT-Dallas in
1976 (where he was program head in psychology for three years), he taught at the U. of Georgia.
John Santrock's research focuses on family processes and children's socioemotional development. He conducted the
first major research study on comparisons of children in mother and father custody families. This continues to be used
in expert witness testimony to promote flexibility and alternative considerations in custody disputes. A research grant
from NIMH supported this research. He has served on the editorial boards of the two leading research journals in
developmental psychology--Child Development and Developmental Psychology--from 1979-1994.