DEVELOPMENTAL

STAGES IN
MIDDLE LATE
ADOLESCENCE
Adolescence – the period following the onset
of puberty during which a young person
develops from a child into an adult.
Middle adolescence – between 14 and 16
years of age.
Late adolecence – between 17 and 20 years
of age .
Robert James Havighurst, a professor ,
physicist, educator and aging expert , defined
developmental task as that
“which is learned at a specific point and
which makes achievement of suceeding tasks
possible. When the timing is right, the ability to
learn a particular task will be possible.”
 There are developmetal tasks that you ,
adolescents, need to accomplish especially
when you reach middle and late
adolescence.
The learners classify various developmental
tasks according to developmental stage.
The Eight Developmetal Tasks

Robert James Havighurst identified eight (8)

developmental tasks that adolescents need
to accomplish in order to be happy and well-
adjusted. They are the following :
TASK 1 : To achieve new and more mature
relations with peers on both sexes.
• It is necessary for an adolescent to learn to have
a smooth inter-personal relationship with others
regardless of their sex/gender.
• Behavioral maturity is thus a necessity in your
dealing with others. This behavioral maturity entails
that you need to be able to socialize well and to
cooperate with your fellow adolescents, to work with
them for a common goal, to learn to be a leader
without dictating , and to delay self-gratification and
control fancies.
TASK 2 : To adapt socially approved masculine or
feminine adult roles.

• Taking on acceptable gender roles is essential. As

an adolescent, you must decide for yourselves the
roles you wish to exhibit and carry out. Your overall
way of life as and adolescent will be affected by the
choices you make concerning this.
TASK 3 : To accept your physical self and to use
your body effectively.
• The onset of adolescence is marked by physical
and psychological changes. These may cause
changes in your attitudes, emotions and outlook.
Hence it is essential that you recognize these
transformations in your bodies and strive to take good
care of yourselves.
TASK 4 : To achieve emotional independence.
•
• Prior to adolescence, an individual is dependent
on their guardians or parents. However, part of the
developmental task of adolescent is to achive
emotional independence. It entails carefully analyzing
options and consequences before exhibiting an
emotion or coming up with a decision.
•Being emotionally independent from parents doesn’t
mean your dependence has to be lost. Respect to
them while you try to be dependent of them.
 TASK 5 : To develop your personal attitude
toward marriage and family living.

In the future, you shall establish your own family and

raise children. You have to acquire knowledge about
entering married life, building a family, and child rearing.
Being married is not an easy thing so you have to be
aware such matters.
TASK 6 : To select and prepare for an
occupation.

•Ideally one of the milestones in being an

adolescent is finishing studies. You therefore, have
to make sure that you are getting the correct
training in relation to the kind of occupation or
career you are longing for.

•You also have to select whether you work

immediately after high school or pursue further
studies on college.
TASK 7 : To acquire a set of standards as a
guide to behavior.

•This developmetal task involves identifying

principles in life to live by or selecting models ( e.g.
teachers and parents )to imitate. It also entails the
setting of priorities in your life. It is placing in order
the things that are important to you, from the most
to least important. Commonly,the things that are
included in this hierarchy are God, family,
education ,work, significant others, peers and
hobies. This hierarchy will serve as a guiding tool
especially in making decisions.
TASK 8 : To accept and adopt socially
responsible behavior.

•In a civilized society, there are socially acceptable

and unacceptable behaviors. The unacceptable
ones are the so-called taboos. You have to be
aware of these things and be responsible for the
consequences of your actions. Socially responsible
behaviors are commonly those which are in
accordance with the socially accepted set of
values , morals , or religious beliefs.
The major developmental tasks that you need to
accomplish may be taxing and demanding but they
are essential and necessary. Performing them will give
you opportunities to become responsible for your own
actions and behaviors.
To accomplish the developmental tasks , you need the
guidance and support of your parents, guardians,older
siblings, and mentors.
Thus, you have to maintain a good relationship to your
parents while trying to be somewhat independent
; from
them. You have to remember that they still play
irreplaceable roles in your lives and they could help you
a lot to be a better person in the future.
Becoming Responsible and Prepared for Adult Life
Being able to make good choices and becoming
responsible are essential traits no matter what
developmental stage you are in. It holds true particularly
for adolescents like you, especially that you are just
beginning to internalize and imbibe virtues, values and
other essential qualities ( Ways to become a responsible
adolescents ).
OurHappySchool.com enumerates some simple rules
which could helps teenagers to become responsible
adolescent and prepared for adult life.
1.) Focus on your studies and do well in all of your
endeavors. There's a time for everything.
 2.) Take care of your health and hygiene. Healthy body and
mind are important as your journey through adolescent.
3.) Establish good communication and relation with your
parents or guardians. Listen to them.
4.) Think a lot before doing something.And evaluate
probable consequences before acting.
5.) Choose to do the right thing. There are situations where it
is better to choose your mind rather than your heart.
6.) Do your best to resist tempations and bad acts.
7.) Respect yourself. You are in adult in the making. Do not
let your teenager hormones get you. If you respect yourself ,
others will respect you too.
8.) Be prepared to be answerable or accountable to your
actions and behavior. It is a part of growing up and
becoming an adult.
ACTIVITY 1 : ADOLESCENCE TASK
Based on your self assessment, check the appropriate column
relative to the eight (8) developmetal tasks discussed above.
Developmental Not Yet In the Process Yes
Tasks by R.
Havighurst

1.) Can you interact

with fellow
adolescents of both
sexes in more
matured way?
Developmental Not Yet In the Process Yes
Tasks by R.
Havighurst
2.) Have you
adopted an
approved gender
role for yourself?

3.) Have you

accepted the
bodily changes
that go with
adolescence ?
Are you at ease
with your new
body physique?
Developmental Not Yet In the Process Yes
Tasks by R.
Havighurst
4.) Have you
already achieved
emotional self-
reliance? Do you
carefully analyze
options and
consequences
before exhibiting
an emotion or
coming up with a
decision?
Developmental Tasks by Not Yet In the Yes
R. Havighurst Process

5.) Have you accepted that

sooner or later you shall
enter a married life and
have children? Have you
acquired basic knowledge
about entering married life,
building a family, and child
rearing?
6.) Are career goals part of
your personal goals ? Are
you preparing for a career in
the future?
 Developmental Not Yet In the Yes
Tasks by R. Process
Havighurst
7.) Have you identified
some principles in life to
live by or selected
models to imitate? Have
you set your priorities in
life and clarified your
hierarchy of personal
priorities?
8.) Are you aware of the
socially accepted
behaviors in your
society?