Maturation in psychology refers to the learned ability to react and cope in an emotionally rational and acceptable manner. Note, it doesn’t always occur alongside our aging or physical development. Many people continue developing and achieving further maturation well into adulthood.
Some presidents, on the other hand, completely stopped after the age of 5 or so.
What is Maturation in Psychology?
Maturation refers to the process of changing, growing, and developing throughout life, and developmental psychologists study various types of maturation throughout the lifespan, including physical and cognitive maturation. Physical maturation refers to the changes in the body, while cognitive maturation relates to changes in thinking and problem-solving abilities. As we age, our bodies and minds go through a process of maturation, leading to changes in how we interact with the world around us.
Two Types of Maturation
There are two main types of maturation that we’ll focus on today: physical and cognitive maturation.
Physical maturation refers to the growth and development of our bodies, from infancy all the way to old age. It’s a process that involves everything from the expansion of muscle tissue to the development of motor skills and coordination.
Speaking of motor skills, when we’re young, we mainly rely on our reflexes to get by. But as we grow older, we become more coordinated, and we develop the ability to control our gate, along with our gross and fine motor skills.
It’s really quite impressive.
Now, cognitive maturation, on the other hand, is all about how we change our thinking patterns, problem-solving abilities, and attitudes throughout our lives. It starts from infancy and continues all the way through adolescence and beyond. It’s a process that involves everything from language development to memory and reasoning skills.
But what factors influence our maturation? Well, there are quite a few, my dear students. Physical health, nutrition, exposure to various stimuli, and training opportunities all play a role in our development.
And what about the characteristics of maturation itself? Well, it’s primarily based on heredity – the net sum of gene effects that operate in a self-limiting life cycle. It’s also an automatic process of somatic, physiological, and mental differentiation and integration.
As we mature, we experience growth and development occurring simultaneously and in a time-bound manner. It’s a necessary step before any unlearned behavior can occur, and it involves both structural and functional changes in the body and brain.
In the end, maturation is a journey that helps us reach our full potential, both physically and mentally. It’s a process of internal and external changes that lead us towards the achievement of our goals and the successful navigation of the challenges that life throws our way.
