Psychology

In the life of an individual, development is an important aspect that is experienced and observed throughout ones lifespan. The developments can fall into three main processes, which are divided into physical, cognitive, and socioemotional. Under these three large categories, individuals experience changes and challenges at different stages in their lives. In each life phase, there are different developmental processes from each of the three large categories that mark the transition from one phase to another.

First, the physical developmental processes are considered to be the physiological changes that one can observed in their bodies. According to Liukkonen (2007), physical development is related to the strength, coordination, or  flexibility of an individual, which is seen to increase as one moves up the different life phases. During the childhood phase, there is a lesser understanding of the physical subdomains in relation to abilities and there is the tendency to view their own physical capabilities in universal terms (Liukkonen, 2007). As one moves to adolescence and middle-age, an understanding of the subdomains of physical abilities are clearer that leads to greater distinction between these (Liukkonen, 2007). Most of the physical developmental processes are experienced during the transition of a child into becoming an adolescent (Liukkonen, 2007). It is in this stage where the individual enters the stage of puberty and starts experiencing biological changes that start the onset of their adolescence. Some of the common changes include menstruation, growth of pubic hair, increase in height, change in voice, and others.

Second, cognitive development is known to include the  psychological processes and activities involved in thinking and knowing  (Oakley, 2004, p. 2). Similar to physical development, this sphere has the premise that there is a difference between adult thinking and children thinking, which means that there are changes that occur in order for the two to be the same as one ages (Oakley, 2004). In addition to this, adults are considered to have a more effective and efficient cognitive processes compared to children. The explanations to the differences is not attributed to the fact that children are less intelligent than adults but is because of the differences in mental processing, as Jean Piaget puts it (Shaffer  Kipp, 2009). When Piaget worked with children, he concluded that their thinking process is less complex than the adults that lead to their  incorrect answers  or different approach to things (Shaffer  Kipp, 2009).

Third, the socioemotional development processes are those that relate to the social and emotional aspects of the individual. The changes related to how a person relates to the self and to others and how a person expresses and receives emotion are all under this category. The psychological activities that are related to an individuals social and emotional spheres are the concerns of those studying this field. As one moves through the different stages of life, the element of maturity can affect this particular development process. As a result, the individual becomes more mature in dealing with external forces, especially those in their surroundings.

It is to be noted that the relationships between these three developmental processes are not isolate but are rather intertwined and transactional. These processes do not occur in a sequential isolate manner but in a simultaneous and interactive process. At times, there are overlaps between these processes especially during phases when an individual goes through a transition phase.

Nature versus Nurture
The nature versus nurture debate is a classic focus of argument in psychology. The question lies on which among the two affects the development more. The debate has become particularly important for questions related to intelligence measured through different tools (Oakley, 2004). The term  nature  is used here to refer to the  inherited factors  that is mostly related to the genes and those that are experienced as a child matures (Oakley, 2004, p. 3). On the other hand, nurture refers to the external forces in the environment of the individual that affects the child together with their experiences (Oakley, 2004).

The concept of nature versus nurture is considered to be important in the discussion of human development because it leads to the answers regarding the influences of human development. There is recognition that both the aspects of nature and nurture are contributory factors that affect the processes of human development. By understanding the mutual relationship of nature and nurture, one can gain knowledge regarding the interaction between the developmental processes and its influences.

Conclusion
There are three developmental processes that occur within an individual as heshe moves on with different phases. These three developmental processes include socioemotional, cognitive, and physical. Each of these deal with different aspects of the individual where each one has its own specific focus. A related aspect of this is the nature-nurture debate, which is the source of influence for certain human development processes.