Interdependent Processes

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, “Development is the product of the elaborate interplay of biological, psychological, and social influences.” As children develop physically, gaining greater psychomotor control and increased brain function, they become more sophisticated cognitively—that is, more adept at thinking about and acting upon their environment. These physical and cognitive changes, in turn, allow them to develop psychosocially, forming individual identities and relating effectively and appropriately with other people. Thus, as described by the HHS, human development is “a lifelong process of growth, maturation, and change.”