Introduction
Cognitive development is a process that accompanies people throughout the entire period of life. These processes include the maturation of a person’s mental abilities and intellectual development. Dynamic development includes many factors that influence how a person develops in different ways (Rose et al., 2008).
During infancy and early childhood, cognitive development is in its infancy. Piaget’s cognitive development theory suggests that children go through several developmental periods that can be divided into sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational (Tucker-Drob & Briley, 2014).
Childhood
Sensorimotor and Preoperational Stages
In the first stage, which is typical for infants, they begin to explore the world mainly through crawling and sensation in physical contact. The further preoperational stage is characterized by the fact that after two years, the child can begin to use certain symbols and language to express thoughts and feelings. At this stage, the child is characterized by egocentrism, which manifests itself in the fact that they are not able to coordinate different points of view (Sakimoto et al., 2022).
Concrete Operational Stage
Cognitive development is continuous; the next period is the concrete operational stage, lasting 7 to 11 years. At the formal operational stage, which occurs after the age indicated above, people develop abstract thinking skills and can take into account various hypothetical situations (DiGirolamo et al., 2020). This distinguishes their thinking from that of a child and shows it as something that can develop further.
Adolescence: Formal Operational Stage
Adolescence is the next critical stage in a person’s life and development since the formation of cognitive connections at this stage is even more pronounced. People in this period move from childhood to adulthood, both physically and mentally. Formal operational thinking manifests itself most clearly at this stage (Reinilä et al., 2023). This results in teenagers beginning to learn to think critically and question many things and knowledge that may seem ambiguous. The development of hypothetical imagination and problem-solving is intense due to the metacognition that occurs during this period (Davies & Rose, 1999). The ability to monitor their own thoughts is a necessary aspect that can help them approach specific tasks more comprehensively.
Adulthood: Peak of Cognitive Abilities
Cognitive development also does not stop throughout adulthood. At this stage, one can consider multiple manifestations that characterize the individual elements of a given process (Jernigan et al., 2018). Until the age of forty, people experience peak cognitive abilities that relate to making decisions and solving certain problems that may arise in their career or life (Ledger et al., 2019). Cognitive abilities begin to consolidate between forty and sixty-five years of age (Hamm et al., 2020). In this case, a general decrease in capabilities in this direction can be observed as the brain begins to slow down the pace of work. Human performance may be negatively affected by reduced speed and processing (Ledger et al., 2019). However, this period often includes career growth, which may require particular cognitive adaptations.
Late Adulthood: Cognitive Decline
Late adulthood is characterized by the fact that people begin to notice changes in their cognitive abilities. Many older people retain their abilities; however, in most cases, some may experience a decline in memory and processing speed, as well as attention (Mazzonna & Peracchi, 2012). At this stage, an important aspect is to distinguish regular age-related changes from symptoms of diseases. The theory discussed has some critical aspects that are important to elaborate on.
Changes that occur during the late germination stage must be monitored so that they can be adjusted if critical variables are reached. The differences in the changes that happen in a person’s ability to think during late adulthood can be manifested by diseases that later have a profound impact on the body and cognitive abilities (Lima Argimon et al., 2014). Because of this, the importance of regular medical examinations increases as a person may need timely treatment for emerging symptoms. Otherwise, rapid deterioration of memory and brain capabilities is possible.
The Cognitive Developmental Maturity and Decline
Childhood
At different stages of life, maturity and cognitive decline affect a person’s functioning and well-being in various ways. For example, in infancy and early childhood, cognitive development is characterized by rapid growth and the acquisition of a variety of new skills (DiGirolamo et al., 2020). However, due to the rudimentary state of cognitive skills at this stage, decision-making processes are highly dependent on caregivers (Davies & Rose, 1999).
Adolescence
During adolescence, cognitive skills improve significantly, allowing people to solve complex problems. The transition between early childhood and adolescence is essential for the formation of those skills that can help people later perform essential functions more fully in the future (Stine-Morrow & Manavbasi, 2022). During this developmental period, cognitive activity centers around the development of critical thinking (DiGirolamo et al., 2020). Thus, people begin to rely less on the help of outside actors to become independent (Mazzonna & Peracchi, 2012).
Early Adulthood
Subsequently, a period of early adulthood begins, which is characterized by the peak of cognitive thinking. Exhibits of episodes of improved problem-solving and logical reasoning, as well as rational processes, are at a high level with continuous improvement.
Middle Adulthood
In the next stage of middle adulthood, cognitive abilities may remain reasonably high (Davies & Rose, 1999). However, noticeable declines in processing speed and working memory can prevent people from achieving everyday or professional goals. In some aspects, thinking and reasoning may continue to increase, offsetting some of the effects of cognitive decline. Adaptation to weaknesses and some memory development capabilities may be influenced by the person’s general well-being as an auxiliary factor (Ho, 2021).
Cognitive qualities at this stage of growing up, as well as cognitive aspects, can either be developed at a sufficient level or show a tendency to decline. Thus, increasing and decreasing brain abilities is critical at this stage (Hamm et al., 2020). In the context of decision-making, early adulthood is characterized by the full development of critical thinking.
Late Adulthood
During late adulthood, cognitive changes become more noticeable, manifesting changes in memory and processing speed. These changes may exacerbate ongoing changes that may affect functioning in daily tasks and decision-making. Maintaining social activity and a healthy lifestyle is essential to effectively mitigate the adverse effects on well-being and functioning (Zimprich & Mascherek, 2010).
In assessing how cognitive development may adaptively influence individuals, it is crucial to recognize that many aspects of this development are unique to all individuals (Lewis et al., 2017). This may be influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and educational factors that contribute to cognitive development at different ages (Hamm et al., 2020). Compensatory mechanisms in such a context may manifest themselves in helping people adapt to age-related changes.
Appropriate Strategies for Different Life Stages
Childhood
For the stage of infancy and early childhood, a strategy that stimulates the interaction of parents with children is necessary. In Singapore, the government has created the KidSTART program, which provides ongoing support to children from low-income families (Ho, 2021). Given this fact, a strategy to support effective cognitive development may include the implementation of this program. This is important so that parents can provide more significant support and interaction across the social spectrum (Noack et al., 2009). Thus, parents should promote the development of language skills as possible through special programs that will help improve cognitive skills.
Adolescence
In adolescence, one can implement a strategy to improve digital literacy and media education. It should be aimed at teaching children to interact with the online space as efficiently and safely as possible. These strategies can be implemented in educational institutions. Media literacy courses can help children improve their ability to process sources of information using critical thinking (Hamm et al., 2020). In Singapore, digitalization and the penetration of technology into society are pretty significant, which determines the implementation of this strategy (Ho, 2021). This can also provide sufficient support and regulation for Internet use.
Early Adulthood
In early adulthood, it is necessary to implement a strategy of lifelong learning and career development. An example of this direction is the Singapore government’s SkillsFuture initiative, which encourages adult career development (Kim et al., 2021). Given this initiative, a strategy for maintaining lifelong learning may include various elements that can contribute to carbon growth (Malone et al., 2016). In addition, this strategy can improve people’s adaptability to improve their well-being in different areas of life. In this way, the government will be able to provide regulation and support to people in early adulthood.
Middle Adulthood
During middle adulthood, strategies to improve mental health and manage stress levels can be developed and implemented. In this period, the problem of improving mental state becomes urgent for people. This happens due to various factors, such as heavy work pressure or other social factors, that can complicate people’s daily operations by loading their mental systems (Zimprich & Mascherek, 2010). Thus, for example, the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) of Singapore conducts ongoing research to find ways to improve the mental state of adults (Kuek et al., 2021). People in this age group may benefit from special workshops to enhance mindfulness and stress management.
Late Adulthood
In late adulthood, it will be necessary to develop and implement a strategy for active aging and maintaining a sufficient level of social activity. In the Singapore context, an important initiative is the Silver Generation Office (SGO), which is helping to create social activity centers for older people (Mokhtar, 2020). This includes increasing physical activity and cognitive exercises, which can help people improve their condition to ensure sufficient levels of social engagement.
It is crucial for aging people to maintain adequate levels of physical and social activity to maintain cognitive development (Lima Argimon et al., 2014). Elderly people should try to take part in programs that are aimed at improving their cognitive abilities (Ho, 2021). This strategy may provide ongoing support and regulation into late adulthood.
Comprehensive Programs
In addition to implementing strategies that are relevant for specific age-old categories, it is equally important to create programs that will be aimed at comprehensive coverage. In this way, it will be possible to provide complete support that will control all stages of the development of cognitive functions (Lewis et al., 2017). The Health Promotion Board (HPB) in Singapore is one of the institutions that promotes aspects through which citizens can improve health and socially active behavior (Jiang et al., 2022). This may include various physical activities and balanced care for cognitive development.
Intergenerational strategies can significantly promote the sharing of skills and knowledge, which is beneficial for ensuring healthy relationships between all generations (Jernigan et al., 2018). For example, older people can become mentors for younger generations, sharing knowledge and specific life experiences with them.
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