Robert James Havighurst (June 5, 1900 in De Pere, Wisconsin January 31, 1991 in Richmond, Indiana) was a professor, physicist,

, educator, and aging expert. Both his father, Freeman Alfred Havighurst, and mother, Winifred Weter Havighurst, had been educators at Lawrence University. Havighurst worked and published well into his 80s. According to his family, Havighurst died of Alzheimer's disease at the age of ninety.

Education
He attended public schools in Wisconsin and Illinois. He obtained many degrees and education achievements: 1918-21 B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, 1922 M.A. Ohio State University, 1924 Ph.D., Chemistry Ohio State University, 1953-54 Fulbright Scholar, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, 1961 Fulbright Scholar University of Buenos Aires, 1962 Honorary Degree Sc. Adelphi University, 1963 Hon. L.L.D. Ohio Wesleyan University. 2006

Career
He published a number of papers in journal of physics and chemistry about the structure of the atom in 1924. He went to Harvard University as a postdoctoral fellow, studying atomic structure and publishing papers in journals of physics and chemistry. He decided to change careers in 1928, so he went into the field of experimental education. He became an assistant professor at the University of WisconsinMadison. In 1940, he became an education professor at the University of Chicago in the University's Committee on Human Development. He worked in the field of aging. Again, in the same year he was interested in international and comparative aspects of education. He wrote several books and published many papers. His most famous book called "Human Development and Education". He was inducted in the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame.[2] Intellectual Contributions Havighurst's educational research did much to advance education in the United States. Educational theory before Havighurst was underdeveloped. Children learned by rote and little concern was given to how children developed. From 1948 to 1953 he developed his highly influential theory of human development and education. The crown jewel of his research was on developmental task. Havighurst tried to define the developmental stages on many levels. Havighurst identified Six Major Stages in human life covering birth to old age.

Infancy & early childhood (Birth till 6 years old) Middle childhood (613 years old) Adolescence (1318 years old) Early Adulthood (1930 years old)

Middle Age (30-60years old) Later maturity (60 years old and over)

From there, Havighurst recognized that each human has three sources for developmental tasks. They are:

Tasks that arise from physical maturation: Learning to walk, talk, control of bowel and urine, behaving in an acceptable manner to opposite sex, adjusting to menopause. Tasks that arise from personal values: Choosing an occupation, figuring out ones philosophical outlook. Tasks that have their source in the pressures of society: Learning to read, learning to be responsible citizen.

The developmental tasks model that Havighurst developed was age dependent and all served pragmatic functions depending on their age. Developmental Tasks (Ages 06)

Learning to walk. * Learning to crawl. * Learning to take solid food. * Learning to talk. * Learning to control the elimination of body wastes. * Learning sex differences and sexual modesty. * Getting ready to read. * Forming concepts and learning language to describe social and physical reality.

(Ages 618)

Learning physical skills necessary for ordinary games. * Learning to get along with age mates. * Building wholesome attitudes toward oneself as a growing organism. * Learning on appropriate masculine or feminine social role. * Developing concepts necessary for everyday living. * Developing conscience, morality and a scale of values. * Achieving personal independence. * Developing attitudes toward social groups and institutions.

(Ages 1830)

Achieving new and more mature relations with age mates of both sexes. * Achieving a masculine or feminine social role. * Accepting ones physique and using the body effectively. * Achieving emotional independence of parents and other adults. * Preparing for marriage and family life. * Acquiring a set of values and an ethical system as a guide to behavior. * Desiring and achieving socially responsible behavior.* Selecting an occupation.

(Ages 3040)

Selecting a mate. * Learning to live with a partner. * Starting family. * Rearing children. * Managing home. * Getting started in occupation. * Taking on civic responsibility. * Finding a congenial social group.

(Ages 4060)

Assisting teenage children to become responsible and happy adults. * Achieving adult social and civic responsibility. * Reaching and maintaining satisfactory performance in ones occupational career. * Developing adult leisure time activities. * Relating oneself to ones spouse as a person. * To accept and adjust to the physiological changes of middle age. * Adjusting to aging parents.

(60 and over)

Adjusting to decreasing physical strength and health. Adjusting to retirement and reduced income. * Adjusting to death of a spouse. * Establishing an explicit affiliation with ones age group. * Adopting and adapting social roles in a flexible way. * Establishing satisfactory physical living arrangements.

Developmental tasks (Ages 06) Learning to:

Walk Crawl Take solid food Talk Control the elimination of body wastes Learning sex differences and sexual modesty Getting ready to read Forming concepts Learning language to describe social and physical reality.

(Ages 618) Learning:

Get along with age mates. Physical skills necessary for ordinary games Building wholesome attitudes toward oneself as a growing organism. Appropriate masculine or feminine social role Developing concepts necessary for everyday living Developing conscience, morality and a scale of values Achieving personal independence. Developing attitudes toward social groups and institutions.

 (Ages 1830)

Achieving a masculine or feminine social role Accepting ones physique and using the body effectively Achieving new and more mature relations with age mates of both sex Achieving emotional independence of parents and other adults Preparing for marriage and family life Acquiring a set of values and an ethical system as a guide to behavior Desiring and achieving socially responsible behavior Selecting an occupation

(Ages 3040)

Selecting a mate Learning to live with a partner Starting family Rearing children Managing home Getting started in occupation Taking on civic responsibility Finding a congenial social group.

Marriage?? (Ages 4060)

Assisting teenage children to become responsible and happy adults Achieving adult social and civic responsibility Reaching and maintaining satisfactory performance in ones occupational career Developing adult leisure time activities Relating oneself to ones spouse as a person To accept and adjust to the physiological changes of middle age Adjusting to aging parents.

(60 and over)

Adjusting to decreasing physical strength and health Adjusting to retirement and reduced income Adjusting to death of a spouse Establishing an explicit affiliation with ones age group Adopting and adapting social roles in a flexible way Establishing satisfactory physical living arrangements