In chapter 13, Berk examines the physical and cognitive changes that occur in humans during early adulthood. Each of these concepts is interesting in isolation, as it represents a vast space for study. Physiological changes associated with both aging and changes in activities, as well as cognitive, focused on changes in the worldview, and the acquisition of a large amount of knowledge, can be divided into many topics. However, from my perspective, the most interesting is the interaction and mutual influence of these two categories on each other. It seems to me that it is the mutual influence of consciousness and physiology that deserves the most attention.
It is evident that the processes described in these sections are complex and actively interact with each other, crossing the boundaries of different spheres of activity. For example, studies show that active participation in academic support programs, which is part of cognitive development, further leads to greater integration into social support networks. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that the described processes do not affect each other. From this point of view, what I want most to discuss is the effect of cognitive development on physiological factors.
Naturally, some of the physical processes, for example, aging, take place anyway. However, the presence of certain mental attitudes can significantly affect a person’s lifestyle. For instance, as people grow up, they tend to move towards a more relativistic, pragmatic mindset. By basing their values on practical benefits, a person, for example, may start dieting and exercising.
However, if there are errors in cognitive development and knowledge of the world, the consequences can also be damaging. For example, having biases about other people that can be considered a cognitive error can impact a person’s health. While there is an overlap with the social sphere and interactions with other people in this case, according to research, the presence of racism can indeed have negative consequences on health. Thus, all spheres of human development intersect with each other, and the study of such interactions is fascinating.
