Adult Development Theory: The Roadmap for Your Personal Growth and Development

Looking for a map of adult development? Looking for what's next? Want to make sure you're moving forward and not back in your personal and professional growth efforts?

This article provides an introduction to the theory of adult development, which can serve as a fantastic map in your personal growth and development efforts.

To begin, we'll introduce two major concepts: Lines of Development and Stages of Development. To finish, we'll discuss what this means for you and I'll point you towards some excellent resources where you can learn more.

Lines of Development

Adult development occurs in many different domains or, as the adult development researchers say, lines of development.

• Cognition
• Self-identify (ego)
• Values
• Emotions
• Morals
• Interpersonal
• Spiritual
• Needs

There are other lines as well - such as aesthetic, kinesthetic, musical, etc - although here we'll focus on the lines of adult development above, as they represent growth associated with evolving consciousness, meaning-making, and worldviews.

Each of these lines of development has been heavily researched and mapped.

Namely, both Western developmental psychologists AND the world's wisdom traditions have created detailed descriptions of each of these lines of adult development. Below are some of the major researchers and thinkers in each of the lines:

• Cognition: Jean Piaget, Robert Kegan, Michael Commons, Francis Richards.
• Self-identify (ego): Jane Loevinger and Suzanne Cook-Greuter
• Values: Clare Graves, Don Beck, and Chris Cowan
• Emotions: Daniel Goleman
• Morals: Lawrence Kohlberg, Carol Gilligan, Bill Torbert
• Needs: Abraham Maslow
• Spiritual: James Fowler and Stan Grof. And, many ancient wisdom traditions and thinkers: Plotinus, Buddhist Vijanas, Chakra system, Sri Aurobindo, Kabbalah, Vedanta, Hazrat Inayat Khan (Sufism), Mahamudra (stages of meditation), Muhyiddin Ibn' Arabi, St. Palamas, traditional samadhis, Tantric Yoga, St. Theresa, Chirban, St. Dionysisus, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, St. Gregory.

The American Philosopher, Ken Wilber, has also done a tremendous amount of research on adult development to combine all of these theories into his Integral Theory of Development.

Stages of Development

These researchers and thinkers have observed, time and time again, that as people grow and develop they pass through distinct stages of development.

What is a stage of development?

In the lines above such as identity, values, morals, and spirituality, each stage of development represents a distinct way of viewing the world and making meaning of others and your experiences.

Here are the major stages of development people pass through.

• Pre-Conventional/Ego-centric: self-absorbed, focused on own needs exclusively. Cannot take the perspective of others.


• Conventional/Ethnocentric: identity centers on a group, tribe or clan; care not extended outside one own group.


• First Post-Conventional/Worldcentric: identity includes care and concern for all people people of the world


• Second Post-Conventional/Kosmocentric: identify with and care for all sentient beings.

Each of these major categories contains many sub-stages; the number of the sub-stages and when they occur depends on the researcher.

Now, generally, the idea of stages of development makes sense. We all know that how we understood ourselves 15 years ago is different from how we do now.

And, this development of human talent and consciousness is similar to the evolutionary development of organisms and societies.

That said, many people dislike the idea of saying that some people are "later" or "more evolved" than others, particularly in the domain of values, morals, and spirituality.

And, perhaps rightly so: there are indeed people who would misuse this information arrogantly to justify their own purposes.

But, let us note here very clearly: the stages of human development have absolutely no correlation with: sex, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, country of origin, or personality. People in all traditions of the world live at all the stages of human development.

For example, people the world over are cognitively brilliant, spiritually advanced, and morally discerning.

What does this mean for my development?

Quite simply, the maps of lines and stages of adult development can serve as a time-tested road map for your development.

And, these maps of adult development are particularly helpful if you are at a transition point between stages.

Signs of a transition include a changing sense of identity, beginning to care about things previously off your radar, a letting go of old worries and concerns, and an ability to take different and higher perspectives on issues in your life and the world.

For example, as you move from conventional to post-conventional stages, you become less concerned with fame, money, power, and achievement and more concerned with connecting with others, spirituality, and caring for the citizens of the world.

And, there are specific practices you can undertake at each stage of your journey to help you along the way. Of all of these practices, meditation is perhaps the most effective for expanding your consciousness.

If you are new to meditation, please see my page that introduces four types of meditation to get you started.

Next Steps

This article is meant to introduce you to the concept of adult development theory.

For further study and to determine your stage of development and practices most effective at your stage, I recommend the following excellent resources:

General Overview Books

• Integral Life Practice, by Ken Wilber, Terry Patten, Adam Leonard, and Marco Morelli. This book contains an overview of Wilbur's Integral Theory and developmental stages. More importantly, it provides specific practices you can undertake to accelerate your development.

• Leadership Agility, by Bill Joiner and Stephen Josephs. This book provides a basic overview of stages of development and illustrates it through business examples.

Both books are good. I like Integral Life Practice because it is much more comprehensive; I like Leadership Agility because it's quick and easy to read and gives a good overview.

For a more in-depth and technical discussion of stages of development, I recommend:

• Integral Psychology, by Ken Wilber. This book delves deeply into developmental psychology and the world's contemplative traditions and presents an integrated framework of adult development.

The most comprehensive website I have found on adult development and adult development practices is Integral Life. There you will find numerous articles videos, and interviews with thinkers and spiritual figures about paths of development. Much of the content is free; you can access more content for a $15 monthly subscription.

In addition to these resources that will help you understand the stages of adult development, many wisdom traditions have their own path. Each of these paths is filled with many wonderful practices to help you along the way.

And, although these paths may look differently, they all generally lead to one place: greater wholeness, perspective, wisdom, skillful action, and connection with the world.

Namaste.
Adam

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