Abstract
Childhood and adulthood are distinct stages of life, characterized by distinct physiological and psychological features and characteristics. However, there is no absolute demarcation between childhood and adulthood. Adolescence represents a sort of transitional phase, but each of these phases of development may be further broken down into different stages of emotional, biological, and personal development. The social role and function of the child or adolescent also differs dramatically from that of the adult. Legally and normatively in most cultures, children are exempt from the responsibilities adults bear. The greatest differences between childhood and adulthood include the biological, neurobiological, and physiological differences in human development across the lifespan. However, the psychological differences between childhood and adulthood are also striking. Some of the differences between child and adult psychology include issues related to self-concept, identity, ethics, coping, and emotional maturity. The most notable similarities between childhood and adulthood include the ongoing human needs for learning, play, and social interactions.

Introduction

Childhood and adulthood clearly represent distinct stages of human development. From birth until at least the age of sexual maturity, children remain dependent on adult caregivers for meeting most of their physical, social, and emotional needs. Puberty marks the start of adolescence, which can be considered either a distinct developmental stage or the beginning of adulthood. Historical and cultural context determines how adolescence is conceptualized and also the status of teenagers in the society. It was not long ago that teenagers and even younger children were considered of legitimate working age. 

The differences between childhood and adulthood are physiological. Yet the psychological, intellectual, emotional, and social differences between these two life stages are also of critical importance. Moreover, the way each culture defines childhood and adulthood has a bearing on how children and adults behave, how they think, and what status they have in the society. Children are generally considered exempt from moral culpability, whereas adults are held responsible for their actions both morally and legally. Yet in many situations, children can be tried in adult courts of law. Therefore, the definition of adulthood is actually more malleable than it may seem.

Various fields in both social science and biology lend insight into the differences between childhood and adulthood. Developmental psychologists and child psychologists have proposed various theories and offered models for understanding the stages of human development. Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget, Sigmund Freud, and Lawrence Kohlberg have offered some of the most enduring theories of child psychosocial development. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs also sheds light on the differences—and similarities—between childhood and adulthood.

While the differences between childhood and adulthood sometimes seem to outweigh the similarities, adults retain many of their physical and psychological traits throughout their lives. Personality psychology shows how some features of a person’s psyche remain remarkably stable over time, and also that early childhood experiences can leave lingering effects on a person’s self-concept and perception of reality. Even what one experiences as an infant may impact that person as an adult. Genetic research illustrates that not only do parents pass on their physical traits to their children but also their psychological tendencies. Some psychiatric illnesses are heritable. Adults as well as children have a poignant need for playtime, for exercising intellectual curiosity, for love and affection, social interaction, humor, and learning new things.

Dependency

The most important of all the differences between childhood and adulthood is related to meeting basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, security, and affection. In early childhood especially, the child is dependent on adults or at least older siblings for meeting basic needs. An infant or toddler would die if it were left on its own. By the early childhood stage, though, around the age of five, the child gains some degree of independence (“Periods of Development,” n.d.). While not fully independent, a child around the age of five has mastered basic communication skills and sensory-motor skills. Yet even with a greater sense of self-mastery and control over the environment, children are still dependent on adult caregivers. Elder children may be able to provide the most basic elements of food, shelter, clothing, security, and affection, but a young child has no legal status in the...…ask questions in formal ways and interact with objects and people in socially acceptable ways. Adults continue to ask questions and learn about their world. Some adults grow cynical or intellectually stuck, but being dull or depressed are not necessarily natural features of the aging process.

The Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow’s needs hierarchy also illustrates some of the important similarities and differences between childhood and adulthood. All of the basic human needs such as for food, shelter, clothing, and security are needs that persist throughout a person’s life. The need for love and belonging is also a persistent need that both adults and children share. Higher needs, though, tend to only emerge by late adolescence or early adulthood. The need for self-esteem and worthiness is one of those higher-order needs. Another is the need for self-actualization or self-fulfillment. A defining difference between adults and children is that adults tend to crave higher-order needs to a greater degree than children, who remain focused on lower-order needs. 

Conclusion: nature and nurture

Both nature and nurture impact human development. Genetics determine central physiological features, the tendency towards certain diseases or conditions, the structure of the body, and the pace of physiological development. Upbringing, socialization, culture, nutrition, and exposure to environmental stimuli then interact with one’s predispositions to create a complex set of variables that characterizes the individual. Both children and adults are affected by nature equally as much as they are impacted by nurture.

Obviously, children tend to be smaller than adults and not as used to making difficult decisions. Their sense of self and their moral reasoning is far more simplistic than that of adults. Because of the differences between adulthood and childhood, children have fewer legal responsibilities versus adults. Adults can vote, children cannot. Yet it is important to remember that the line between childhood and adulthood is a blurry one. Not all adults can vote—convicted felons being a prime example. Non-citizen adults of a country also cannot vote. Some children can be tried for their crimes in an adult court of law.