BOYHOOD: Life span Psychology
Yesenia Andaluz
Term Paper Outline
11/03/2019
Physical Development
Boyhood is a movie about Mason and his coming of age. All of the challenges he has faced
growing up from youth to adolescent. I would like to discuss the growth I witness Mason go
through physically and mentally. Mason dealt with the locomotion of his living conditions,
although he grew up in a working-class family he moved very often. Mason and his sister can
recall how often they move and will be upset.
Cognitive Development
For Masons Cognitive development I would like to discuss the memory and the trauma that
Mason remembers and lived with. For example, there is a scene in the movie where Mason is
camping with his father and mentions “At least she’s not married to any drunks anymore.” As he
is referring to his mother, I think that is very symbolic that these memories stay with him as he
becomes an emerging adult. I would also like to shine light on his intelligence as a child he did
not like school and also didn’t care much about succeeding but as he gets older, he begins to
think much more abstract.
Psychosocial Development
Personality was one of the main topics I noticed I can discuss in great depth. Mason was very
lonely as a child, his relationship with his sister was not tightknit. Samantha would always try to
outshine; Mason interest were only his own. I would also be discussing the relationships Mason
had with other people in his life. Mason and his stepfathers did not get along, he dealt with a lot
negativity with the men that were around him day to day. The relationships mason had with the
people around him was very important to the person he was becoming.
