Developmental Theories

Development

Systematic changes and continuities in the individual that occur between conception and death

physical, cognitive, psychosocial

Changes and continuities of interest

gain-stability-loss

Traditional view of development

Growth

physical changes from conception to maturity

COntinuity

consistent, enduring features

Aging

range of positive and negative physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes

Biological aging

deterioration leads inevitably to death

MOdern view on Development

developmental change at any age. Gains, losses, neutral changes, and continuities in every phase of the lifespan

• Kids gain cognitive abilities as they get older, but lose self esteem and become more prone to depression

• Some areas of knowledge are maintained while some grow during adulthood

Longevity

length of life/life expectancy

1. How long you have lived

2. lifespan of relatives

Some of the best predictors of how long you may live are…

Life expectancy

average number of years a newborn can be expected to live

Culture

shared understandings and way of life, including

beliefs, values, and practices

• Nature of humans in different phases of the life span

• What children need to be taught to function

• How people should lead their lives as adults

Age Grade

••Socially defined age

group in a society

••Defines status, roles,

privileges,

responsibilities

••Rites of passage

Age Norms

••Societies’ way of telling

people to act their age

••Influences how we live

our lives

••Social clock – when

things should be done

Ethnicity

People’s affiliation with a group based on ancestry and traditions

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

Standing in society based on occupational prestige, education, and income

“CHildhood as an age of Innocense”

Pre 17th century – mini-adults

• After 17th century – to be protected and nurtured

• Present-day families – children should be happy

rather than economically useful

Adolescence

• Became a distinct phase in late 19th,

early 20th centuries

• Before – children  adults

Emerging Adulthood

• Recently defined (2000s)

• Legally an adult, don’t always feel like one

Middle age (emptying of the nest)

20th century

• Parents live long enough to see children become adults

Old age retirement

Mid-20th century

• Before – work  death

Nature vs Nurture

How do biological and environmental forces interact to make us who we are?

Nature (genes)

Genetic inheritance

• Universal maturational processes guided by genes

Maturation

development according to a genetic plan

• Biologically-based or innate predispositions

Nature (environment)

• Change in response to the environment

• External physical and social conditions, stimuli, and events

• Emphasis on learning – experiences cause changes in thoughts,

feelings, and behaviors

Factors influencing Longevity

• Genetic

• Family with long-lived people increases your chance of having a

long life

• Genes related to higher (or lower) threshold for disease

• Environmental

• Lifestyle, diseases, environmental toxins

environment

Where you live

• When you live

• Family medical history (shared environment)

• Height, weight

• Stressful events

Behavior

Physical activity

• Marital status

• Sexual partners

• Driving

• Type of work

weight

genes

family medical history (genes)

height, weight