Life-Span Development Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards defining key terminology, developmental processes, periods, age concepts, and foundational influences from the life-span development lecture notes.

Development

The scientific study of how people change, beginning at conception and continuing through the human lifespan until death.

Lifelong Development

A perspective holding that development is a continuous process occurring from conception to death, where every period has development.

Multidimensional Development

Development that involves changes in body, mind, emotions, and relationships, consisting of interconnected biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional dimensions.

Multidirectional Development

Development characterized by gains and losses, where some dimensions expand while others shrink.

Plasticity

The capacity for change in development.

Multidisciplinary Development

Development as a study topic shared across multiple fields, including psychologists, anthropologists, neuroscientists, and medical researchers.

Contextual Development

Development influenced by settings such as historical events, culture, social settings, families, schools, peer groups, churches, cities, and countries.

Biological Processes

Developmental processes involving changes in an individual's physical nature.

Cognitive Processes

Developmental processes involving changes in an individual's thought, intelligence, and language.

Socioemotional Processes

Developmental processes involving changes in an individual's relationships with other people, emotions, and personality.

Life Expectancy

The average number of years that a person born in a particular year can expect to live, currently 79 years in the US.

Human Life Span

The maximum longevity of humans based on the oldest documented age, which is 122 years.

Normative Age-Graded Influences

Influences that happen to people at around the same age or time, such as puberty, graduation, marriage, or menopause.

Normative History-Graded Influences

Influences and changes that happen to most people during a certain historical period, such as epidemics, crises, or economic depressions.

Non-Normative Life Events

Positive or negative events and experiences that do not typically happen to everyone at a certain age, such as winning the lottery, adoption, or accidents.

Prenatal Period

The developmental timeframe from conception to birth, lasting approximately nine months.

Infancy

The developmental timeframe from birth to 18-24 months, characterized by extreme dependency.

Early Childhood

The preschool period from 2 to 5 years, during which children become more self-sufficient.

Middle and Late Childhood

The elementary years from 6 to 11 years, where children master reading, writing, and math, and are formally exposed to the larger world.

Adolescence

The transition period from 10-12 years to 18-21 years, marked by physical changes, identity development, and the pursuit of independence.

Early Adulthood

The developmental period during the 20's to 30's focused on establishing personal and financial independence, career, and marriage.

Middle Adulthood

The developmental period from 35 to the 60's involving expanded personal and social involvement, assisting the next generation, and career satisfaction.

Late Adulthood

The developmental period from 70 to death involving adjustment to physical limitations, retirement, and death.

Chronological Age

The number of years that have passed since an individual's birth.

Biological Age

An individual's age evaluated in terms of their physical and biological health.

Psychological Age

An individual's adaptive capacities compared with those of other individuals of the same chronological age.

Social Age

An individual's age determined by connectedness with others and the social roles they adopt.

Nature-Nurture Issue

The debate regarding the extent to which development is influenced by nature (biological inheritance) versus nurture (environmental experiences).

Nature

The biological and genetic inheritance that influences development.

Nurture

The environmental and life experiences that influence development.