PSY 3350 Ch. 1 - Defining Lifespan Development

Development is...

Lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, pastic, multidisciplinary, contextual

Lifelong development

Encompasses the entire lifespan

Multidimensional development

A complex interaction of the biological, cognitive, and socioemotional changes influence development across the lifespan

Multidirectional

Capacity for both increases and decreases

E.g., selective optimization with compensation

Plastic development

Characteristics are malleable or changable

Multidisciplinary development

Need multiple disciplines to study

Contextual development

Depends on many factors

Three types:

• normative age-graded influences

• normative history-graded influences

• nonnormative influences

Development

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

3 types of development

Biological/Physical development

Cognitive Development

Psychosocial development

Growth

Physical changes that occur from conception to maturity

Biological aging

Deterioration of organisms that leads to death

Aging

Physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes, positive and negative, in the mature organism

Prenatal period

Conception to birth

Infancy

First 2 years of life

Preschool period

Ages 2-5

Middle childhood

Ages 6 to about 10 (or until the onset of puberty)

Adolescence

Ages 10-18 (or from puberty to independence)

Emerging adulthood

Ages 18-25 or even 29 (transitional period btwn adolescence and adulthood)

Early adulthood

Ages 25-40 years (adult roles are established)

Middle adulthood

Ages 40-65 years

Late adulthood

Ages 65 years and older