Life-Span Human Development Vocabulary

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, developmental periods, theories, and age classifications from the life-span human development lecture notes.

Life Span

The maximum length of life possible for a species, with the upper boundary for the human life span documented at $122\,\text{years}$.

Life Expectancy

The average number of years that a person born in a particular year can expect to live, which is currently about $77\,\text{years}$ in the United States.

Normative Age-Graded Influences

Biological and environmental influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group.

Normative History-Graded Influences

Biological and environmental influences that are common to people of a particular generation due to shared historical circumstances.

Nonnormative Life Events

Unusual occurrences that have a major impact on an individual's life and do not happen to all people.

Culture

The behavior patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a group of people that are passed on from generation to generation.

Cross-Cultural Studies

Research comparisons of one culture with one or more other cultures to determine the degree to which development is similar across cultures or culture-specific.

Ethnicity

A characteristic based on cultural heritage, nationality characteristics, race, religion, and language.

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

A grouping of people with similar occupational, educational, and economic characteristics.

Gender

The characteristics of people as males or females.

Social Policy

A government's course of action designed to promote the welfare of its citizens.

Biological Processes

Developmental processes that produce changes in an individual's physical nature.

Cognitive Processes

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

Socioemotional Processes

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

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

A field that explores connections between development, cognitive processes, and the brain.

Developmental Social Neuroscience

A field that examines connections between socioemotional processes, development, and the brain.

Prenatal Period

The time from conception to birth.

Infancy

The developmental period from birth to $18\,\text{to}\,24\,\text{months}$.

Toddler

A child in the developmental stage from $18\,\text{months}\,\text{to}\,2\,\text{years}$ of age.

Early Childhood

The developmental period from $3\,\text{to}\,5\,\text{years}$ of age, often called the preschool years.

Middle and Late Childhood

The developmental period from about $6\,\text{to}\,10\,\text{or}\,11\,\text{years}$ of age.

Adolescence

The developmental transition from childhood to early adulthood, starting around $10\,\text{to}\,12\,\text{years}$ of age and ending around $18\,\text{to}\,21\,\text{years}$ of age.

Emerging Adulthood

The developmental period occurring from $18\,\text{to}\,25\,\text{years}$ of age.

Early Adulthood

The developmental period spanning the early twenties through the thirties.

Middle Adulthood

The developmental period encompassing the forties and fifties.

Late Adulthood

The developmental period starting in the sixties or seventies and lasting until death.

Third Age

The age period spanning approximately $60\,\text{to}\,79\,\text{years}$ of age.

Fourth Age

The age period comprising individuals who are $80\,\text{years and over}$.

Normal Aging

An aging pattern characterizing most individuals, where psychological functioning peaks in middle age, remains stable until late fifties, and then experiences modest decline.

Pathological Aging

An aging pattern characterizing individuals who show greater than average decline as they age due to chronic disease or impairment.

Successful Aging

An aging pattern in which physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development is maintained longer and declines later in life.

Chronological Age

The number of years that have elapsed since a person's birth.

Biological Age

A measure of age in terms of biological health and the functional capacities of a person's vital organs.

Psychological Age

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

Social Age

Age characterized by connectedness with others and the social roles individuals adopt.

Nature-Nurture Issue

The debate about whether development is primarily influenced by biological inheritance or environmental experiences.

Stability-Change Issue

The debate regarding the degree to which early traits and characteristics persist through life or change over time.

Continuity-Discontinuity Issue

The debate about whether development involves gradual, cumulative change or distinct stages.

Psychoanalytic Theories

Theories that describe development as primarily unconscious and heavily colored by emotion.

Freud's Psychosexual Theory

A theory asserting that adult personality is shaped by how conflicts between sources of pleasure and demands of reality are resolved across five psychosexual stages.

Erikson's Psychosocial Theory

A theory proposing eight stages of human development throughout the lifespan, where each stage represents a unique psychosocial crisis that must be resolved.

Trust versus Mistrust

Erikson's first psychosocial stage, occurring during the first year of infancy.

Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt

Erikson's second psychosocial stage, occurring between $1\,\text{and}\,3\,\text{years}$ of age.

Initiative versus Guilt

Erikson's third psychosocial stage, occurring during the preschool years from $3\,\text{to}\,5\,\text{years}$ of age.

Industry versus Inferiority

Erikson's fourth psychosocial stage, occurring during middle and late childhood.

Identity versus Identity Confusion

Erikson's fifth psychosocial stage, occurring during adolescence.

Intimacy versus Isolation

Erikson's sixth psychosocial stage, occurring during early adulthood ($20\text{s}\,\text{and}\,30\text{s}$).

Generativity versus Stagnation

Erikson's seventh psychosocial stage, occurring during middle adulthood ($40\text{s}\,\text{and}\,50\text{s}$).

Integrity versus Despair

Erikson's eighth psychosocial stage, occurring during late adulthood ($60\text{s onward}$).