Chapter 1: Introduction to Life Span

Lifespan Perspective

Development is life-long, with change occurring throughout a person's life.

What does multidirectional development mean?

It means that development can involve both gains and losses across various domains throughout a person's life.

Multidimensional development

Development that is shaped by various influences, including physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains.

Physical Domain

Includes changes in height, weight, senses, nerves, and immune system.

Cognitive Domain

Includes changes in intelligence, wisdom, problem-solving, memory, and language.

Psychosocial Domain

Includes changes in emotion, self-perception, and thoughts about family, friends, and peers.

Normative age-grade influences

Changes or events that are linked to a specific age group, such as toddlers or seniors.

Normative history-grade influences

Changes or events related to the time period one is born into, such as Gen Z or Baby Boomers.

Non-normative life influences

Unique experiences that shape an individual's life.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's culture is superior to others.

Cultural Relativity

An appreciation for and understanding of cultural differences.

Lifespan vs Life Expectancy

Lifespan refers to the total length of life, while life expectancy refers to the average expected length of life.

Chronological Age

The number of years since a person's birth.

Biological Age

An indication of how quickly the body ages.

Psychological Age

The ability to adapt compared to others, reflecting mental and emotional development.

Social Age

How social norms and experiences influence one's development.

Prenatal Development

The stage from conception until birth.

Infancy and Toddlerhood

The stage from birth until 2 years old.

Early Childhood

The stage from 2 until 6 years old.

Adolescence

The stage from puberty until 18 years old.

Nature vs Nurture

Nature refers to heredity, while nurture refers to the environment's influence on development.

Continuity vs Discontinuity

Continuity suggests development occurs gradually, while discontinuity suggests it happens through abrupt changes.

Active vs Passive development

Active development involves initiative, while passive development involves reactions to external changes.

Stability vs Change

Stability indicates relative consistency in development, while change indicates evolution over time.

Preformationism

An 18th-century belief that tiny humans are preformed in the sperm or egg.

Tabula Rasa (Blank Slate)

John Locke's concept that children are shaped entirely by their experiences.

Psychosocial Crisis

Erikson's idea that each life stage has a unique challenge or crisis to resolve.

Descriptive Research

Research that describes conditions at a specific point in time.

Correlational Research

Research that identifies relationships among variables to predict future events.

Experimental Research

Research that manipulates one or more variables to observe their effects.