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Development Through Life Perspective – Key Concepts (Last-Minute Notes)

Overview Focus: lifespan development from a psychosocial perspective; integration of three major systems. Core idea: Development is shaped by interactions among Biological, Psychological, and Societal systems across the life span. George Carlin on Aging (Introduction) offers a humorous framing of aging milestones to introduce development through life, highlighting cultural perceptions of age (e.g., milestones like 10, 16, 21, 30, 40, 60, 70, 90).

Assumptions of the Text

  • An assumption is a starting point treated as true for discussion of development.

  • Six guiding assumptions about human development:

    • Growth occurs at every period of life; at each period, new capacities, roles, and challenges emerge, spanning from conception to old age.

    • Life shows both continuity and change over time; continuity = stability and identity; change = growth and reorganization.

    • Understand the whole person in an integrated manner; study physical, social, emotional, and cognitive capacities and their interrelationships.

    • Behavior must be interpreted in the context of settings and personal relationships; environments also change over time.

    • People contribute actively to their development through choices, goals, tastes, and formation of significant social relationships; cultures influence opportunities.

    • Diversity arises from the interaction of biological, psychological, and societal systems; differences are built into biology and social context.

  • Purpose: orient the text to life-span development and set up key lenses for analysis.

Why Study Development

  • Limitations of study: cannot provide a simple rule book, cannot answer all questions about best practice, cannot replace sound judgement.

  • Reasons to study: to understand how humans grow and change; to know where someone is in development; theories and research inform practice when used critically.

Try This! How Long Will You Live?

  • Base life expectancy in industrialized countries: 87 years.

    • ATTITUDE: optimistic outlook reduces stress; if not, subtract 5 years.

    • GENES: family longevity

  • add 10 years if long-lived relatives are present.

    • EXERCISE: 30 minutes a day, 3 days/week; if not, subtract 5 years.

    • INTERESTS: engage in challenging, novel activities; if yes, add 5 years.

    • NUTRITION: lean diet; if not, subtract 7 years.

    • SMOKING: smoking

  • subtract 5 years.

Reflect Prompt

  • Was your life expectancy below or above 77? (reflect on contributing factors)

Grouping Questions

  • Some questions relate to the Physical Self: Genes, Nutrition, Exercise, Smoking.

  • Some relate to Mental processes: Attitude, Interests.

  • Some relate to Place/Time: Location.

A Psychosocial Approach: The Interaction of the Biological, Psychological, and Societal Systems

  • Core idea: human development results from dynamic interaction among three systems; each system can change and influence the others; individuals actively shape their development. Life is viewed as the Interaction & Modification of three major systems: Biological, Psychological, Societal.

  • Three systems:

    • The Biological System: processes necessary for physical functioning and mental activity; brain/spinal cord; maturation; environmental stimulation; toxins; nutrition; lifestyle.

    • The Psychological System: mental processes that give meaning to experiences and guide action (emotion, memory, perception, motivation, thinking, language, symbolization, future orientation); can be self-directed and influenced by experiences.

    • The Societal System: social roles, culture, laws, policies, media, family organization, economics, religion, discrimination, and other macro-contexts.

  • Nature and nurture reframed: rather than a simple dichotomy, development results from the interaction of the three systems; meaning-making and self in society emerge from this interaction.

  • Meaning-making and identity: the I–We interplay; self-concept and sense of belonging evolve across life stages.

  • Normative crises and coping: each life stage involves a crisis that tests competencies and prompts coping strategies; positive resolution enhances adaptation, negative resolution can impede later adaptation.

  • Example orientation: Western vs East Asian differences in processing social information (face recognition linked to self vs social context).

The Biological System

  • Components: brain, spinal cord (central nervous system), peripheral nervous system, and other physiological systems including Genetic, Skeletal, Reproductive, Sensory, Motor, Respiratory, Endocrine, Circulatory, Waste elimination, Digestive, and CNS.

  • Change factors: genetically guided maturation; environmental stimulation; nutrition; social interactions; toxins; disease/accidents; lifestyle. Maturation is genetically guided and affected by environment, lifestyle, toxins, accidents, and diseases.

  • Interdependence: maturation at one level affects others (e.g., motor/muscle development enabling exploration

  • new neural connections).

  • Health and longevity: biological system influences life trajectory; health care access and health-related risks shape development.

  • Ruth Hamilton (illustrative): longevity and good health reflect biological influence on life story.

The Psychological System

  • Core processes: emotion, memory, perception, motivation, thinking, language, symbolic abilities, self-awareness, future orientation, as well as Learning, Critical thinking, Reasoning, Problem solving, Reality testing, and Self-regulation.

  • Development: shaped by genetics and experiences; schooling, play, travel, reading, arts, and parenting quality contribute to cognitive and emotional growth. Development includes maturation plus life experiences and education; and involves self-direction and insight.

  • Self-direction and meaning: individuals can pursue new interests, learn, and change perspectives; self-insight is linked to positive mental health.

  • Meaning making and identity: people seek a sense of identity through relationships and social group belonging; culture informs values and self-definition.

The Societal System

  • Components: social roles, social support, culture, rituals, myths, media, leadership styles, family organization, economics, politics, religion, discrimination, and other macro-contexts, including Interpersonal relationships, Social expectations, Communication, Ideologies, Economic and historical conditions, and Technology.

  • Role in development: societal rules and opportunities shape the life course; modernization can alter values and family patterns; culture defines norms of development. It is influenced by moving between cultures, historical events, and societal change.

  • Diversity and culture: Human Development and Diversity boxes illustrate how norms vary by culture/ethnicity.

  • Ruth Hamilton: examples of how societal rules (e.g., teaching as a married woman) both constrained and changed through advocacy and performance.

Interconnectedness of Systems

  • Systems influence and modify one another. Understanding development requires considering system interactions over time.

  • Examples: societal smoking patterns affecting physical health and life expectancy; exercise affecting attitude and cognition; diet in society influencing physical/psychological health.

Poverty and Psychosocial Impact

  • Poverty is a central societal factor that constrains development, linked to conditions such as fewer resources, health problems, delays in development, and reduced life expectancy. While some children in poverty demonstrate resilience and develop optimally despite risks, poverty thresholds exist and have substantial impacts on health, education, and mental health; policy and social supports modify these outcomes.

The Life Span and Life Expectancy

  • Life-span concept: plasticity and adaptive reorganization across neurological, psychological, and behavioral levels.

  • Continuity vs change: stable patterns coexist with growth and reorganization over time.

  • Whole-person perspective: integrate physical, cognitive, social, and emotional developments and their interrelations.

  • Life expectancy concept: a statistical projection of how long someone is expected to live; not a precise forecast for individuals.

  • Historical change: life expectancy at birth rose markedly in the 20th century; e.g., from 49.2 years (1900–1902) to 78.7 years (2010), representing about a 60.0\% increase. These figures illustrate how broader historical factors affect longevity.

  • Retirement and aging: policy responses (retirement age, senior housing, second/third careers) shift as longevity grows.

  • Aging milestones: in 1930s, retirement age set at 65; in 2010, people reaching age 65 could expect roughly 19 more years of life.

  • Population shift: from a pyramid (1900) to a rectangle/column shape (2010) with more older adults, affecting social policy.

Group Differences in Life Expectancy

  • Women live longer than men, and notable differences exist by race/ethnicity. Examples of life expectancy at birth include:

    • Anglo male: 76.5 years

    • Anglo female: 81.3 years

    • African American male: 71.8 years

    • African American female: 78.0 years

    • Hispanic male: 78.7 years

    • Hispanic female: 83.8 years

  • Among less-educated Anglos, life expectancy declined between 1990 and 2008; within that group, African American women sometimes had longer life expectancy than Anglo women.

  • Racial/ethnic disparities reflect life-course exposures to poverty, health care access, and discrimination.

Factors Contributing to Longevity

  • Longevity arises from biological, psychological, and societal system interactions.

  • Education: more years of schooling predict longer life; linked to higher income, better health decisions, and greater control over resources. Evidence: education correlates with better longevity across groups.

  • Social integration: committed relationships and strong social networks are linked to longer life; social support promotes healthier behaviors.

  • Diet: balanced diet and supplements can slow cellular aging and reduce inflammatory disease risk.

  • Exercise: daily activity (as little as 20 ext{ to }30 ext{ minutes}) adds years to life; benefits persist even for obesity if activity occurs.

  • Policy context: access to medical resources (e.g., Medicare/ Medicaid) and modernization contribute to longevity.

The Life Span: Projections and Policy Implications

  • Prolonged longevity prompts reconsideration of retirement, education for elders, and workforce participation.

  • Longevity trends reflect broader societal modernization, including education, nutrition, healthcare, and housing.

The Psychosocial Approach: Overview and Cross-Stage Dynamics

  • The approach emphasizes ongoing interaction among biological, psychological, and societal processes.

  • Across life stages, social relationships drive attention and resource allocation; early experiences shape neural networks and future processing.

  • Cultural differences in self-processing (self-related vs social-connected processing) illustrate how worldview influences cognition.

  • Each life stage presents normative tasks and crises that influence adaptation and identity.

Case Study: Ruth Hamilton (illustrative)

  • Born 1898, died 2008; roles included teacher, wife, mother, businesswoman, radio host, legislator, traveler.

  • Motto: "Every day without learning something is a day lost".

  • Examples of life-course agency: pursued education/work, marriage and adaptation to social norms, political leadership, international travel, and late-life online engagement.

  • Highlights the psychosocial approach: three systems influence choices, resilience, and sense of purpose across a long life.

Case Study: Rose (illustrative)

  • A 60-year-old woman with dizziness/shortness of breath around Thanksgiving; family conflict involving son, ex-daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.

  • Biological signals may reflect stress; psychological interpretation of conflict; societal expectations of motherhood and family roles.

  • Thanksgiving as a symbolic event; potential coping strategies involve communicating boundaries, leveraging social support, and considering role changes.

  • Case questions explore interconnections among systems and development across stages.

Using What You Know / Further Reflection

  • Reflect on two examples from your own life of interactions among biological, psychological, and societal systems.

  • Consider how your culture views life-stage transitions (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, elderhood) and how these messages influence your meaning-making today.

The Life Span: Quick Review for Recall

  • Life-span perspective emphasizes: growth at every stage; continuity and change; holistic understanding; context and relationships; active contribution; and diversity arising from system interactions.

  • Psychosocial approach centers on three interrelated systems and their ongoing influence on development.

  • Life expectancy has risen substantially in the past century, with notable differences by gender and race/ethnicity; longevity is shaped by education, social integration, diet, and exercise.

  • The text integrates theory, research, and practical prompts to connect development to real-world issues and personal experience.
    \text{Key numbers to recall:}

  • Life expectancy at birth, 1900: 49 years

  • Life expectancy at birth, 2010: 79 years

  • Retirement age (historical standard): 65 years

  • Remaining life after age 65 (1900 cohort): 12 more years to age 77

  • Remaining life after age 65 (2010 cohort): 19 more years

  • Poverty in 2014: 46.7 \text{ million} people

  • Longevity factors: education, social integration, diet, and exercise

  • Hispanics at birth longevity (approx.): 83.8 years (females)

  • African American males at birth longevity (approx.): 71.8 years

  • Education advantage and longevity: more schooling -> longer life (mechanisms include wealth, control, health decisions)

  • Poverty thresholds: extreme poverty