Lifespan Developmental Psychology – Foundational Theories & Concepts
Introduction & Housekeeping
Lecturer re-enters after brief admin chat; ~14 students online, ~100 in room.
Adjusts lighting; phone silenced; emphasises excitement – “nerdy lecture”.
Goal: in ~50 min students’ understanding of lifespan developmental psychology (LDP) will change markedly.
Outline for today:
Clarify what a theory is.
Revisit working definition of LDP.
Introduce 4 favourite researchers whose ideas frame the subject: Erik Erikson, Paul Baltes, Robert Havighurst, Richard Lerner.
Show how their theories structure fortnightly blocks, labs, reflections.
What Is a Theory?
Formal definition: “an orderly, integrated set of statements that describe, explain, & predict behaviour.”
Developmental theories span multiple domains (social, cognitive, biological, etc.).
Core building blocks:
Concepts – abstract, intangible categories defined by rules (e.g., pet, age).
Variables/Measures – concrete indicators used to operationalise concepts (e.g., pet ownership, number of pets).
Relationships among variables embody the theoretical link between concepts.
Hypothesis = one specific, testable prediction (relationship between chosen measures) that derives from broader theory.
Data–theory states:
Robust, well-tested theories (lots of data, cross-contexts).
Refined/updated theories (being adapted).
Proposals/speculations (no data yet).
Pure data/no explanation.
Lack of theory ≠ weakness – it’s an opportunity for future research.
Lab-report note: hypotheses ≠ theory; think conceptually.
Revisiting the Definition of LDP
Sentence used in class: “Lifespan developmental psychology studies the changes and stabilities that affect how people understand and interact with the world throughout their lives.”
Components:
“Understand & interact with the world” → Psychology.
“Changes & stabilities/continuities” → Developmental focus.
“Throughout a person’s life” → Lifespan scope.
Key caveat: “It depends.” Whether a change/stability fundamentally affects perception hinges on the meaning the person assigns (reflection helps).
Clothing example: same vs different outfit; impact varies with intention & investment.
Four guiding developmental questions (for reflections/labs):
Continuity vs Change.
Normative vs Idiographic patterns.
Nature vs Nurture.
Universal vs Context-specific.
Course Structure & Theoretical Anchors
Eight fortnightly blocks mirror Erikson’s life periods.
Baltes adds diversity (normative/non-normative paths).
Havighurst supplies culturally defined developmental tasks.
Dynamic Systems Theory (Lerner/Overton) reframes change as relational.
Erik Erikson: Psychosocial Theory
Fun fact: changed surname to Erik-son (“son of Erik”) upon moving to U.S., symbolising identity formation.
Shift from Freud’s psychosexual to psychosocial focus – interplay of psyche & social world.
Proposes psychosocial crises (dialectical pairs) yielding virtues:
Infancy (0–1) – Trust ↔ Mistrust ⇒ Hope.
Toddlerhood (1–3) – Autonomy ↔ Shame/Doubt ⇒ Will.
Early Childhood (3–6) – Initiative ↔ Guilt ⇒ Purpose.
Middle Childhood (6–12) – Industry ↔ Inferiority ⇒ Competence.
Adolescence (12–18) – Identity ↔ Role Confusion ⇒ Fidelity.
Young Adulthood (18–25) – Intimacy ↔ Isolation ⇒ Love.
Middle Adulthood (25–65) – Generativity ↔ Stagnation ⇒ Care.
Late Adulthood (65+) – Integrity ↔ Despair ⇒ Wisdom.
Balance, not either-or: healthy development integrates both poles.
Two change types enabled:
Discontinuous/irreversible (e.g., puberty).
Continuous/reversible (e.g., hair length).
Strengths:
Lifespan scope & clear periodisation.
Active individual + social context.
Recognises multiple change forms.
Limitations:
Largely descriptive; weak causal explanation.
Distinct life periods but crises can recur → conceptual mismatch.
Age bands dated (adolescence, late adulthood durations).
Narrow focus (only tasks).
Paul Baltes: Lifespan Development Principles
Career: ~60 yrs, 40 yrs as Professor; seminal in modern LDP.
Five foundational tenets:
Lifelong – processes not present at birth still matter.
Multi-dimensional – biological, cognitive, socio-emotional, etc.
Multi-directional – gains & losses across domains.
Gain–Loss Coupling – every gain entails a loss (e.g., wisdom ↔ innocence).
Contextual – culture, cohort, historical era.
Normative & Non-Normative Influences
Any event/decision (e.g., enrolling in this subject) shaped by graded influences + determinants:
Normative Age-Graded – expected due to chronological age (walking at mo; finishing Year 12).
Normative History-Graded – shared by a cohort/time (wars, pandemics, tech booms).
Non-Normative – idiosyncratic, rare (serious injury, elite athletics).
Basic Determinants that interact with above:
– genes, height, chronic illness.
– laws, SES, schooling.
– e.g., genetic risk moderated by parenting.
Taxonomy Table: mapping personal factors across 6 cells illuminates diverse pathways.
Clarifications:
“Normative” ≠ “normal”; it means culturally/common.
Normativity relative to reference community; can shift when context changes (international student example).
Links to Erikson:
Psychosocial crises = largely age-graded normative tasks.
If crisis re-emerges later, it becomes non-normative.
Robert Havighurst: Developmental Tasks
Background: chemist → physicist → teacher → human-development scholar → developmental psychologist.
Shares assumptions: lifelong, active, contextual, but sets specific age brackets (differs from Erikson).
Developmental Task = culturally sanctioned skill/goal expected at a certain age.
Culture furnishes opportunities/resources; individual action reinforces or challenges culture.
Success ⇒ pride, approval, smoother later tasks.
Failure ⇒ dissatisfaction, social concern, later difficulties.
Example: obtaining driver’s licence in car-dependent suburb vs inner-city reliance on public transport – task definition is cultural.
Dynamic Systems Theory (Richard Lerner & Willis Overton)
Applicable across many disciplines; in LDP frames how change unfolds.
System = entity with aims, resources, rules (e.g., classroom, fast-food restaurant).
Nested subsystems (teacher ↔ student; server ↔ customer).
Focus shifts from elements to relations between systems.
Existence/meaning of one subsystem depends on the other.
Principle of Relational Change: Alteration in any part → changes relation → reverberates through whole system.
Implication for LDP: Psychosocial crises triggered when relations in social or intrapsychic systems shift.
Reading tip: Lerner writes meta-theoretically; Overton partnership offers clearer prose (2008 paper suggested).
Applying Theories to Reflection 1 (Continuity & Change)
Possible "Idea B" foci:
Baltes: Map your normative & non-normative changes; examine how identity continuity persists.
Erikson: Compare self across two life periods; which aspects stable vs transformed.
Havighurst: Analyse cultural tasks accomplished/avoided; impact on sense of sameness.
Dynamic Systems: Explore how micro-changes (e.g., new role, relationship) altered whole personal system.
Logistics & Next Steps
First online consultation today .
Next week: Childhood lectures (Ih-wa Dimantul) + first lab classes.
Lecturer will return in later weeks for Adolescence & Mid-Adulthood sessions.
Key Take-Home Threads
LDP research blends multiple theories – no single lens suffices.
Diversity is central: pathways vary by age, cohort, culture, biology, and unique events.
“Change” is not merely ; consider relational dynamics.
Use theories as tools for analysing your own life, assignments, and future research ideas.