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Chapter 1: Introduction to Life Span

1.2: Lifespan Perspective

  • Paul Baltes introduced and identified principles of the lifespan perspective

  • Lifespan theorists believe that development is life-long, and change is apparent across lifespan

What is Development?

  • It is multidirectional, meaning that development can involve both gains and losses in different areas throughout a person's life.

  • It is multidimensional, meaning it can be shaped by various influences (Domains) such as physical, cognitive, and psychosocial.

Physical Domain - includes changes in height and weight, senses, nerves, and immune system.

Cognitive Domain - includes changes in intelligence, wisdom, problem-solving, memory, and language

Psychosocial Domain - includes changes in emotion; thoughts of ones self, and thoughts about family, friends, and peers

  • It is multidisciplinary, a vast topic with a wide knowledge base

  • It is contextual, meaning it can change due to circumstances or setting. Has three specific influences; Normative age-grade, Normative history-grade, and Non-normative life influences.

Normative age-grade - a specific age group (ex: toddler, adolescent, or senior)

Normative history-grade - the time period you were born in (ex: gen z, gen x, boomer)

Non-normative life influences - your own unique experiences in life

    Another context would be Socioeconomic Status (SES); levels of education, income, or occupation (societal class).

Development in Culture

  • Culture includes ideas about what is right and wrong, life goals, what to eat, how to speak, values and morals, and how to feel in certain situations

  • Passed down from generation to generation

  • We tend to believe our culture’s practices are the right one

Ethnocentrism - the belief that ones culture is superior

Cultural Relativity - an appreciation for cultural differences

Lifespan V. Life Expectancy

  • Lifespan is the longevity while Expectancy is basically the due date of one’s life

1.3: Conceptions of Age

  • Chronological Age - based on number of years since birth

  • Biological Age - how quickly the body ages

  • Psychological Age - the ability and space to adapt compared to others

  • Social Age - Social norms in our culture and or experiences

1.4: Periods of Development

  • Prenatal - conception until birth

  • Infancy and Toddlerhood - brith until 2 years old

  • Early Childhood - 2 until 6 years old

  • Middle and Late Childhood - 6 until start of puberty

  • Adolescence - start of puberty until 18 years old

  • Emerging Adulthood - 18 until 25 years old

  • Early Adulthood 25 until 40-45

  • Middle Adulthood - 40-45 until 60-65

  • Late Adulthood 65 and onward

1.5: Issues in Lifespan Development

  • Nature V. Nurture - Nature is how one is due to heredity while Nurture is how one is due to their environment

  • Continuity V. Discontinuity - continuity is the theory that development is slow and gradual, while discontinuity is the theory that development is random and abrupt

  • Active V. Passive - taking initiative v. reacting to external changes

  • Stability V. Change - staying the same relatively v. changing and evolving over time

1.6: Historical Theories on Development

Preformationism - the belief that a tiny human is placed in the sperm or egg at conception then grows in size until birth; 18th century theory

  • John Locke - proposed that kids are shaped by their social environments.

        Locke introduced Tabula Rose: a child’s mind identified as a blank slate

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau - proposed the same as Locke but did not believe in blank slates, but instead a natural plan that unfolds gradually

  • Arnold Gesell - development activated through genes (process maturation)

  • Sigmund Freud - early childhood shaping our personality and behavior (most difficult to test scientifically but makes the most sense)

1.7: Contemporary Theories on Development

Erikson (1950) proposed a model of lifespan development that provides the changes we experience throughout life

Psychosocial Crisis - each period of life has a unique challenge or crisis that one must face

  • Trust V. Mistrust (birth to 12-18 months) - trust towards caregiver

  • Autonomy V. Shame/Doubt (18 months to 3 years) - learning what they can and can’t control

  • Initiative V. Guilt (3 to 6 years) - gaining independence

  • Industry V. Inferiority (6 to 12 years) - learning to do things well by standards

  • Identity V. Role Confusion (12 to 18 years) - a sense of self in relationship to others

  • Intimacy V. Isolation (19 to 40 years) - the ability to give and receive love

  • Generativity V. Stagnation (40 to 65 years) - interest in developing the next generation

  • Ego Integrity V. Despair (65 to death) - acceptance of life

1.8: Research Methods

A research design is the specific method a researcher uses to collect, analyze, and interpret data.

  • Descriptive Research - describes what is going on at a particular point in time

- Case Study

- Observations

- Lab Observations

- Survey

  • Correlational Research - discovers relations among variables we can predict future events from present knowledge

  • Experimental Research - manipulates one or more variable to see their effects