This document discusses human growth and development from a life-span perspective. It emphasizes that development is a lifelong process that occurs across multiple dimensions including physical, cognitive, and socioemotional domains. Development is influenced by biological, cognitive, and social factors and occurs through distinct periods from prenatal development through late adulthood. The life-span approach studies development across the entire lifespan rather than viewing development as ending in early adulthood.
2. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
- a scientific study of processes of
change and stability throughout the human
life span.
- a pattern of change that begins at
conception and ends to death.
3. Traditional Approach: emphasizes extensive change
from birth to adolescence, little to no change in
adulthood, and decline in old age
Life-Span Approach: emphasizes developmental
change throughout childhood and adulthood
4. The Life-Span Perspective
Life Span: the maximum number of years a
species can live
Currently 122 years
Life Expectancy: average number of years
that a person can expect to live
Currently 78 years
5. LIFE SPAN DEVELOPMENT
- concept of human development as a lifelong
process, which can be studied scientifically
Four Goals of Scientific Study of Development
1. Description
2. Explanation
3. Prediction
4. Modification
6. CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE SPAN
DEVELOPMENT
1. Lifelong
2. Multidimensional
3. Multidirectional
4. Plastic
5. Multidisciplinary
6. Contextual
7. LIFELONG
- early adulthood is not the endpoint of
dev’t rather no age periods dominates dev’t.
MULTIDIMENSIONAL
- whatever your age, your body, your mind,
your emotions and relationship are changing and
affecting each other.
9. MULTIDISCIPLINARY
- Psychologist, sociologists, anthropologist,
neuroscientists and medical researchers all share an
interest in unlocking the mysteries of development
through the life span.
CONTEXTUAL
- contexts includes family, peer groups,
environment, community, school, country, life events….
10. NORMATIVE AGE-GRADED INFLUENCES
- influences that are similar for individual in a particular age
group
* peer group
NORMATIVE HISTORY- GRADED INFLUENCES
- influences that are common to people of a particular
generation because of historical circumstances.
* World War
NONNORMATIVE LIFE EVENTS
- unusual occurences that have a major impact on an
individual’s life.
* death of a parent when the child is young
* early pregnancy
12. CULTURE
- behavior, patterns, beliefs and all other products
of a group that are passed on from generation-to-
generation.
13. Ethnicity
- a characteristic based on cultural heritage,
national characteristics, race, religion, and language.
- from Greek word “nation”
14. Socio-economic Status
- refers to the grouping of people with similar
occupational, educational and economic characteristics.
Gender
- characteristics of people as male and female.
17. 1. Biological Process
- produce changes in the individual’s physical
nature.
* genes inherited from parents
2. Cognitive Process
- change in the individual’s thought, intelligence,
language
* memorizing a poem
DOMAINS OF
DEVELOPMENT
18. 3. Socioemotional Process
- involves changes in the individuals relationships
with other people, changes in emotions and personality.
* an infant’s smile in response to a parent’s touch.
21. The Prenatal Period
is the time from conception to birth. I t involves
tremendous growth – from a single cell to an organism
complete with brain and behavioral capabilities – and
takes place in approximately a nine – month period.
22.
23. Infancy
- is the development period from birth 18 or 24
months. Infancy is a time of extreme, dependence upon
adults.
During this period, many psychological activities –
language, symbolic thought, sensorimotor coordination,
and social learning develops.
24.
25. Early Childhood
- is the developmental period from the end of
infancy to age 5 or 6.
- “preschool years”.
During this time, young children learn to become more
self – sufficient and to care for themselves, develop
school readiness skills, and spend many hours in play
with peers. First grade is typically marks the end of
early childhood.
26.
27. Middle and late childhood
is the developmental period from about 6 to 11 years of
age, approximately corresponding to the elementary
school years.
28.
29. Early adulthood
is the developmental period that begins in the
early 20s and lasts through the 30s. it is the time of
establishing personal and economic independence,
career development, and for many, selecting a mate,
learning to live with someone in an intimate way, starting
a family, and rearing children.
30.
31. Middle adulthood
- is the developmental period from approximately
40 years of age to about 60.
- time of expanding personal and social
involvement and responsibility; of assisting the next
generation in becoming competent, mature individual;
and of reaching and maintaining satisfaction in a career.
32.
33. Late adulthood
- is the developmental period that begins in the
60s to 70s and lasts until death.
- the time of life review, retirement, and
adjustment to new social roles involving decreasing
strength and health.
Longest developmental span:
- “youngest old” vs. “oldest old”