Lifespan Perspective

Life Span Perspective Paper

Heather Thurman
Psy 375
Dr. Joycelynn Flowers-Ashton
University of Phoenix
October 18, 2010

Life Span Perspectives Paper

Life span development is an important process in psychology. Not only are there physical changes over a lifetime but also cognitive and social changes. Development continues throughout a person’s life so it is important to know all aspects of the life span development. In this paper I will define life span development and explain the characteristics of the life span perspective. I will also be discussing the development domains and periods. Lastly, I will look at two contemporary concerns related to life span development. Life span human development seeks to describe, explain, predict, and influence the changes that take place from conception through adulthood (Rice, 1995). People of all ages may have important changes throughout their life. These changes of development can range from growing in the womb, learning to walk, sexual maturation, marriage, divorce, life satisfaction, and death. Life span development can be influenced by both heredity (nature) and the environment (nurture). Life span development can also be influenced by the culture of the person. In some countries development may come faster due to the life span expectancy being shorter. Life span development can also be influenced by individual differences and past experiences. The life span perspective is a current view that understanding changes in adulthood are just as important as understanding changes in childhood. This view has been created due to the longer life expectancy of adults in the United States making this age group grow rapidly. The new perspective on life span development emphasized these key elements: • Plasticity: Individuals of all ages posses the capacity for positive change in response to environmental demands. • Interdisciplinary research: Research from different kinds of disciplinary perspectives is needed to fully understand life span development. • Multi-contextual nature of development: Individual development occurs within several interrelated contexts (Boyd & Bee, 2009). There are three key developmental domains: physical, cognitive, and social. The physical domain is the changes in the size, shape, and characteristics of the body (Boyd & Bee, 2009). The cognitive domain includes all changes in the intellectual processes of thinking, learning, remembering, judging, problem solving, and communicating (Rice, 1995). The social domain is the changes in the socialization process, moral development, and relationships with peers and family. Individuals’ beliefs about themselves are also usually classified within the social domain (Boyd & Bee, 2009). All three domains are crucial for life span development and can function separately or are linked together. There are eight developmental periods in the life span development: prenatal (conception through birth), infancy (0-2), early childhood (3-5), middle childhood (6-11), adolescent (12-19), early adulthood (20-39), middle adulthood (40-59), and late adulthood (60 and over). During each developmental period there are important processes that happen. During the prenatal period organs and limbs are properly forming. During infancy a baby is forming attachments, learning trust and mistrust, and beginning language skills. In early childhood a child is learning a concept of self, starting socialization skills, and continuing cognitive abilities. During middle childhood children begin to think logically and have a rapid rate of psychosocial and moral development. Adolescences begin sexual maturation, operational thinking begins, and they have a greater independence, positive identity and a sense of belonging. In early adulthood a person achieves intimacy, make career and family choices; setting the stage for later life. During middle adulthood there may be increased freedom, and maximum personal and social success. Lastly, in late adulthood there is a time of adjustment, a high degree of life satisfaction, and little fear of death. All developmental periods are of equal importance and it is believed that to move successfully all processes must be met before moving into next period. Two concerns that are related to life span development are nature versus nurture and continuity verses discontinuity. The nature versus nurture debate simply stated is whether heredity or the environment affects development. Psychologists have moved away from either/or approaches toward ore subtle ways of looking at both types of influences (Boyd & Bee, 2009). Some inborn tendencies are the same for all children but must be shaped and used for the tendency to develop properly. Continuity versus discontinuity is the question whether age-related change is primarily a matter of amount or more commonly involves changes in type or kind (Boyd & Bee, 2009). Life span development is an important area no matter what the age. Throughout our entire life we are changing and developing. Even in old age it is important to study and know about development because the elderly is an ever-growing age. All domains such as the physical, cognitive, and social domains can affect development. Human development has eight periods that are equally important in the life span. Life span development has related concerns in the nature versus nurture debate and continuity versus discontinuity.

References

Boyd, D. & Bee, H. (2009). Lifespan Development (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon
Rice, F. (1995). Human Development: A Life Span Approach (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall

References: Boyd, D. & Bee, H. (2009). Lifespan Development (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon Rice, F. (1995). Human Development: A Life Span Approach (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall