Chapter 1 Introduction to Lifespan Development

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Chapter 1 Introduction to Lifespan Development

• Why study development over the lifespan?
• Ontogenesis (individual development) extends
  across the lifespan lifelong adaptive process
  occur
• What is development?

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What is development?

• Age alone does not explain it.
• It is discontinuous as well as continuous.
• Timing of the life event influences future
  development
• Behaviors may change in form but result from the
  same process. Ex. Attention in infancyadult
  problem solving
• Examine cause and effect relationships

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Why study lifespan?

• An organized view of development
• Cite interconnections between lifes early and
  late stages/events
• Name mechanisms influencing development
• Specify variables, biological, psychological,
  environmental that shape development

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Characteristics of lifespan development
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Characteristics of lifespan development

• A lifelong process
• Multidirectional both gain loss
• Selectionchoosing food
• Plasticityimproving memory by training

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Define

• Inter-individual differencesbetween individuals
• Intra-individual differencespotential for change
  within an individual

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Developmental periods

• Prenatal
• conception to birth
• Infancy 0-2
• Early childhood
• 2-6
• Middle childhood 7-11

• Adolescence
• 12-18
• Early adulthood 19-34
• Middle adulthood 35-64
• Later adulthood
• 65

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Define

• Reciprocal interactions similar to a
  transactional model the childs active role in
  change and personal development. Ex. The adult
  stimulates the child, the child changes, and as a
  result of changes in the child, the adult changes

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Two Perspectives of Development

• Biological
• Environmental

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Michael Rutter (2002)

• Interaction of biological, psychological and
  social influences is more definitive than just
  genes
• Challenge discover how genetic influences and
  brain functions are altered by experience

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Bioecological perspective definitions

• Reciprocal interactions similar to
  transactional model recognizes the childs
  active role in personal development
• Bioecological model The belief that the
  interactions between an individual and the
  environment are explained by a system analysis.
  (Bronfenbrenner, 1978, 1979, et.al.)

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More definitions

• Proximal processes Bronfenbrenners term for
  the reciprocal interactions between a person and
  the environment. Context development. Ex.
  Feeding/playing with a child teacher
  interactions with a child. . . (level 1)

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Bronfenbrenners 3 other structures

• Microsystem deepest level, home or school are
  examples (level 2)
• Mesosystem refers to the relationships between
  microsystems, i.e., family expectations influence
  school achievement (3rd level)

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Bronfenbrenners level 4

• Macrosystem the blueprint for any society, the
  master plan for human development in a society

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Chronosystem

• These systems are not isolated from one another
  and they interact over time. Discuss the impact
  of a father losing his job and having to move

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More definitions

• Microsystem the home or school
• Mesosystem the relationship among microsystems
• Exosystem an environment in which a person is
  not active but affects development. Ex. Behavior
  of other parents impacts the relationship of a
  child with his/her own parents

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Biopsychosocial interactions

• Development proceeds through the interaction of
  biological, environmental, and psychological
  forces, i.e., genetic, physical, behavioral,
  environmental across cross-cultural and
  sociocultural issues

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Significance of culture in development

• Superficial facts that make up an individuals
  history
• Intermediate social development culturally
  cultural behaviors that are at the core of a
  childs life, language is a good example.
• Significant level grasp the values, beliefs, and
  norms that structure a persons world

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Issues in Lifespan Development

• Continuity development proceeds steadily and
  sequentially
• Vs.
• Discontinuity abrupt changes and stages

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Stability

• Early experiences affect children for life
• Vs. change is likely

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Nature vs. Nuture issue
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Developmental research HOW??

• 4 time variable studies
• one time, one group
• longitudinal
• cross-sectional
• sequential studies (a combo)

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3 data collection techniques

• Descriptive studiesuse interviews or
  questionnaires
• Manipulative experimentschange only one variable
• Naturalistic experimentsresearcher is an
  observer and does not interact it is possible to
  discover cause and effect in real life

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4 parts of a research article

• Introduction/review of the literature
• Method
• Results
• Discussion/conclusion/
• recommendations for future studies

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Chapter quiz