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chapter1.INTRODUCTIONhighlights

Mostdevelopmentinvolvesgrowth,butitalsoincludesdecline(asindying).Inexploringdevelopment,wewillexaminethelifespanfromthepointofconceptionuntilthetimewhenlife(oratleastlifeasweknowit)ends.Youwillseeyourselfasaninfant,asachild,andasanadolescent,andbestimulatedtothinkabouthowthoseyearsinfluencedthekindofindividualyouaretoday.Andyouwillseeyourselfasayoungadult,asamiddleagedadult,andasanadultinoldage,andbemotivatedtothinkabouthowyourexperiencestodaywillinfluenceyourdevelopmentthroughtheremainderofyouradultyears.Thelifespanapproachemphasizesdevelopmentalchangethroughoutadulthoodaswellaschildhoodthismaximumlifespanofhumanshasnotchangedsincethebeginningofrecordedhistory.Whathaschangedislifeexpectancytheaveragenumberofyearsthatapersonborninaparticularyearcanexpecttolive.Inthetwentiethcenturyalone,Developmenthasbiological,cognitive,andsocioemotionaldimensions.Forexample,attention,memory,abstractthinking,speedofprocessinginformation,andsocialintelligencearejustafewofthecomponentsofthecognitivedimension.ConsiderthedevelopmentofTedKaczynski,theUnabomberdiscussedatthebeginningofthischapter.Whenhewas6monthsold,hewashospitalizedwithasevereallergicreactionandhisparentswererarelyallowedtovisitthebabypreviouslyhappybabywasneverthesameafterhishospitalization.Plasticitymeansthecapacityforchange.Forexample,canyoustillimproveyourintellectualskillswhenyouareinyourseventiesoreighties?DevelopmentIsPlasticDevelopmentalScienceIsMultidisciplinaryDevelopmentIsContextualtheassassinationofJohnF.Kennedy,ParentingandEducationAliceWalkerorTedKaczynskiPROCESSESANDPERIODSOFDEVELOPMENT.Theunfoldingoflife'speriodsofdevelopmentisinfluencedbytheinteractionofbiological,cognitive,andsocioemotionalprocesses.Theprenatalperiodisthetimefromconceptiontobirth.Itinvolvestremendousgrowthfromasinglecelltoanorganismcompletewithbrainandbehavioralcapabilitiesandtakesplaceinapproximatelya9monthperiod.Infancyisthedevelopmentalperiodfrombirthto18or24months.Infancyisatimeofextremedependenceuponadults.Duringthisperiod,manypsychologicalactivitieslanguage,symbolicthought,sensorimotorcoordination,andsociallearning,forexamplearejustbeginning.Thetermtoddlerisoftenusedtodescribeachildfromabout1to3yearsofage.Toddlersareinatransitionalperiodbetweeninfancyandthenextperiod,earlychildhood.Earlychildhoodisthedevelopmentalperiodfrom3through5yearsofage.Thisperiodissometimescalledthepreschoolyears.Duringthistime,youngchildrenlearntobecomemoreselfsufficientandtocareforthemselves,developschoolreadinessskills(followinginstructions,identifyingletters),andspendmanyhoursplayingwithpeers.Firstgradetypicallymarkstheendofearlychildhood.Page14Middleandlatechildhoodisthedevelopmentalperiodfromabout6to10or11yearsofage,approximatelycorrespondingtotheelementaryschoolyears.Duringthisperiod,childrenmasterthefundamentalskillsofreading,writing,andarithmetic,andtheyareformallyexposedtothelargerworldanditsculture.Achievementbecomesamorecentralthemeofthechild'sworld,andselfcontrolincreases.Adolescenceisthedevelopmentalperiodoftransitionfromchildhoodtoearlyadulthood,enteredatapproximately10to12yearsofageandendingat18to21yearsofage.Adolescencebeginswithrapidphysicalchangesdramaticgainsinheightandweight,changesinbodycontour,andthedevelopmentofsexualcharacteristicssuchasenlargementofthebreasts,growthofpubicandfacialhair,anddeepeningofthevoice.Atthispointindevelopment,thepursuitofindependenceandanidentityarepreeminent.Thoughtismorelogical,abstract,andidealistic.Moretimeisspentoutsidethefamily.Earlyadulthoodisthedevelopmentalperiodthatbeginsintheearlytwentiesandlaststhroughthethirties.Itisatimeofestablishingpersonalandeconomicindependence,advancinginacareer,andformany,selectingamate,learningtolivewiththatpersoninanintimateway,startingafamily,andrearingchildren.Middleadulthoodisthedevelopmentalperiodfromapproximately40toabout60yearsofage.Itisatimeofexpandingpersonalandsocialinvolvementandresponsibilityofassistingthenextgenerationinbecomingcompetent,matureindividualsandofreachingandmaintainingsatisfactioninacareer.Lateadulthoodisthedevelopmentalperiodthatbeginsduringthesixtiesorseventiesandlastsuntildeath.Itisatimeoflifereview,retirement,andadjustmenttonewsocialrolesanddiminishingstrengthandhealth.Akeyelementinthestudyoflifespandevelopmentishowdevelopmentinoneperiodisconnectedtodevelopmentinanotherperiod.Forexample,whenindividualsreachadolescence,manydevelopmentsandexperienceshavealreadytakenplaceintheirlives.Ifanadolescentgirlbecomesdepressed,mightherdepressionbelinkedtodevelopmentearlyinherlife,aswellasrecentandcurrentdevelopment?

notesTerm:lifespanperspectiveDef:Theperspectivethatdevelopmentislifelong,multidimensional,multidirectional,plastic,multidisciplinary,andcontextualinvolvesgrowth,maintenance,andregulationandisconstructedthroughbiological,sociocultural,andindividualfactorsworkingtogether.Term:normativeagegradedinfluencesDef:Influencesthataresimilarforindividualsinaparticularagegroup.Term:normativehistorygradedinfluencesDef:Influencesthatarecommontopeopleofaparticulargenerationbecauseofhistoricalcircumstances.Term:nonnormativelifeeventsDef:Unusualoccurrencesthathaveamajorimpactonanindividual'slife.Term:cultureDef:Thebehaviorpatterns,beliefs,andallotherproductsofagroupthatarepassedonfromgenerationtogeneration.Term:crossculturalstudiesDef:Comparisonofoneculturewithoneormoreothercultures.Theseprovideinformationaboutthedegreetowhichdevelopmentissimilar,oruniversal,acrosscultures,andthedegreetowhichitisculturespecific.Term:ethnicityDef:Acharacteristicbasedonculturalheritage,nationalitycharacteristics,race,religion,andlanguage.Term:socioeconomicstatus(SES)Def:Referstothegroupingofpeoplewithsimilaroccupational,educational,andeconomiccharacteristics.Term:genderDef:Thecharacteristicsofpeopleasmalesorfemales.Term:socialpolicyDef:Anationalgovernment'scourseofactiondesignedtopromotethewelfareofitscitizens.Term:developmentDef:Thepatternofchangethatbeginsatconceptionandcontinuesthroughthelifespan.Mostdevelopmentinvolvesgrowth,althoughitalsoincludesdeclinebroughtonbyaginganddying.Term:biologicalprocessesDef:Changesinanindividual'sphysicalnature.Term:cognitiveprocessesDef:Changesinanindividual'sthought,intelligence,andlanguage.Term:socioemotionalprocessesDef:Changesinanindividual'srelationshipswithotherpeople,emotions,andpersonality.Term:continuitydiscontinuityissueDef:Debateabouttheextenttowhichdevelopmentinvolvesgradual,cumulativechange(continuity)ordistinctstages(discontinuity).Term:naturenurtureissueDef:Debateaboutwhetherdevelopmentisprimarilyinfluencedbynatureornurture.Naturereferstoanorganism'sbiological

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inheritance,nurturetoitsenvironmentalexperiences.Term:stabilitychangeissueDef:Debateaboutwhetherwebecomeolderrenditionsofourearlyexperience(stability)orwhetherwedevelopintosomeonedifferentfromwhowewereatanearlierpointindevelopment(change).Term:scientificmethodDef:Anapproachthatcanbeusedtoobtainaccurateinformation.Itincludesthefollowingsteps:(1)conceptualizetheproblem,(2)collectdata,(3)drawconclusions,and(4)reviseresearchconclusionsandtheory.Term:theoryDef:Aninterrelated,coherentsetofideasthathelpstoexplainphenomenaandfacilitatepredictions.Term:hypothesesDef:Specificassumptionsandpredictionsthatcanbetestedtodeterminetheiraccuracy.Term:psychoanalytictheoriesDef:Theoriesthatdescribedevelopmentasprimarilyunconsciousandheavilycoloredbyemotion.Behaviorismerelyasurfacecharacteristic,andthesymbolicworkingsofthemindhavetobeanalyzedtounderstandbehavior.Earlyexperienceswithparentsareemphasized.Term:crosssectionalapproachDef:Aresearchstrategyinwhichindividualsofdifferentagesarecomparedatonetime.Term:longitudinalapproachDef:Aresearchstrategyinwhichthesameindividualsarestudiedoveraperiodoftime,usuallyseveralyearsormore.Term:cohorteffectsDef:Effectsduetoaperson'stimeofbirth,era,orgenerationratherthantheperson'sactualage.Term:ethnicglossDef:UsinganethniclabelsuchasAfricanAmericanorLatinoinasuperficialwaythatportraysanethnicgroupasbeingmorehomogeneousthanitreallyis.