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©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Introduction The Life-Span Perspective.
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Transcript of ©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Introduction The Life-Span Perspective.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
The Life-SpanPerspective
What Is Life-SpanDevelopment?
Historical Perspectives onLife-Span Development
Characteristics of the Life-Span Perspective
Some ContemporaryConcerns
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
The Life-Span Perspective
What is Life-Span Development?
Historical Perspectives on Life-Span Development
Characteristics of the Life-Span Perspective
Some Contemporary Concerns
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
What is Life-Span Development?
• The pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the life cycle.
• It allows you to gain insight into your own life as a child, adolescent, and young adult.
• Life-span development is linked with many different areas of psychology.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Historical Perspectives on Life-Span Development
• Child Development
• Traditional and Life-Span Approaches
• Life Expectancy
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Child Development
• Original Sin – children are perceived as being basically bad, born into the world as evil beings.
• Tabula Rasa – children are like a “blank tablet,” and acquire their characteristics through experience.
• Innate Goodness – children are inherently good.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Traditional and Life-Span Approaches
• The traditional approach emphasizes extensive change from birth to adolescence, little or no change in adulthood, and decline in late old age.
• The life-span approach emphasizes developmental change during adulthood as well as childhood.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Life Expectancy
• Improvements in sanitation, nutrition, and medical knowledge has extended life expectancy by 25 years since before the 20th century.
• The average life expectancy in Canada is 79 years of age.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Characteristics of the Life-Span Perspective
• Development is lifelong
• Development is multidimensional
• Development is multidirectional
• Development is plastic
• Development is multidisciplinary
• Development is contextual• Development involves growth,
maintenance, and regulation
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Development if Lifelong
• No age period dominates development.
• Researchers increasingly study the experiences and psychological orientations of adults at different points in their development.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Development is Multidimensional
• There are biological dimensions.
• There are cognitive dimensions.
• There are socio-emotional dimensions.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Development is Multidirectional
• Some dimensions or components of a dimension increase in growth.
• Some dimensions or components of a dimension decrease in growth.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Development is Plastic
• Plasticity involves the degree to which characteristics change or remain stable.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Development is Multidisciplinary
• Psychologists
• Sociologists
• Anthropologists
• Neuroscientists
• Medical Researchers
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Development is Contextual
• Normative age-graded influences
• Normative history-graded influences
• Non-normative life events
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Development Involves Growth, Maintenance, and Regulation
• The mastery of life involves conflict and competition among three goals of human development:– Growth – Maintenance– Regulation
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Some Contemporary Concerns
• Health and Well-being
• Research on Premature Infants
• Parenting
• Socio-cultural Contexts
• Social Policy
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Health and Well-Being
-drug and alcohol use during pregnancy-genetic counselling -women’s health
issues-ambiguous gender -nutrition and fitness-breast vs. bottle feeding -addiction and
recovery-Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and effects-loneliness -school health programs-at-risk adolescents-adaptive physical skills in aging adults-coping with death
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Research on Premature Infants
• Research focuses on how massage therapy can facilitate weight gain in premature infants.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Parenting
• Daycare• Working parents and latchkey
children• Effects of divorce on children• Blended families• The best way to parent• Child maltreatment• Support systems for families• Marital relationships• Intergenerational relations• Aging parents
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Context
• Homes• Schools• Peer groups• Churches• Cities• Neighbourhoods• University
laboratories• Countries
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Culture
• The behaviour patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a particular group of people that are passed on from generation to generation.
• Cross-cultural studies involve a comparison of one culture with others to provide information about the degree to which development is similar across cultures or is culture-specific.
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Ethnicity
• Based on cultural heritage, nationality characteristics, race, religion, and language
©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Social Policy
• A national government’s course of action designed to influence the welfare of its citizens.
• The shape and scope of social policy is strongly tied to our political system.