Transcript Chapter 1
Introduction The Life-Span Perspective ©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. 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 LifeSpan 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 agegraded influences • Normative historygraded 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. Socio-cultural Contexts • • • • Context Culture Ethnicity Gender ©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. Gender • The sociocultural dimension of being male or female ©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. ©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Generational Inequity • An aging society’s unfairness to its younger members due to older adults’ piling up advantages by receiving inequitably large allocations of resources. ©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.