Developing Through the Life Span

Adolescence OBJECTIVE 17| Define adolescence. Many psychologists once believed that our traits were set during childhood. Today psychologists believe that development is a lifelong process. Adolescence is defined as a life between childhood and adulthood. AP Photo/ Jeff Chiu

Physical Development OBJECTIVE 18| Identify the major physical changes during adolescence. Adolescence begins with puberty (sexual maturation). Puberty occurs earlier in females (11 years) than males (13 years). Thus height in females increases before males.

Primary Sexual Characteristics During puberty primary sexual characteristics — the reproductive organs and external genitalia — develop rapidly. Ellen Senisi/ The Image Works

Brain Development Until puberty, neurons increase their connections. However, at adolescence, selective pruning of the neurons begins. Unused neuronal connections are lost to make other pathways more efficient. Until puberty, neurons increase their connections. However, at adolescence, selective pruning of the neurons begins. Unused neuronal connections are lost to make other pathways more efficient.

Cognitive Development Adolescents’ ability to reason gives them a new level of social awareness. In particular, they may think about the following: Their own thinking. What others are thinking. What others are thinking about them. How ideals can be reached. They criticize society, parents, and even themselves.

Developing Reasoning Power OBJECTIVE 19| Describe the changes in reasoning abilities that Piaget called formal operations. According to Piaget, adolescents can handle abstract problems, i.e., they can perform formal operations. Adolescents can judge good from evil, truth and justice, and think about God in deeper terms. William Thomas Cain/ Getty Images

Developing Morality OBJECTIVE 20| Discuss moral development from the perspectives of moral thinking, moral feeling, and moral action. Kohlberg (1981, 1984) sought to describe the development of moral reasoning by posing moral dilemmas to children and adolescents, such as “Should a person steal medicine to save a loved one’s life?” He found stages of moral development.

At your tables, discuss the following: Scenario 1 A woman was near death from a unique kind of cancer. There is a drug that might save her. The drug costs $4,000 per dosage. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money and tried every legal means, but he could only get together about $2,000. He asked the doctor scientist who discovered the drug for a discount or let him pay later. But the doctor scientist refused. Should Heinz break into the laboratory to steal the drug for his wife? Why or why not? Scenario 2 Heinz broke into the laboratory and stole the drug. The next day, the newspapers reported the break-in and theft. Brown, a police officer and a friend of Heinz remembered seeing Heinz last evening, behaving suspiciously near the laboratory. Later that night, he saw Heinz running away from the laboratory. Should Brown report what he saw? Why or why not? Scenario 3 Officer Brown reported what he saw. Heinz was arrested and brought to court. If convicted, he faces up to two years' jail. Heinz was found guilty. Should the judge sentence Heinz to prison? Why or why not?

Moral Thinking Preconventional Morality: Conventional Morality: Before age 9, children show morality to avoid punishment or gain reward. Conventional Morality: By early adolescence, social rules and laws are upheld for their own sake. Postconventional Morality: Affirms people’s agreed-upon rights or follows personally perceived ethical principles. Preconventional Morality: Before age 9, children show morality to avoid punishment or gain reward. Conventional Morality: By early adolescence, social rules and laws are upheld for their own sake. Postconventional Morality: Affirms people’s agreed-upon rights or follows personally perceived ethical principles.

Moral Action Moral action involves doing the right thing. People who engage in doing the right thing develop empathy for others and the self-discipline to resist their own impulses. Moral action involves doing the right thing. People who engage in doing the right thing develop empathy for others and the self-discipline to resist their own impulses.

Forming an Identity OBJECTIVE 22| Explain how search for identity affects us during adolescence, and discuss how forming an identity prepares us for intimacy. In Western cultures, many adolescents try out different selves before settling into a consistent and comfortable identity. Having such an identity leads to forming close relationships.

Parent and Peer Influence OBJECTIVE 23| Contrast parental and peer influences during adolescence. Although teens become independent of their parents as they grow older, they nevertheless relate to their parents on a number of things, including religiosity and career choices. Peer approval and relationships are also very important.

Adulthood Although adulthood begins sometime after a person’s mid-twenties, defining adulthood into stages is more difficult than defining stages during childhood or adolescence. Rick Doyle/ Corbis

Physical Development The peak of physical performance occurs around 20 years of age, after which it declines imperceptibly for most of us. The peak of physical performance occurs around 20 years of age, after which it declines imperceptibly for most of us.

Old Age: Life Expectancy OBJECTIVE 26| Compare life expectancy in the mid-twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, and discuss changes in sensory abilities and health (including frequency of dementia) in older adults. Life expectancy at birth increased from 49% in 1950 to 67% in 2004 and to 80% in developed countries. Women outlive men and outnumber them at most ages.

Old Age: Sensory Abilities After age 70, hearing, distance perception, and the sense of smell diminish, as do muscle strength, reaction time, and stamina. After 80, neural processes slow down, especially for complex tasks.

Old Age: Motor Abilities At age 70, our motor abilities also decline. A 70-year-old is no match for a 20-year-old individual. Fatal accidents also increase around this age.

Cognitive Development Do cognitive abilities like memory, creativity, and intelligence decline with age the same way physical abilities do?

Aging and Memory OBJECTIVE 27| Assess the impact of aging on recall and recognition in adulthood. As we age, we remember some things well. These include recent past events and events that happened a decade or two back. However, recalling names becomes increasingly difficult.

Aging and Memory Recognition memory does not decline with age, and material that is meaningful is recalled better than meaningless material. The same is true for prospective memory (remember to …).

Social Development Many differences between the young and old are not simply based on physical and cognitive abilities, but may instead be based on life events associated with family, relationships, and work. Many differences between the young and old are not simply based on physical and cognitive abilities, but may instead be based on life events associated with family, relationships, and work.

Adulthood’s Ages and Stages OBJECTIVE 29| Explain why the path of adult development need not be tightly linked to one’s chronological age. Psychologists doubt that adults pass through an orderly sequence of age-bound stages. Mid-life crises at 40 are less likely to occur than crises triggered by major events (divorce, new marriage). Neuroticism scores, 10,000 subjects (McCrae & Costa, 1996).

Adulthood’s Commitments OBJECTIVE 30| Discuss the importance of love, marriage, and children in adulthood, and comment on the contribution of one’s feelings of self-satisfaction. Love and work are defining themes in adult life. Evolutionary psychologists believe that commitment has survival value. Parents that stay together are likely to leave a viable future generation.

Adulthood’s Commitments Happiness stems from working in a job that fits your interests and provides you with a sense of competence and accomplishment.

Well-Being Across the Life Span OBJECTIVE 31| Describe trends in people’s life satisfaction across the life span. Well-being and people’s feelings of satisfaction are stable across the life span.

Successful Aging

Chris Steele-Perkins/ Magnum Photos Death and Dying OBJECTIVE 32| Describe the range of reactions to the death of a loved one. There is no “normal” reaction or series of grief stages after the death of a loved one. Grief is more sudden if death occurs unexpectedly. People who reach a sense of integrity in life (in Erikson’s terms) see life as meaningful and worthwhile. Chris Steele-Perkins/ Magnum Photos

Social Development OBJECTIVE 21| Identify Erickson’s eight stages of psychosocial development and their accompanying issues.

Activity Work in groups to create a presentation to describe each of the 8 stages of development according to Erikson. Each group will develop a presentation for 1 of the stages. Indicate the age range of the stage, the title of the stage. And a description of the stage. Include at least one image as well. On the back of the presentation, create a test question about your section, and include the answer as well. Feel free to research additional information about this topic using the internet on your phone or other technology.

Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust 0-12 months During this stage the infant is uncertain about the world in which they live. To resolve these feelings of uncertainty the infant looks towards their primary caregiver for stability and consistency of care Trust If the care the infant receives is consistent, predictable and reliable they will develop a sense of trust which will carry with them to other relationships, and they will be able to feel secure even when threatened. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of hope. By developing a sense of trust, the infant can have hope that as new crises arise, there is a real possibility that other people will be there are a source of support. Mistrust Failing to acquire the virtue of hope will lead to the development of fear. For example, if the care has been harsh or inconsistent, unpredictable and unreliable then the infant will develop a sense of mistrust and will not have confidence in the world around them or in their abilities to influence events. This infant will carry the basic sense of mistrust with them to other relationships. It may result in anxiety, heightened insecurities, and an over feeling of mistrust in the world around them.