©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Chapter 1 Foundations of Life-Span Development

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Foundations of Life-Span Development Developmental Processes and Periods Developmental Issues Research Methods and Challenges

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Developmental Processes and Periods

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Cognitive Processes Socio- emotional Processes Biological Processes

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Biological Processes – changes in an individual’s physical nature. Cognitive Processes – changes in an individual’s thought, intelligence, and language. Socio-emotional Processes – changes in the individual’s relationships with other people, emotions, and personality.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Periods of Development Prenatal Period – conception to birth Infancy – birth to 18 or 24 months Early Childhood – end of infancy to about 5 or 6 years Middle and Late Childhood – about 6 to 11 years

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Adolescence – 10 to 12 years to 18 to 22 years Early Adulthood – late teens or early twenties, lasting through the thirties Middle Adulthood – approximately 40 to 60 years Late Adulthood – sixties or seventies until death

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Conceptions of Age Chronological Age – number of years lapsed since birth Biological Age – individual’s age in terms of biological health Mental Age – individual’s ability to solve problems on a standardized instrument compared with others of the same chronological age

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Psychological Age – individual’s adaptive capacities compared with those of other individuals of the same chronological age Social Age – social roles and expectations related to a person’s age

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Developmental Issues

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Nature and Nurture Is development primarily influenced by either Biological inheritance, or nature? Environmental influences and experiences, or nurture?

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Continuity and Discontinuity Does development involve either A gradual, cumulative change, or continuity? Distinct stages, or discontinuity?

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Stability and Change Do we become older renditions of our early experiences, or Do we develop into someone different from who we are at an earlier point in development?

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Evaluating the Developmental Issues Most life-span developmentalists recognize that extreme positions on these issues is unwise.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Research Methods and Challenges

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Research has both Quantitative components – a collection of data in a numerical form Qualitative components – a collection of data that provides descriptive and inferential information

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Scientific method of research: 1.Conceptualize a process or problem to be studied. 2.Collect research information. 3.Analyze data. 4.Draw conclusions.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Types of Research Descriptive Research Correlation Research Experimental Research

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Descriptive Research Goal is to observe and record behaviour through Observation Surveys and interviews Standardized tests Case studies Life-history records

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Correlation Research Goal is to describe the strength of the relationship between two or more events or characteristics.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Experimental Research An experiment is a carefully regulated procedure in which one or more of the factors believed to influence the behaviour being studied are manipulated, while other factors are constant.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Time Span of Research Cross-sectional approach – individuals of different ages are compared at one time. Longitudinal approach – same individuals are studied over a period of time, usually several years or more.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Sequential approach – combined cross- sectional, longitudinal design. Cohort effects – are due to a person’s time of birth or generation but not the actual age. Cohort – a group of people who were born at a similar point in history and share similar experiences as a result.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Research Challenges Ethical research Minimizing bias Ethnicity and culture