1. UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
AREA OF STUDY 2
LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT

2. DEFINING LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
A term used to refer to age-related changes that occur from birth, throughout a person’s life, into and during old age Psychologists who study lifespan development aim to understand, describe, explain and predict the many ways in which our thoughts, feelings and behaviour change throughout our lives A change must be relatively permanent or ‘lasting’ to be considered a developmental change
GRIVAS – pg.146

3. Learning Activity 4.1 (pg.147)
HOMEWORK

4. WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE?
Childhood
Older Age
Birth – 2 years
years
Infancy
years
Adolescence
Middle Age
years
65 years +
years
Early Adulthood

5. STAGES OF LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
Infancy = birth to 2 years
Childhood = 2 years to 10 years
Adolescence = 10 years to 24 years
Early Adulthood = 20 years to 40 years
Middle Age = 40 years to 65 years
Older Age = 65 years +
GRIVAS – pg

6. INFANCY (BIRTH – 2 YEARS)
Dependent on adults for most things
Many psychological characteristics are rapidly developing (eg. perceptual abilities, ways of thinking, language and social skills
Bond between infant and caregiver is important for emotional development
GRIVAS – pg

7. CHILDHOOD (2 YEARs – 10 YEARS)
Become increasingly independent from parents
Acquire basic skills of reading, writing and maths
Much time spent in play and social learning
Cognitive skills develop
Understanding right and wrong
GRIVAS – pg

8. ADOLESCENCE (10 YEARs – 24 YEARS)
Onset of puberty
Seeking independence from parent’s and develop own identity
Friends and peer groups exert influence
Thought processes are logical, complex and idealistic
GRIVAS – pg

9. EARLY ADULTHOOD (20 YEARs – 40 YEARS)
Establish personal and financial independence
Consolidate a career
Select a partner, develop ongoing, intimate relationship
Start a family and take on the role of parenting
GRIVAS – pg

10. MIDDLE AGE (40 YEARs – 65 YEARS)
Expanding social and personal involvements and responsibilities
Advancing career
Supporting offspring
GRIVAS – pg

11. OLDER AGE (65+ YEARs) Retirement from paid work
Decreasing strength and stamina
Declining health
Take on new social roles such as grandparenting
GRIVAS – pg

12. Learning Activity 4.2 (pg.148)
HOMEWORK

13. AREAS OF LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

14. Learning Activity 4.3 (pg.150)
HOMEWORK

15. HOW DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS
CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT
VS.
DISCONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT

16. HOW DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS
SEQUENTIAL NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT
Example:
Mathematics Ability
First a child develops the ability to count
Secondly, the ability to add and subtract numbers
Then they can multiply and divide

17. Learning Activity 4.4 (pg.153)
HOMEWORK