1. Lifespan Human Development PSY 223
Dr. Nicole Alea
MTWR 10:15-12:20
SB 106

2. Syllabus & Course Materials
available online at:

3. Lifespan human development
A field of study that aims to understand constancy & change in physical, cognitive, social, & emotional factors throughout the lifespan.

4. What do you think?
Development is continuous, gradual progression, with new abilities, skills, & knowledge gradually added at a relatively uniform pace. OR
Development occurs at different rates, alternating between periods of little change and periods of abrupt, rapid change.

5. Basic issues Continuous or discontinuous development?
Quantitative - adding on more or more complex skills
Qualitative – new skills emerge at particular periods

6. What do you think?
Humans everywhere follow the same general sequence of development. OR
Each human passes through a unique course of development.

7. Basic issues One course of development or many?
Universal – basic process for everyone; differences are simply variations in basic process
Context-specific - unique process for everyone; differences result from different environments

8. What do you think?
Human intelligence is determined almost exclusively by genetic factors. OR
Human intelligence is largely the result of experiential factors.

9. Basic issues Nature or Nurture?
Are kids born bad?
Nature – human development is biologically (genetically) determined
Nurture - the physical and social environment influence human development
Contemporary developmental psychologists say “both”

10. When do humans stop developing?
Traditional population pyramid: more children & young
Projected population pyramid: equal young & old

11. Lifespan Perspective Paul Baltes (1987)
Max Planck Institute for Human Development
**Table 1.5: Major Theories of Human Development**

12. Development as lifelong (**Table 1.1**)
Period
Approximate age range
Prenatal Conception to birth
Infancy & toddlerhood birth – 2 years
Early childhood 2-6 years
Middle childhood years
Adolescence years
Early adulthood years
Middle adulthood years
Late adulthood 60 years-death

13. What abilities increase with age?
What abilities decline with age?

14. Multidirectional & multidimensional
Multidirectionality: decline & growth at all points in lifespan
development doesn’t occur in one direction
ratio shifts with age

15. ratio between gains & losses shifts across lifespan
Losses > Gains

16. Multidirectional & multidimensional
Multidirectionality: decline & growth at all points in lifespan
development doesn’t occur in one direction
ratio shifts with age
Multidimensionality: pattern of decline & growth varies across & within domains

17. gains & losses depend on domain
Emotional understanding
Vocabulary
Memory
Ability to learn foreign language

18. Plasticity Humans have a range of functioning
Natural occurring plasticity through compensation
Plasticity through training
Less plasticity with increasing age

19. Embedded in multiple contexts
Age-graded influences:
related to chronological age
History-graded influences:
related to generational (cohort) events
Nonnormative influences:
related to unique experiences

21. Research Methods

22. Developmental psychology in the news…
A scene from the violent video game Grand Theft Auto.
January 18, 2006
Can a violent video game called Grand Theft Auto be responsible for an 18-year-old, Devin Moore, murdering three people?

23. “Playing violent video games, like Grand Theft Auto, leads to increased aggression in adolescents.”

24. General Research Designs
Correlational design: see how two (or more) pre-existing variables are related
+.20
Sign: direction of relation
+ variables move in same direction variables move in opposite direction
Correlation coefficient
r =
Number: strength of relation
+.20
-.09
+.46
Ranges 0 to 1: Closer to 1 stronger the relation

25. Cannot make cause & effect conclusion
What conclusions can we make?
Cannot make cause & effect conclusion
Video Games
Aggressive Behavior
r = +.20
Personality Peer pressure
directionality problem: do not know the direction of relation
third variable problem: other variable might account for relation

26. “Playing violent video games, like Grand Theft Auto, leads to (i. e
“Playing violent video games, like Grand Theft Auto, leads to (i.e., causes) increased aggression in adolescents.”

27. General Research Designs
Experimental design: manipulate variable to test the effects on outcome variable
Variables
Dependent (DV)
Outcome variable
(Aggressive behavior)

28. General Research Designs
Experimental design: manipulate variable to test the effects on outcome variable
Independent (IV)
Manipulated variable
Variables
Group 1: nonviolent game Group 2: violent game
Dependent (DV)
Outcome variable
(Aggressive behavior)

29. How do I know if experiment worked?

30. What conclusions can we make?
Independent (IV)
Dependent (DV)
Can make cause & effect conclusion
Because have random assignment to IV
rules out confounds – other explanations
without it, do not have a “true” experiment

31. “Playing violent video games, like Grand Theft Auto, leads to increased aggression in adolescents.”

32. Developmental Research Designs
Building blocks of ALL developmental research
Variables
Measure
Effects from…
chronological age
Age
Changes in a person
experiences unique to a generation
birth year
Cohort
time of measurement
Time
circumstances during data collection

33. Developmental Research Designs
Cross-sectional: age & cohort vary, time constant
Time
Cohort
2005
1995 10
1990 15
1985 20
r = +.30
r = +.20
r = +.10
Can only conclude age differences

34. Developmental Research Designs
Longitudinal: age & time vary, cohort constant
Time
Cohort
1995
2000
2005
1985 10 15 20
r = +.30
r = +.20
r = +.10
Can conclude age change

35. Advantages & Disadvantages
Longitudinal
Disadvantages
Design
Advantages
Cross-sectional
Practical & quick
Age differences
Cohort effect
Time effects
Practice effects
Nonrandom drop-out
Lack of generalizability
Measures age change
With all the problems, what should researchers do?

36. Developmental Research Designs
Sequential: combine cross-sectional & longitudinal designs
Time
Cohort
2005
2010
1995 10 15
1990 20
1985 25
Age change that generalizes to other cohorts
Age & cohort effects can be teased apart

37. Considered the “best” developmental research design…but hardly ever done?

38. In-class Assignment 1
The purpose of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to apply and practice
what you have learned about general and developmental research designs.