1. 17.237 Developmental Psychology from Adolescence to Old Age
Richard Kruk

2. Developmental Psychology
Change
Differences
Assumptions:
Age is important
Other factors are important

3. Normative age-graded influences
Examples?
Normative history-graded influences
Non-normative influences

4. Influences on Development
Normative
Age-graded
School
Friendship
Family
History-Graded
War, terrorism
Economy: depression
Health: AIDS, Polio, SARS
Technology:

5. Influences on Development
Non-normative
Specific to individual
Early death of parent
Accident
Illness

6. Ideas and Issues in Adult Development
Why study adult development?
aging population
trends
Population pyramids
% of Pop.
% of Pop.
Old
Old
Young
Young
2000
2050

8. Human life expectancy at birth (average life span: years)
Prehistoric 18
Ancient Greece 20
Ancient Rome 22
Middle Ages 33
19th Century 41
1900 (North America)47
1991 (Canada) 81 (Females)
1991 (Canada) 74 (Males)

9. Why the increase in life expectancy?

10. Additional reasons to study adult development
social stresses:
health care, CPP
personal interest
develop potential
avoid negative experiences, lifestyles

11. Altruism Factual Care, understanding of aging population
Counter negative attitudes (ageism)
Factual
Understand processes of aging

12. Course Review
Text: Lemme (2002). Development in Adulthood: 3rd edition.
Grading:
2 term tests, 25% each
1 final exam (April 12-28) 35%
25% M.C., non-cumulative
10% essay (integrative)
In class activities
4 video; 2 group

13. Course Review Domains: Physical, cognitive, personality, social
Concepts of aging
Structural and functional change over time
Reserve capacity: “over-engineered”

14. Cognitive Declines in some domains Gains in others Memory, timing
Wisdom, expertise, post-formal thinking

15. Personality Social Intimacy, generativity, integration
Tasks of development?

16. Life-Span development
lifelong process
both increases and decreases, and gains and losses, in behaviour
Is modifiable or reversible: plasticity
Multidimensional, multidirectional
Multiple cultural, social, historical contexts

17. Video Activity 1

18. My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
I could wish my days to be Bound each to each by natural piety.
William Wordsworth, 1802.

19. Video: 42 Up “Show me the boy at age 7, and I will show you the man.”
Agree or disagree? Why?
Influences on development? Types?
Hand in Activity Sheet next week (meeting following the video).
Make sure you write your name

20. Milestones and Tasks of Adulthood
Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Middle Adulthood
Late Adulthood