©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Introduction The Life-Span Perspective

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. The Life-Span Perspective What Is Life-Span Development? Historical Perspectives on Life-Span Development Characteristics of the Life-Span Perspective Some Contemporary Concerns

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. The Life-Span Perspective What is Life-Span Development? Historical Perspectives on Life- Span Development Characteristics of the Life-Span Perspective Some Contemporary Concerns

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. What is Life-Span Development? The pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the life cycle. It allows you to gain insight into your own life as a child, adolescent, and young adult. Life-span development is linked with many different areas of psychology.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Historical Perspectives on Life- Span Development Child Development Traditional and Life-Span Approaches Life Expectancy

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Child Development Original Sin – children are perceived as being basically bad, born into the world as evil beings. Tabula Rasa – children are like a “blank tablet,” and acquire their characteristics through experience. Innate Goodness – children are inherently good.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Traditional and Life-Span Approaches The traditional approach emphasizes extensive change from birth to adolescence, little or no change in adulthood, and decline in late old age. The life-span approach emphasizes developmental change during adulthood as well as childhood.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Life Expectancy Improvements in sanitation, nutrition, and medical knowledge has extended life expectancy by 25 years since before the 20 th century. The average life expectancy in Canada is 79 years of age.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Characteristics of the Life-Span Perspective Development is lifelong Development is multidimensional Development is multidirectional Development is plastic Development is multidisciplinary Development is contextual Development involves growth, maintenance, and regulation

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Development if Lifelong No age period dominates development. Researchers increasingly study the experiences and psychological orientations of adults at different points in their development.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Development is Multidimensional There are biological dimensions. There are cognitive dimensions. There are socio-emotional dimensions.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Development is Multidirectional Some dimensions or components of a dimension increase in growth. Some dimensions or components of a dimension decrease in growth.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Development is Plastic Plasticity involves the degree to which characteristics change or remain stable.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Development is Multidisciplinary Psychologists Sociologists Anthropologists Neuroscientists Medical Researchers

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Development is Contextual Normative age- graded influences Normative history- graded influences Non-normative life events

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Development Involves Growth, Maintenance, and Regulation The mastery of life involves conflict and competition among three goals of human development: –Growth –Maintenance –Regulation

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Some Contemporary Concerns Health and Well-being Research on Premature Infants Parenting Socio-cultural Contexts Social Policy

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Health and Well-Being - drug and alcohol use during pregnancy -genetic counselling-women’s health issues -ambiguous gender-nutrition and fitness -breast vs. bottle feeding-addiction and recovery -Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and effects-loneliness -school health programs -at-risk adolescents -adaptive physical skills in aging adults -coping with death

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Research on Premature Infants Research focuses on how massage therapy can facilitate weight gain in premature infants.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Parenting Daycare Working parents and latchkey children Effects of divorce on children Blended families The best way to parent Child maltreatment Support systems for families Marital relationships Intergenerational relations Aging parents

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Socio-cultural Contexts Context Culture Ethnicity Gender

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Context Homes Schools Peer groups Churches Cities Neighbourhoods University laboratories Countries

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Culture The behaviour patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a particular group of people that are passed on from generation to generation. Cross-cultural studies involve a comparison of one culture with others to provide information about the degree to which development is similar across cultures or is culture-specific.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Ethnicity Based on cultural heritage, nationality characteristics, race, religion, and language

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Gender The socio- cultural dimension of being male or female

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Social Policy A national government’s course of action designed to influence the welfare of its citizens. The shape and scope of social policy is strongly tied to our political system.

©2005 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Generational Inequity An aging society’s unfairness to its younger members due to older adults’ piling up advantages by receiving inequitably large allocations of resources.