What is Lifespan Psychology?

Covers the entire lifespan Examines domains of functioning –Social, Emotional, Behavioral, Physical and Cognitive Seeks to understand how/why we develop as we do-when development goes right and when it goes wrong

Psychosocial Theory Biopsychosocial premise Describes and explains the developmental process throughout the lifespan The epigenetic principle Defines core concepts and leaves room for various psychological processes, e.g. learning, cognitive process, etc. Allows for cultural relevancy

Basic concepts as applied to President Obama… Social domain? Emotional? Cognitive? Physical? Behavioral?

Stages of development A defined period of time characterized by a particular way of thinking or behavior. Qualitative differences distinguish stages. 8 stages evolved into 11… What stage is Obama in now? What stage was he in when he was in Indonesia? (6-10)

Developmental tasks Skills/competencies that should be gained during each stage. A reflection of the physical capacity of the person. A reflection of the societal expectations of the person. Managing a career? Nurturing intimate relationships?

Psychosocial crisis The predictable challenge arising from the gap between an individual’s capacity and the demands of society. Builds on previous resolution of crises. Prepares for future crises. At Obama’s stage, the crisis is generativity vs. stagnation

Central process The dominant context/mechanism for resolution of the crisis. –Person-environment interaction/creativity –For infants, what might this context be? –How about teens? –Older adults?

Radius of significant relationships Groups of important relationships influencing one’s development. –As we grow up, these expand. The details differ for each of us. –Who was especially important to you during middle childhood? –How about in the stage you’re in now?

Coping behavior: Prime adaptive ego quality Core pathology Active efforts to respond to stress, both ordinary and extraordinary stressors. Represents a state of mind. Can support or interfere with further development, e.g. –Fidelity to others is a precondition for love. Care vs. rejectivity - how might Obama’s mother have contributed to his development of care.

Biological Vulnerabilities to Developmental Problems 1.Genetic- About half of intelligence is attributed to genes Oppositional behavior is “moderately” heritable. 2.Anatomical-structure of the brain Remember Phineas Gage? less gray matter in frontal lobe with ADHD and conduct disorder 3.Functional-activity in the brain Lower than normal physiological arousal in highly aggressive people-skin conductance and heart rate 4.Neurochemical-processing of neurotransmitters Serotonin is related to both aggression and depression. Dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin are involved in adhd

Structuring the lifespan 1.Divide up the lifespan into 8-12 age groups that make sense to you. 2.Pick one…what are some important characteristics of it? 3.What are some of the prominent influences at that stage? 4.What must be accomplished at this stage in order to move on?? 5.What does healthy development look like at the end of that stage in each domain?

Small Groups Create a subject-You’ll be assigned a developmental stage; make up demographics –Describe her/his radius of sig. relationships –Describe the central process for this individual –Explain how the central process supports accomplishment of the developmental tasks. Debrief with whole class –Describe your “person” and two important points about psychosocial theory.