1. EDCO 268 – Fall Lifespan Development Theory  Shawn Ogimachi Please place “268” in the subject line of

2. Lifespan Development
The scientific study of human growth throughout life
Is rooted in Child Development - the scientific study of development from birth to adolescence
Closely related to Gerontology, the scientific study of aging and Adult Development, the scientific study of the adult stage of life
Lifespan Development is studied by “Developmental Scientists” also called Developmentalists

3. Lifespan Development Multidisciplinary or Interdisciplinary
Predictable milestones of the human journey
Focuses on the individual differences
Explores the impact of life transitions
Normative transitions - predictable
Non-normative - unforeseen

4. Contexts of Development
Contexts of Development - identifiable markers including cohort, socioeconomic status, culture, and gender that influence development throughout the lifespan
Cohort - our age group, the age group with whom we travel through life
Baby Boomers - the age group born between 1946 and 1964

5. Changing Conceptions of Later Life
Average Life Expectancy - your fifty fifty chance at birth to living to a certain age
20th Century life expectancy revolution - the dramatic increase in life expectancy in developed nations and societies
Maximum lifespan - the biological limit of human life (about 105 years)
Young Old - 60s and 70s
Old Old - 80 and beyond

6. Socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status - marker that measures income and education
Developed World - higher incomes, educational levels and life expectancy
Developing World - lower educational levels, income, and life expectancy

7. Culture, Ethnicity, and Gender
Collectivist Cultures - value social harmony, obedience and close family ties over individual achievement
Individualist Cultures - value independence, competition, and personal success
Gender

8. Theory Perspectives that explain human behavior
Theories are used to predict behavior and suggest how to intervene to change behaviors
NATURE - Biological or genetic causes of development
NURTURE - Environmental causes of Behavior

9. Traditional Behaviorism - Nurture Theory
John Watson and B. F. Skinner
Focused on “Objective” or visible behaviors
Operant Conditioning - we act the way we do because we are reinforced for acting that way
Reinforcement - Behavioral term for reward
Extinction - complete lack of reinforcement

10. Cognitive Behaviorism
Albert Bandura
People learn by watching others and our thinking about reinforcers determine our behaviors
Modeling - learning by watching and imitating others
Self- efficacy - an internal belief in ourselves that predicts our successes resiliency

11. Attachment Theory John Bowlby
The importance of being connected to a caregiver in early childhood and being attached to a significant other during all of life.
Combines elements of nature and nurture as Bowlby argued that attachment response is genetically programmed in humans

12. Evolutionary Psychology
Inborn biological forces - explain behavior and development
Certain behaviors cannot be changed by reinforcers
Behavioral Genetics - Studies the role of hereditary forces in determining individual differences in behavior

13. Nature - Nurture
Evocative forces - inborn (nature) temperaments that evoke or produce responses other humans
Bidirectionality - people affect each other, interpersonal influences flow in both directions

14. Nature shapes Nurture
Active Forces - genetic temperamental tendencies lead us to actively seek environments that let us be ourselves.
Person-Environment Fit - How well the environment fits our nature

15. Age Linked Theories Jean Piaget
Cognitive Development Theory - from infancy to adolescence, children progress through four qualitatively different stages of intellectual growth
Assimilation - first step in Piaget’s theory - fitting the environment into our mental capacities
Accommodation - expanding our mental capacities to fit the world

16. Age Linked Theories Erik Erikson
Theorized that we develop throughout life
Identified 8 life stages with psychosocial tasks at each stage

17. Developmental Systems Perspective
Stresses the need to use many different approaches
Emphasis the need to look at interactions of processes - every influence on development relates

18. Research Methods Correlation study - relating two or more variables
Mixing the result with the cause
There may be another variable that explains the result
Experiments - randomly assigning people to different treatments and then looking at the outcome. Isolates the independent variable

19. Research Methods
Experiments - randomly assigning people to different treatments and then looking at the outcome. Isolates the independent variable

20. Measuring variables Naturalistic Observation
Direct observation: codes action
+ Direct record of behavior
Time intensive
People behave differently when watched

21. Measuring variables
Self Reports - Questionnaires where people report on their feelings, interests, attitudes, and thoughts
+ Easy to administer provides data quickly
- Subject to bias

22. Measuring variables Ability tests - measuring skills
+ Objective measure of performance
May not accurately measure that skill in the “real world”

23. Measuring variables
Observer reports - Knowledgeable person or trained observer completes scales evaluating the person
+ Offers a structured look at the person’s behavior
Observers have their biases

24. Cross- Sectional Studies
A developmental research strategy that involves testing different age groups at the same time
Tend to give us snapshots about the differences among cohorts
Measures group differences rather than individual differences

25. Longitudinal Studies
Research strategy that tests an age group repeatedly over many years
Requires time, planning, resources,
Participants often are motivated individuals

26. Ending Slide
EDCO 268 – Fall Practicum in Lifespan and Career Development   Shawn N. Ogimachi