{"id":52,"date":"2014-09-14T04:23:25","date_gmt":"2014-09-14T04:23:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/lifespandevelopment1x1\/?post_type=chapter&p=52"},"modified":"2016-03-14T18:43:04","modified_gmt":"2016-03-14T18:43:04","slug":"52","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-ss-152-1\/chapter\/52\/","title":{"raw":"Introduction to Life Span, Growth and Development","rendered":"Introduction to Life Span, Growth and Development"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n

Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\nAt the end of this lesson, you should be able to:<\/span>\r\n
    \r\n\t
  1. Explain the study of human development.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Define physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development.<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Differentiate periods of human development.<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Analyze your own location in the life span.<\/li>\r\n\t
  5. Judge the most and least preferable age groups with which to work.<\/li>\r\n\t
  6. Contrast social classes with respect to life chances.<\/li>\r\n\t
  7. Explain the meaning of social cohort.<\/li>\r\n\t
  8. Critique stage theory models\u00a0of human\u00a0 development.<\/li>\r\n\t
  9. Define culture and ethnocentrism and describe ways that culture impacts development.<\/li>\r\n\t
  10. Explain the reasons scientific methods are more objective than personal knowledge.<\/li>\r\n\t
  11. Contrast qualitative and quantitative approaches to research.<\/li>\r\n\t
  12. Compare research methods noting the advantages and disadvantages of each.<\/li>\r\n\t
  13. Differentiate between independent and dependent variables.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\"A<\/a>\r\n
    \r\n\r\nWelcome to life span, growth and development. This is the study of how and why people\u00a0change or remain the same over time.\r\n\r\nThis course is\u00a0commonly referred to as the \u201cwomb to tomb\u201d course because it is the story of our journeys from conception to death.\u00a0Human development is the study of how we change over time. \u00a0Although this course is often offered in psychology, this is a very interdisciplinary course.\u00a0Psychologists, nutritionists, sociologists, anthropologists, educators, and health care\u00a0professionals all contribute to our knowledge of the life span.\r\n\r\nWe will look at how we change physically over time from early development through aging and\u00a0death. We examine cognitive change, or how our ability to think and remember changes over\u00a0time. We look at how our concerns and psychological state is influenced by age and finally,\u00a0how our social relationships change throughout life.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
    There are several goals of those involved in this discipline:<\/div>\r\n

    1. Describing change<\/strong>-many of the studies we will examine simply involve the first step in\u00a0investigation, which is description. Arnold Gesell\u2019s study on infant motor skills, for example.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    2. Explaining changes<\/strong> is another goal. Theories provide explanations for why we change over\u00a0time. For example, Erikson offers an explanation about why our two-year-old is temperamental.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThink about how you were 5, 10, or even 15 years ago.\u00a0 In what ways have you changed?\u00a0 In what ways have you remained the same?\u00a0\u00a0You have probably changed\u00a0physically; perhaps you've grown taller and become heavier.\u00a0 But you may have also experienced changes in the way you think and solve problems.\u00a0\u00a0Cognitive\u00a0change is noticeable when we compare how\u00a06 year olds, 16 year olds, and 46 year olds think and reason, for example.\u00a0 Their thoughts about others and the world are probably quite different.\u00a0 Consider friendship for instance.\u00a0 The\u00a06 year old may think that a friend is someone with whom you can play and have fun.\u00a0 A 16 year old may seek friends who can help them gain status or popularity.\u00a0 And the 46 year old may have acquaintances, but rely more on family members to do things with and confide in.\u00a0 You may have also experienced\u00a0psychosocial\u00a0change.\u00a0 This refers emotions and psychological concerns as well as social relationships.\u00a0\u00a0Psychologist Erik Erikson suggests that we struggle with issues of independence, trust, and intimacy at various points in our lives.\u00a0 (We will explore this thoroughly throughout the course.)\r\n\r\nOur journeys through life are more than biological; they are shaped by culture, history, economic and political realities as much as they are influenced by physical change.\u00a0This is a very interesting and practical course because it is about us and those with whom we live and work.\u00a0One of the best ways to gain perspective on our own lives is to compare our experiences with that of others.\u00a0By periodically making cross-cultural and historical comparisons and by presenting a variety of views on issues such as healthcare, aging, education, gender and family roles, I hope to give you many eyes with\u00a0which to see your own development.\u00a0This occurs frequently in the classroom as students from a variety of cultural backgrounds discuss their interpretations of developmental tasks and concerns.\u00a0I hope to recreate this rich experience as much as possible in this text.\u00a0So, for example, we will discuss current concerns about the nutrition of children in the United States (for a middle-class boy of 11 years who is 130 pounds overweight and suffering with Pediatric Type II diabetes) as well as malnutrition experienced by children in Ethiopia as a result of drought.\u00a0Being self-conscious can enhance our ability to think critically about the systems we live in and open our eyes to new courses of action to benefit the quality of life.\u00a0And knowing about other people and their circumstances can help us live and work with them more effectively.\u00a0An appreciation of diversity enhances the social skills needed in nursing, education, or any other field.\r\n

    New Assumptions and Understandings\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nI took my first graduate course in life span over 20 years ago.\u00a0Much time was spent on the period of childhood, less on adolescence, and very little attention was given to adulthood.\u00a0The message was clear: once you are 25, your development is essentially completed.\u00a0Our academic knowledge of the life span has changed and although there is still less research on adulthood than on childhood, adulthood is gaining increasing attention.\u00a0This is particularly true now that the large cohort known as the baby boomers are beginning to enter late adulthood.\u00a0There is so much we need to find out about love, housing, health, nutrition, exercise, social, and emotional development with this large group.\u00a0(Visit your local bookstore or search the internet and you will find many new titles in the self-help and psychology sections that address this population.)\r\n\r\nI was also introduced to the theories of Freud, Erikson, and Piaget, the classic stage theorists whose models depict development as occurring in a series of predictable stages.\u00a0Stage theories\u00a0had a certain appeal to an American culture experiencing dramatic change in the early part of the 20th\u00a0century.\u00a0But that sense of security was not without its costs; those who did not develop in predictable ways were often thought of as delayed or abnormal.\u00a0And Freudian interpretations of problems in childhood development, such as autism, held that such difficulties were in response to poor parenting.\u00a0\u00a0 Imagine the despair experienced by mothers accused of causing their child\u2019s autism by being cold and unloving.\u00a0It was not until the 1960s that more medical explanations of autism began to replace Freudian assumptions.\r\n\r\nFreud and Piaget present a series of stages that essentially end during adolescence.\u00a0For Freud, we enter the genital stage in which much of our motivation is focused on sex and reproduction and this stage continues through adulthood.\u00a0Piaget\u2019s fourth stage, formal operational thought, begins in adolescence and continues through adulthood.\u00a0Again, neither of these theories highlights developmental changes during adulthood.\u00a0Erikson, however, presents eight developmental stages that encompass the entire lifespan.\u00a0For that reason, Erikson is known as the \u201cfather\u201d of developmental psychology and his psychosocial theory will form the foundation for much of our discussion of psychosocial development.\r\n\r\nToday we are more aware of the variations in development and the impact that culture and the environment have on shaping our lives.\u00a0\u00a0 We no longer assume that those who develop in predictable ways are normal and those who do not are abnormal.\u00a0And the assumption that early childhood experiences dictate our future is also being called into question.\u00a0Rather, we have come to appreciate that growth and change continues throughout life and experience continues to have an impact on who we are and how we relate to others. \u00a0And we recognize that adulthood is a dynamic period of life marked by continued cognitive, social, and psychological development.\r\n

    Who Studies Human Development?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nMany academic disciplines contribute to the study of life span and this course is offered in some schools as psychology; in other schools it is taught under sociology or human development.\u00a0This multidisciplinary course is made up of contributions from researchers in the areas of health care, anthropology, nutrition, child development, biology, gerontology, psychology, and sociology among others.\u00a0Consequently, the stories provided are rich and well-rounded and the theories and findings can be part of a collaborative effort to understand human lives.\r\n

    Many Contexts<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nPeople are best understood in context.\u00a0 What is meant by the word \u201ccontext\u201d?\u00a0 It means that we are influenced by when and where we live and our actions, beliefs, and values are a response to circumstances surrounding us.\u00a0 Sternberg describes a type of intelligence known as \u201ccontextual\u201d intelligence as the ability to understand what is called for in a situation (Sternberg, 1996).\u00a0The key here is to understand that behaviors, motivations, emotions, and choices are all part of a bigger\u00a0picture.\u00a0Our concerns are such because of who we are socially, where we live, and when we live; they are part of a social climate and set of realities that surround us.\u00a0 Our social locations include cohort, social class,\u00a0gender, race, ethnicity, and age.\u00a0 Let's explore two of these:\u00a0 cohort and social class.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

    REFERENCES<\/h2>\r\nAries, P. (1962).\u00a0Centuries of childhood. A social history of family life.\u00a0New York: Vintage.\r\n\r\nDavis, N. (1999).\u00a0Youth crisis: Growing up in the high risk society.\u00a0Westport, CN: Praeger.\r\n\r\nDebt juggling. The new middle class addiction. (2005, March\/April).\u00a0The Sunday Times Review. Retrieved from\u00a0www.timesonline.co.uk\/article\/o..2092-1551813.00.html\r\n\r\nDeNavas-Walt, C., & Cleveland, R. W. (2002).\u00a0Money income in the United States: 2001. Current population reports.\u00a0(P60-218) (United States, U. S. Census Bureau). U. S. Government Printing Office.\r\n\r\nGilbert, D. (2003).\u00a0The American class structure in an age of growing inequality.\u00a0(6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.\r\n\r\nGilbert, D., & Kahl, J. A. (1998).\u00a0The American class structure.\u00a0(5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.\r\n\r\nGlazer, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967).\u00a0The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research.\u00a0New York: Aldine.\r\n\r\nKohn, M. L. (1977).\u00a0Class and conformity: A study in values.\u00a0(2nd ed.). Homewood, IL: Dorsey.\r\n\r\nMawathe, A. (2006, March\/April). Period misery for Kenya schoolgirls.\u00a0BBC News. Retrieved August 10, 2006, from\u00a0http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/hi\/africa\/4816558.stm\r\n\r\nSeccombe, K., & Warner, R. L. (2004).\u00a0Marriages and families: Relationships in social context.\u00a0Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.\r\n\r\nSternberg, R. J. (1996).\u00a0Sucessful intelligence.\u00a0New York: Simon and Shuster.\r\n\r\nThe secret life of the credit card. (2004).\u00a0PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved May 02, 2011, from\u00a0http:\/\/www.pbs.org\/cgi-registry\/generic\/trivia.cgi\r\n\r\nThornton, S. (2005, June\/July). Karl Popper (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy\/Summer 2005 Edition).\u00a0Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved May 02, 2011, from\u00a0http:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/archives\/sum2005\/entries\/popper\r\n\r\nUnited States, U. S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economics Statistics Division. (2005).\u00a0Poverty Thresholds 2005. Retrieved August 10, 2006, from\u00a0http:\/\/www.census.gov\/hhes\/www\/poverty\/threshld\/thresh05.html\r\n\r\nWeitz, R. (2007).\u00a0The sociology of health, illness, and health care: A critical approach,\u00a0(4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson.","rendered":"
    \n

    Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n

    At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Explain the study of human development.<\/li>\n
    2. Define physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development.<\/li>\n
    3. Differentiate periods of human development.<\/li>\n
    4. Analyze your own location in the life span.<\/li>\n
    5. Judge the most and least preferable age groups with which to work.<\/li>\n
    6. Contrast social classes with respect to life chances.<\/li>\n
    7. Explain the meaning of social cohort.<\/li>\n
    8. Critique stage theory models\u00a0of human\u00a0 development.<\/li>\n
    9. Define culture and ethnocentrism and describe ways that culture impacts development.<\/li>\n
    10. Explain the reasons scientific methods are more objective than personal knowledge.<\/li>\n
    11. Contrast qualitative and quantitative approaches to research.<\/li>\n
    12. Compare research methods noting the advantages and disadvantages of each.<\/li>\n
    13. Differentiate between independent and dependent variables.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

      \"A<\/a><\/p>\n

      \n

      Welcome to life span, growth and development. This is the study of how and why people\u00a0change or remain the same over time.<\/p>\n

      This course is\u00a0commonly referred to as the \u201cwomb to tomb\u201d course because it is the story of our journeys from conception to death.\u00a0Human development is the study of how we change over time. \u00a0Although this course is often offered in psychology, this is a very interdisciplinary course.\u00a0Psychologists, nutritionists, sociologists, anthropologists, educators, and health care\u00a0professionals all contribute to our knowledge of the life span.<\/p>\n

      We will look at how we change physically over time from early development through aging and\u00a0death. We examine cognitive change, or how our ability to think and remember changes over\u00a0time. We look at how our concerns and psychological state is influenced by age and finally,\u00a0how our social relationships change throughout life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      There are several goals of those involved in this discipline:<\/div>\n

      1. Describing change<\/strong>-many of the studies we will examine simply involve the first step in\u00a0investigation, which is description. Arnold Gesell\u2019s study on infant motor skills, for example.<\/span><\/p>\n

      2. Explaining changes<\/strong> is another goal. Theories provide explanations for why we change over\u00a0time. For example, Erikson offers an explanation about why our two-year-old is temperamental.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Think about how you were 5, 10, or even 15 years ago.\u00a0 In what ways have you changed?\u00a0 In what ways have you remained the same?\u00a0\u00a0You have probably changed\u00a0physically; perhaps you’ve grown taller and become heavier.\u00a0 But you may have also experienced changes in the way you think and solve problems.\u00a0\u00a0Cognitive\u00a0change is noticeable when we compare how\u00a06 year olds, 16 year olds, and 46 year olds think and reason, for example.\u00a0 Their thoughts about others and the world are probably quite different.\u00a0 Consider friendship for instance.\u00a0 The\u00a06 year old may think that a friend is someone with whom you can play and have fun.\u00a0 A 16 year old may seek friends who can help them gain status or popularity.\u00a0 And the 46 year old may have acquaintances, but rely more on family members to do things with and confide in.\u00a0 You may have also experienced\u00a0psychosocial\u00a0change.\u00a0 This refers emotions and psychological concerns as well as social relationships.\u00a0\u00a0Psychologist Erik Erikson suggests that we struggle with issues of independence, trust, and intimacy at various points in our lives.\u00a0 (We will explore this thoroughly throughout the course.)<\/p>\n

      Our journeys through life are more than biological; they are shaped by culture, history, economic and political realities as much as they are influenced by physical change.\u00a0This is a very interesting and practical course because it is about us and those with whom we live and work.\u00a0One of the best ways to gain perspective on our own lives is to compare our experiences with that of others.\u00a0By periodically making cross-cultural and historical comparisons and by presenting a variety of views on issues such as healthcare, aging, education, gender and family roles, I hope to give you many eyes with\u00a0which to see your own development.\u00a0This occurs frequently in the classroom as students from a variety of cultural backgrounds discuss their interpretations of developmental tasks and concerns.\u00a0I hope to recreate this rich experience as much as possible in this text.\u00a0So, for example, we will discuss current concerns about the nutrition of children in the United States (for a middle-class boy of 11 years who is 130 pounds overweight and suffering with Pediatric Type II diabetes) as well as malnutrition experienced by children in Ethiopia as a result of drought.\u00a0Being self-conscious can enhance our ability to think critically about the systems we live in and open our eyes to new courses of action to benefit the quality of life.\u00a0And knowing about other people and their circumstances can help us live and work with them more effectively.\u00a0An appreciation of diversity enhances the social skills needed in nursing, education, or any other field.<\/p>\n

      New Assumptions and Understandings\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      I took my first graduate course in life span over 20 years ago.\u00a0Much time was spent on the period of childhood, less on adolescence, and very little attention was given to adulthood.\u00a0The message was clear: once you are 25, your development is essentially completed.\u00a0Our academic knowledge of the life span has changed and although there is still less research on adulthood than on childhood, adulthood is gaining increasing attention.\u00a0This is particularly true now that the large cohort known as the baby boomers are beginning to enter late adulthood.\u00a0There is so much we need to find out about love, housing, health, nutrition, exercise, social, and emotional development with this large group.\u00a0(Visit your local bookstore or search the internet and you will find many new titles in the self-help and psychology sections that address this population.)<\/p>\n

      I was also introduced to the theories of Freud, Erikson, and Piaget, the classic stage theorists whose models depict development as occurring in a series of predictable stages.\u00a0Stage theories\u00a0had a certain appeal to an American culture experiencing dramatic change in the early part of the 20th\u00a0century.\u00a0But that sense of security was not without its costs; those who did not develop in predictable ways were often thought of as delayed or abnormal.\u00a0And Freudian interpretations of problems in childhood development, such as autism, held that such difficulties were in response to poor parenting.\u00a0\u00a0 Imagine the despair experienced by mothers accused of causing their child\u2019s autism by being cold and unloving.\u00a0It was not until the 1960s that more medical explanations of autism began to replace Freudian assumptions.<\/p>\n

      Freud and Piaget present a series of stages that essentially end during adolescence.\u00a0For Freud, we enter the genital stage in which much of our motivation is focused on sex and reproduction and this stage continues through adulthood.\u00a0Piaget\u2019s fourth stage, formal operational thought, begins in adolescence and continues through adulthood.\u00a0Again, neither of these theories highlights developmental changes during adulthood.\u00a0Erikson, however, presents eight developmental stages that encompass the entire lifespan.\u00a0For that reason, Erikson is known as the \u201cfather\u201d of developmental psychology and his psychosocial theory will form the foundation for much of our discussion of psychosocial development.<\/p>\n

      Today we are more aware of the variations in development and the impact that culture and the environment have on shaping our lives.\u00a0\u00a0 We no longer assume that those who develop in predictable ways are normal and those who do not are abnormal.\u00a0And the assumption that early childhood experiences dictate our future is also being called into question.\u00a0Rather, we have come to appreciate that growth and change continues throughout life and experience continues to have an impact on who we are and how we relate to others. \u00a0And we recognize that adulthood is a dynamic period of life marked by continued cognitive, social, and psychological development.<\/p>\n

      Who Studies Human Development?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      Many academic disciplines contribute to the study of life span and this course is offered in some schools as psychology; in other schools it is taught under sociology or human development.\u00a0This multidisciplinary course is made up of contributions from researchers in the areas of health care, anthropology, nutrition, child development, biology, gerontology, psychology, and sociology among others.\u00a0Consequently, the stories provided are rich and well-rounded and the theories and findings can be part of a collaborative effort to understand human lives.<\/p>\n

      Many Contexts<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      People are best understood in context.\u00a0 What is meant by the word \u201ccontext\u201d?\u00a0 It means that we are influenced by when and where we live and our actions, beliefs, and values are a response to circumstances surrounding us.\u00a0 Sternberg describes a type of intelligence known as \u201ccontextual\u201d intelligence as the ability to understand what is called for in a situation (Sternberg, 1996).\u00a0The key here is to understand that behaviors, motivations, emotions, and choices are all part of a bigger\u00a0picture.\u00a0Our concerns are such because of who we are socially, where we live, and when we live; they are part of a social climate and set of realities that surround us.\u00a0 Our social locations include cohort, social class,\u00a0gender, race, ethnicity, and age.\u00a0 Let’s explore two of these:\u00a0 cohort and social class.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      REFERENCES<\/h2>\n

      Aries, P. (1962).\u00a0Centuries of childhood. A social history of family life.\u00a0New York: Vintage.<\/p>\n

      Davis, N. (1999).\u00a0Youth crisis: Growing up in the high risk society.\u00a0Westport, CN: Praeger.<\/p>\n

      Debt juggling. The new middle class addiction. (2005, March\/April).\u00a0The Sunday Times Review. Retrieved from\u00a0www.timesonline.co.uk\/article\/o..2092-1551813.00.html<\/p>\n

      DeNavas-Walt, C., & Cleveland, R. W. (2002).\u00a0Money income in the United States: 2001. Current population reports.\u00a0(P60-218) (United States, U. S. Census Bureau). U. S. Government Printing Office.<\/p>\n

      Gilbert, D. (2003).\u00a0The American class structure in an age of growing inequality.\u00a0(6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.<\/p>\n

      Gilbert, D., & Kahl, J. A. (1998).\u00a0The American class structure.\u00a0(5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.<\/p>\n

      Glazer, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967).\u00a0The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research.\u00a0New York: Aldine.<\/p>\n

      Kohn, M. L. (1977).\u00a0Class and conformity: A study in values.\u00a0(2nd ed.). Homewood, IL: Dorsey.<\/p>\n

      Mawathe, A. (2006, March\/April). Period misery for Kenya schoolgirls.\u00a0BBC News. Retrieved August 10, 2006, from\u00a0http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/hi\/africa\/4816558.stm<\/p>\n

      Seccombe, K., & Warner, R. L. (2004).\u00a0Marriages and families: Relationships in social context.\u00a0Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.<\/p>\n

      Sternberg, R. J. (1996).\u00a0Sucessful intelligence.\u00a0New York: Simon and Shuster.<\/p>\n

      The secret life of the credit card. (2004).\u00a0PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved May 02, 2011, from\u00a0http:\/\/www.pbs.org\/cgi-registry\/generic\/trivia.cgi<\/p>\n

      Thornton, S. (2005, June\/July). Karl Popper (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy\/Summer 2005 Edition).\u00a0Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved May 02, 2011, from\u00a0http:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/archives\/sum2005\/entries\/popper<\/p>\n

      United States, U. S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economics Statistics Division. (2005).\u00a0Poverty Thresholds 2005. Retrieved August 10, 2006, from\u00a0http:\/\/www.census.gov\/hhes\/www\/poverty\/threshld\/thresh05.html<\/p>\n

      Weitz, R. (2007).\u00a0The sociology of health, illness, and health care: A critical approach,\u00a0(4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

      \n\t\t\t

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