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Ebook Life Span Human Development Sigelman Online PDF All Chapter
Ebook Life Span Human Development Sigelman Online PDF All Chapter
Sigelman
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Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-202
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-202
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-202
3RD
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND
EDITION
Authorised adaptation of Life-span human development, 9th edition, by Carol K. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Sigelman and Elizabeth A. Rider, published by Cengage Learning 2017 [ISBN ISBN: 9780170415910
9781337100731] A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of
Australia.
This 3rd edition published in 2019
Cengage Learning Australia
Chapter-opening images courtesy: Level 7, 80 Dorcas Street
[1] Shutterstock.com/Patrick Foto; [2] iStock/Getty Images Plus/Imgorthand; [3] South Melbourne, Victoria Australia 3205
iStock/Getty Images Plus/Lise Gagne; [4] iStock/Getty Images Plus/stock_colors;
[5] Shutterstock.com/Olena Andreychuk; [6] iStock/Getty Images Cengage Learning New Zealand
Plus/stock_colors; [7] iStock/Getty Images Plus/Imgorthand; [8] iStock/Getty Unit 4B Rosedale Office Park
Images Plus/ajijchan; [9] iStock/Getty Images Plus/Lisa-Blue; [10] Shutterstock. 331 Rosedale Road, Albany, North Shore 0632, NZ
com/FreeBirdPhotos; [11] Shutterstock.com/Jurij Krupiak; [12] iStock/Getty
Images Plus/jmpaget; [13] Shutterstock.com/itsmejust. For learning solutions, visit cengage.com.au
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CONTENTS v
CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2
BRIEF
CONTENTS
Self, personality, gender Social cognition and moral Emotions, attachment and
and sexuality 429 development 491 social relationships 548
CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13
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vi
CONTENTS
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CONTENTS vii
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viii CONTENTS
Genes, environments and creativity 345 7.7 The extremes of intelligence 365
7.3 The infant 345 Intellectual disability 365
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CONTENTS ix
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x CONTENTS
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CONTENTS xi
13.1 Matters of life and death 677 13.5 The adolescent 704
What is death? 677 Advanced understandings of death 704
What kills us and when? 682 Experiences with death and dying 704
Theories of ageing: Why do we age 13.6 The adult 706
and die? 686 Death in the family context 706
13.2 The experience of death 690 13.7 Coping with death 713
Perspectives on dying 691 Challenges to the grief work
Perspectives on bereavement 692 perspective 713
13.3 The infant 697 Who copes and who succumbs? 715
13.4 The child 699 Bereavement and positive growth 717
Grasping the concept of death 699 Supporting the dying and bereaved 717
Experiences with death and dying 701 Taking our leave 720
Glossary [Online]
Name index 732
Subject index 751
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xii
4
GUIDE TO THE TEXT CHAPTER
As you read this text you will find a number of features in every
chapter to enhance your study of human development and help
you understand how the theory is applied in the real world.
4
BODY, BRAIN AND HEALTH
CHAPTER
CHAPTER-OPENING FEATURES CHAPTER OUTLINE
4.1 Building blocks of growth 4.3 The child 4.5 The adult
and lifelong health Physical growth and motor The changing body
Gain insight into how psychology theories explored in the chapter relate to real life individuals The endocrine system
The brain and nervous system
capabilities
Brain lateralisation
The changing brain
The changing reproductive
Principles of growth Health and wellness in childhood system
through the real-life story at the beginning of each chapter. 4.4 The adolescent
A life span developmental model Health challenges: Ageing or
of health disease, disuse or misuse?
The chapter outline signposts the main chapter heading
4.2 The infant
contained in eachThechapter
puberty
for
adolescent growth spurt and
CHAPTER OUTLINE
The arrow of time evident in the photographs. Greying hair, wrinkling
4.1 Building blocks of growth 4.3 The child 4.5 The On
adult
17 June every year, the Goldberg family photographs skin and glasses appear in images of Diego and Susy as
and lifelong health Physical growth and motor The changing body
each family member ‘to stop, for a fleeting moment, they progress through adulthood toward old age. And
The endocrine system capabilities The changing
the arrowbrain
of time passing by’ (Goldberg, 2017). Diego the photographs of their sons chronicle the remarkable
The brain and nervous system Brain lateralisation The changing reproductive
Goldberg, a photographer, and his wife Susy began their growth and physical development that occurs from
Principles of growth Health and wellness in childhood system
family ritual in 1976. As each of their three sons, Nicolas, infancy through puberty to early adulthood. Nicolas,
A life span developmental model Health challenges: Ageing or Matias and Sebastian now add yearly portraits of their
4.4 The adolescent Matias and Sebastian, were born, they too became part
of health disease, disuse or misuse? own growing families – this Goldberg family tradition
The adolescent growth spurt and of the photographic essay. Adopting the same pose year
4.2 The infant puberty to year, the physical changes of growth and ageing are today spans three generations.
Rapid physical growth The adolescent brain
The infant brain Teen health and wellness CHAPTER 4: BODY, BRAIN AND HEALTH 157
Express
Newborn capabilities
Infant motor development
Throughout this chapter, the CourseMate Express logo indicates an opportunity for online self-study, linking you to
Health and wellness in infancy
activities, videos and other online resources.
The Goldberg family’s photographic case study, spanning over four decades and now several
generations, illustrates the changes in physical growth and appearance that occur throughout the life ON THE
INTERNET
The arrow span of time
(see On the internet: Goldberg family evident
tradition). What
in the are the processes
photographs. underlying
Greying hair, wrinkling such growth
On 17 June everyandyear,
change? And what
the Goldberg familyabout physical and
photographs skin and glasses appear in images of Diego and Susy as
biological changes that are not easily captured in yearly Goldberg family
each family member ‘to stop, for a fleeting moment, they progress through adulthood toward old age. And tradition
photographic snapshots, such as changes the in internal bodily systems, physical capabilities and health
photographs of their sons chronicle the remarkable http://zonezero.
the arrow of time passing by’ (Goldberg, 2017). Diego
status? These are the sorts of questions that com/en/open/158-
Goldberg, a photographer, and his wife Susy began their growth and physical development that occurs brain
we address in this chapter on body, from and health.
the-arrow-of-time
Our physical selves – brain, body, and all the behaviours that emerge from these – are fundamental to
IN REVIEW
what we are able to do in life. A 5-year-old child is physically able to experience the world in ways
markedly different from those available to a 5-month-old infant. Five-year-old Mariah, for example,
CHECKING
can throw a ball withUNDERSTANDING
her mum, run with her dog, play hopscotch CRITICAL
with herTHINKING
friends, feed and dress
herself,
1 How anddoes
enjoythe
many of the system
endocrine rides atsupport
the park.Yet Mariah and Illustrate
other 5-year-olds
the aspectsareoflimited
the lifeby their
span developmental model
physical of health
selves. As you will learn in this chapter, their strength and coordination
development? using the example of coeliac
must continue to disease discussed
earlier in this chapter.
improve
2 How before
does they can competently
myelination contribute engage with detailed motor tasks, and their bodies must grow
to developmental LINKAGES
taller and heavier
changes thatbefore
we canthey can move through the world as adults do. It will be years before their
observe?
Chapter 3 Genes,
3 What
brains are fully developed,
is one example allowing
of each ofgreater Get
concentration and more sophisticated thought processes
the cephalocaudal, the answers to the Checkingand
environment
Express understanding questions on
proximodistal
(see Chapters 5 and 6). and orthogenetic principles of the beginnings of
CourseMate Express. life
Asdevelopment?
you have been learning, human growth and development is an incredibly complex process,
Chapter 5
influenced by both genetic and environmental factors (see Chapter 3). At certain times and for Cognitive
certain developments, genetic influences dominate, whereas at other times environmental influences development
Application
been applied to optimise development in a domain chapter opening, enjoy active, healthy
lives. What factors might account for
1990 with over 40 000 participants born
in Australia, New Zealand and Europe)
>>> >>>
Successful aging Ch 1, p. 10
Using developmental theories to prevent risky
sexual behaviour and unplanned teen pregnancy Ch 2, p. 86 Making inclusion work Ch 8, p. 408
Prevention and treatment of genetic conditions Ch 3, p. 109 Treating disorders of sex development Ch 9, p. 437
Halting the obesity ‘brain drain’ Ch 4, p. 195 Stopping the bullies Ch 10, p. 528
Improving children’s cognitive functioning Ch 5, p. 233 Preventing child abuse Ch 11, p. 600
Aiding children with hearing impairments Ch 6, p. 281 Reducing risks to mental health when
Nurturing development in early natural disasters strike Ch 12, p. 632
learning programs Ch 7, p. 347 Supporting the bereaved family Ch 13, p. 720
Diversity
Diversity CULTURALLY SENSITIVE RESEARCHERS
Both Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological in New Zealand and Australia (see On method (Māori approaches to research),
model and Baltes’ life span perspective the internet: Guidelines for research which involved engaging Māori iwi
Explore the diverse cultural issues, research and emphasise that development is shaped
by its cultural context. This implies
with Indigenous peoples) require
consultation at all stages of research
(tribes) and health providers to assist
with recruitment and conduct of the
that we need to study development with Indigenous people, not only for research and the use of Māori language
practices in relation to developmental science by in a variety of contexts using culturally protecting research participants but in interviews (Dyall et al., 2013; Walker,
sensitive methods to understand both also to ensure Māori and Aboriginal Eketone, & Gibbs, 2006). With this
reading the Diversity boxes. what is universal and what is culturally
specific about human development
and Torres Strait Islander people have a
voice and are meaningfully engaged in
approach the researchers successfully
recruited large, equal numbers of Māori
(Cole & Packer, 2011). research about issues for their people and non-Māori participants (600 in each
Culturally sensitive researchers must and communities (Health Research Council group).
first be prepared to consult, negotiate of New Zealand, 2010; National Health Third, researchers who study
Engagement boxes in each chapter provide from 0 to 2 next to each statement that
indicates how often you relate to older
normal at your age’.
11 When an older person can’t
the positive items.
B Add together the ratings for items 2,
people, aged 60 and over, in these remember something, I may 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18,
real-life or hypothetical situations that will help ways. ON THE INTERNET say, ‘That’s what they call a 19 & 20 then divide that total by 28.
0 = Never “Senior Moment”.’ This is the proportion of negative
students to engage personally with the material 1 = Sometimes
2 = Often
Guidelines for research
Health Research
12 Talk
Council of
withlouder
New
Indigenous
Zealand
or slower
(HRC)
peoples
to older
and
people because of their age. Research with
ageist behaviours you endorsed
Māori people
http://www.hrc.govt.nz/news-and-publications/publications/maori
when compared to the highest
and assess their own knowledge, beliefs, traits and Search me! and
Discover
How often Access
do you:the
13 Use simple words when talking
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies possible
to older
Research in Australian Indigenous Studiespeople.
(AIATSIS) total
negative items.
score for all
and Guidelines for the
Ethical
Source: Reprinted from Cherry & Palmore (2008), with permission from Taylor & Francis Ltd, http://www.tandfonline.com, © 2008.
xiv Guide to the text
CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 35
Exploration
As you have learned, longitudinal life span – for example (and this is
research studies have clear advantages by no means an exhaustive list of LINKAGES
over cross-sectional designs for the featured longitudinal studies
Exploration boxes provide in-depth investigation answering questions about how we or of chapters that refer to the
Chapter 2 Theories of human
development
develop and grow as we age. In findings of longitudinal studies): the Chapter 3 Genes, environment and the
of local and international research on various high 14
Table 1.5 we highlight some of the
largest ongoing Australian and
LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT New
Australian Temperament Project
(ATP; Chapter 9 ); the Auckland
beginnings of life
Chapter 4 Body, brain and health
How can brain changes during adolescence self-control Ch 10, p. 512 of people,
the exosystem
and
and and
the Torres
macrosystem,
Strait
all in balance)
the continual
and
flux the
of the chronosystem.
study.
Bronfenbrenner’s
to explore the bioecological model suggests that function
answers to questions about how child
explain risky behaviours? Ch 4, p. 192 MAKING
Islander peoples. Those cognitive
The intergenerational
CONNECTIONS transmission of parenting
abuse,concept of healthy, born overseas are
marriage, retirement or other experiences (e.g.
active ageing. largely from English- Ch 11, p. 597
memory and
affect development will often be complex because
verbal ability).
Can there really be a Santa Claus? Ch 5, p. 244 outcomes depend on so many speakingfactors. According to Bronfenbrenner and Morris (2006), researchers
countries.
Explaining the gender
Give an example
Growing
of how each of
up in New difference
need to
To consider inrelationships
provide a the eating disorders
amongNew
Seven thousand Ch
and effects of12, p. 642
key characteristics
Interviews of the person,
Data gathering See,the context,
for example,
Ageing drivers Ch 6, p. 306 Zealand study
Bronfenbrenner’s
complete picture
the time Zealand children
dimension and the with parents
processes through which started when
an active person Chapter 3,
and his or herinenvironment
Communicating
environmental with patients
http://www.
growingup.co.nz/interact
that(for
lead
with parent–infant
of the pathways
example,
to
unresponsive
born in 2009/10 have
interaction
been assessed every
and children
or playhealth
about
the mother of
with peers).
theNature
discussion of
and nurture,
study child studytherefore,
findings
Cognitive enhancement for ageing adult Ch 7, p. 358 wakefulness syndrome
systemsen.html
have
affected you and cannotsuccessful and easily12–18
be separated months,
because are part Ch
theywith and 13, p.system,
of awellbeing,
dynamic 678
was 28 weeks
continually that provideone
influencing
equitable child the study planned whānau (family) pregnant. insights into the
your development another. Complex research
development, and todesigns
continueand statistical techniques
until are needed to assess the many
life, education, interacting
health of mothers
over the past year. improve outcomes they become adults. psychological and babies during
influences on development portrayed in Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, but progress is being
for all children. All socioeconomic development, pregnancy and
made (Holt, 2009; Sameroff, 2009). It is appropriate,
levels are represented then,
neighbourhood that we look next at the science
early of life
infancy.
span human development.and the sample is and environment,
ethnically diverse. and culture and
identity.
Professional practice
Meet real professionals in the Professional practice psychologist involve, and why did
you decide to become one?
because as a former teacher I had
a passion for nurturing children’s
>>>
boxes and gain insights into how theory relates to, The Australian Psychological
Society recognises educational and
strengths and supporting their
weaknesses, particularly those children
developmental psychologists as those with special learning or developmental
and informs day-to-day practice for psychologists, practitioners with specialised training needs, in order to help them achieve
and experience in providing assessment, their full potential and succeed in a
Statistics snapshot
In Australia … • In 1971 the median age of first • In 1971, the median age of first
• In 1976, 21 per cent of 18- to motherhood was 25.4 years; in 2014 marriage was 23 years for males
34-year-olds lived at home with their this had increased to 29 years. and 21 years for females; in 1966 it
Statistics snapshot boxes highlight parents; in 2011 this had increased • In 1974 the median age for first was 28 years for males and 26 years
for females; and in 2015 it was 30
to 29 per cent. fatherhood was around 29 years;
important data relating to this region. • In 1976, the median age of first in 2010 this had increased to 33.1
years.
years for males and 29 years for
females.
marriage was 24 years for males and
21 years for females; in 2015 this had • In 1996, 30 per cent of 18- to
In New Zealand … 24 year olds were studying,
increased to 32 years for males and
30 years for females. • From 1986 to 2006, the number of compared to 40 per cent in 2006.
20- to 24 year olds living at home • in 1976 the median age for first
• In 1976, 14 per cent of 18- to
has remained relatively stable at motherhood was 25 years; this had
34-year olds attended a higher
Social trends Ch 1, p. 6 education institution compared to
around 30 per cent, although there increased to 28 years in 2011.
was a peak in 1991 at 38.7 per cent.
26 per cent in 2011.
Teen birth rates Ch 2, p. 88 Sources: AIHW (2016); Australian Bureau of Statistics (1997, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015); New Zealand Families Commission (2008);
Statistics New Zealand (2012, 2015, 2017).
Prematurity, low birth weight and foetal mortality Ch 3, p. 135
Overweightness and obesity Ch 4, p. 206 Age and development: Sociocultural perspectives
Table 1.1 represents only one view of the periods of the life span; age, like gender, race and other
Visual impairment and ageing Ch 6, p. 305 Juvenile crime rates Chthings
significant human characteristics, means different 10,inp.different
521societies and cultures (Fry, 2009).
culture A system of Culture is often defined as the shared understandings and way of life of a people (see Mistry &
Participation in early childhood education Ch 7, p. 349 Households and families
meanings shared by a Ch 11, p. 558
Dutta, 2015; Packer & Cole, 2015). It includes beliefs, values and practices concerning the nature
population of people
of humans in different phases of the life span, what children need to be taught to function in
Participation in adult education Ch 8, p. 418 Suicide rates Ch
and transmitted from
one generation to the
12, p. 650
their society, and how people should lead their lives as adults. Different cultures can lead us along
next.
Gender identification Ch 9, p. 436 Life expectancy
different developmental pathways, but we allCh 13, p.
participate in a683
culture. That culture becomes part of
us, influencing how we live and how we experience our lives (Packer & Cole, 2015).
Each culture has its own ways of dividing the life span and of treating the people in different
age grade Socially-age groups. And each socially-defined age group in a culture – called an age grade or age
defined age group or
stratum – is assigned different statuses, roles, privileges and responsibilities. Segregating children into
stratum, with distinct
grades in school based on age is one form of age grading, but whole societies are layered into age
statuses, roles, privileges
and responsibilities in
grades and privilege certain ages. For example, in Australia and New Zealand, it has been determined
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or society. duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-202
that ‘adults’ (18-year-olds by law) can legally consume alcohol and are extended a voting privilege
not granted to children. But even legal definitions of the boundaries between adolescence and
adulthood vary. The legal age for marriage in Australia and New Zealand is 18 years; however, the
age of consent for sexual activity ranges from 16–17 years (Lamont, 2010). Similarly, although many
Guide to the text xv
ICONS
As you read, keep an eye out for these icons.
NEW Linkages icons in the margin direct Think about how developmental science
students to make connections between theory connects with you by considering
important topics covered elsewhere in the Making connections margin questions
the text. throughout the chapters.
Express
At the end of each chapter you will find several tools to help you to review, practise and extend
IN REVIEW
your
CHECKING knowledge of the
UNDERSTANDING keyTHINKING
CRITICAL learning objectives.
A researcher wants to interview elderly widows in Japan,
1
• Review your understanding of the key chapter topics with the Summary.
If researchers do not try to keep ethnocentrism out of
their research, what can happen? South Korea, Australia and New Zealand about their
emotional reactions to widowhood shortly after the >>>
2 A researcher deceives research participants into
• Test your knowledge and consolidate your learning through the Self-test, Review questions
thinking they are in a study of learning, when the
real purpose is to determine whether they are willing
deaths of their husbands. What might the researcher do
>>>
to make this research as culturally sensitive as possible?
>>>
4 True or false? Plasticity, or the capacity of an organism
to respond to positive and negative experiences,
c the conclusions are confounded by time-of-
measurement effects.
to inflict harm on people who make learning errors, should be internally consistent, falsifiable and, Case studies haveafter
ceases limited generalisability,
childhood and in
and adolescence. d they have no clear dependent variables.
and Discussion questions. Answers to the self-test can be found at the end of each chapter.
Get the answers to the Checking
if told to do so by an authority figure. What ethical ultimately,
Express supported by
understanding the data.
questions correlational studies, one faces the directionality and
4 True 5 orA false?
good Plasticity, or __________,
theory is (a) the capacity (b)
of an organismand (c)
__________ c 7 the
Researchers
conclusionsmust protect research
are confounded participants
by time-of-
responsibilities does this researcher have? ■ Commonondata collection
CourseMate methods include reporting
Express. third variable problems in attempting to draw cause- from physicaleffects.
and psychological harm by following
to respond to positive and negative experiences,
__________. measurement
(self- and informant), behavioural observations and effect conclusions. Developmentalists use meta-
d they
• Expand your knowledge by conducting further research in the Search me! Psychology database
ceases after childhood and adolescence. standards
have noofclear
(a) __________.
dependent This involves informing
variables.
physiological measures. Use of multiple methods 6 toThe
analysis synthesise the results of of
major disadvantage multiple studiesstudies
correlational participants about all aspects of the research so they
in the same study can capture different aspects of 5 the
of A same
good theory
toisproduce
(a) __________, (b) __________ and (c) 7 Researchers must protect research participants
is issue
that: overall conclusions. can provide
development and compensate for weaknesses in the __________.research designs seek to describe
■ Developmental from physical and (b) __________.harm
psychological Participants must be
by following
a they are costly and time consuming.
with the suggested key terms.
guaranteed
standards that their responses
of (a) __________. provided
This involves during the
informing
different methods. age
6 effects bonthey
The major development.
disadvantage Cross-sectional
do not allow studies
researchers tostudies
of correlational draw cause-and- research will be (c) __________.
■ The goal of explaining development is best compare different age groups but confound age participants about all aspects of the research so they
is that: effect conclusions.
achieved through experiments involving random effects and cohort effects. Longitudinal studies study can provide (b) __________. Participants must be
CHAPTER REVIEW
a they are costly and time consuming. guaranteed that their responses provided during the
assignments to conditions, manipulation of the age change but confound age effects and time-of-
b they do not allow researchers to draw cause-and- research will be (c) __________.
independent variable and experimental control. measurement effects. Sequential studies combine
effect conclusions.
However, not all developmental issues can be the cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches to
studied with experiments for ethical reasons. REVIEW
overcome QUESTIONS
these weaknesses.
1.4 What special challenges do developmental scientists face? Develop your understanding of the chapter content by preparing short answer or essay responses to the following
REVIEW QUESTIONS
SUMMARY
■ Researchers must adhere to standards of ethical
research practice, with attention to ensuring
contexts; this requires
questions – or ayou
culturally sensitive
might like
to research in which researchers collaborate with
to tryapproach
developing a concept map or thinking map for these questions.
ANSWERS TO THE SELF-TEST Successful aging in the Australian Longitudinal Psychological Association. www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/
Study of Aging: Applying the MacArthur model Lookup/4102.0Main+Features50June+2009
Artaud, F., Dugravot, A., Sabia, S., Singh-Manoux,
xvi
COURSEMATE EXPRESS
CourseMate Express is your one-stop shop for learning tools and activities that help
students succeed. As they read and study the chapters, students can access revision quizzes,
data activities, solutions to in-text questions and key weblinks. CourseMate Express also
features the Engagement Tracker, a first-of-its-kind
tool that monitors student engagement in the content.
Ask your Learning Consultant for more details.
Express
MINDTAP
MindTap is an interactive, customisable and complete online course solution. MindTap
integrates authorita-tive textbook pedagogy with customisable student ‘learning paths’, an
innovative ‘app’ model of instructional utilities, LMS interoperability, and the power of s
social media to create a personal learning experience
for today’s mobile students. To prescribe MindTap for
your students, please contact your Learning Consultant.
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Guide to the online resources xvii
MINDTAP
A new approach to highly personalised online learning, MindTap is designed to match
your learning style and provides you with an engaging interface to interact with the course
content, multimedia resources as well as your peers, lecturers and tutors. In the MindTap
Reader, you can make notes, highlight text and even find a definition directly from the
page. To purchase your MindTap experience for Life Span Human
Development, please contact your instructor.
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-202
xviii
PREFACE
This book is about the development of human beings – from their days as fertilised eggs to their
dying days. It highlights regularities as well as differences in development, and it asks fundamental
questions about why we humans develop as we do.
This third Australian and New Zealand edition of Life Span Human Development incorporates
many exciting changes to ensure the book is relevant to students studying in the Australian
and New Zealand context, yet it retains four core features of the original text that have been
valued by students and instructors over the years: (1) the unique integrated topical–chronological
approach, (2) a presentation that is both research-based and applied, (3) an emphasis on the different
theoretical perspectives that guide thinking about human development and research; and (4) an in-
depth exploration throughout of nature and nurture contributions to development as well as the
universality and diversity surrounding human development.
Why topical?
Like many other instructors, we have typically favoured topically organised textbooks when teaching
child-, adolescent- or adult-development courses. As a result, it seemed natural to use that same
topical approach in introducing students to the whole life span. Besides, chronologically organised
texts often have to repeat themselves as they remind readers of where development left off in an
earlier age period that was covered in a previous chapter.
More important, a topic-by-topic organisation conveys the flow of development in each area –
the systematic, and often dramatic, transformations that take place as well as the developmental
continuities. The topical approach also helps us emphasise the processes behind development.
Finally, a predominantly topical approach is more compatible with a life span perspective, which
views each period of life in relation to what comes before and what is yet to come. In chronologically
organised textbooks, many topics are described only in connection with the age group to which
they seem most relevant – for example, attachment in relation to infancy, or sexuality in relation to
adolescence and adulthood. A topical organisation stimulates us to ask intriguing questions we might
otherwise not ask, such as these about attachment relationships as explored in Chapter 11 Emotions,
attachment and social relationships:
• What do infants’ attachments to their parents have in common with, and how do they differ
from, attachments between childhood friends or between adult romantic partners?
• Do securely attached infants later have a greater capacity to form and sustain friendships or
romantic partnerships than infants whose early social experiences are less favourable?
• What are the consequences at different points in the life span of lacking a close relationship?
Attachments are important throughout the life span, and a topical organisation helps make that
clear.
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Preface xix
Why chronological?
We also appreciate the strengths of the chronological approach, particularly its ability to portray the
whole person in each period of the life span. For this reason, we integrated the age–stage approach
with the topical organisation, aiming to have the best of both worlds.
Each topical chapter contains major sections on infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
The existence of these sections is proof that the chapters consider development in each of the
domains covered across the whole life span. These age–stage sections call attention to the distinctive
qualities of each phase of life and make it easier for students to find material on an age period of
particular interest to them. In short, we believe that our integrated topical–chronological approach
allows us to convey the flow of life span development in particular areas and the factors influencing
it while highlighting the major physical, cognitive and psychosocial developments within each
particular developmental period.
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xx Preface
the text to topics in the news, and highlight the practical implications of research findings. We
also incorporate applied material relevant to students’ current and future roles as parents, teachers,
psychologists, educators, social workers, occupational therapists and other allied health and human
service professionals. And we help students see that major theories of human development do
not just guide researchers but can help anyone analyse issues that we all face – including such
practical matters as raising and educating children, working with troubled adolescents or coping with
Alzheimer’s disease or death in the family.
THEORETICAL GROUNDING
Theories are critical in any science, telling scientists what to study, how to study it and how to
interpret their findings. We want students to leave the study of life span human development with
more than facts alone; we want them to appreciate the major issues of interest to developmental
scientists and how the leading theories in the field have shaped our thinking about development.
Most important, we want students to learn to use these theoretical perspectives to guide their
thinking and action when they encounter a question about human development outside the course.
With this in mind, we have devoted Chapter 2 to laying out in broad strokes the psychoanalytic,
learning, humanistic, cognitive and systems perspectives on human development, showing what they
say, where they stand on key developmental issues and how they would explain developmental
phenomena such as school refusal and teenage pregnancy. We delve deeper into these and other
perspectives and show how they have been applied to the study of specific aspects of development
in later chapters; see, for example, a treatment of the dynamic systems view of motor development in
Chapter 4; a comparison of Jean Piaget’s cognitive developmental and Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural
perspectives in Chapter 5; an application of the information-processing perspective in Chapter
6; alternative views of intelligence in Chapter 7; nativist, learning and interactionist theories of
language development in Chapter 8; alternative theories of personality and gender role development
in Chapter 9; theories of moral development in Chapter 10; attachment theory in Chapter 11;
models and theories relating to various disorders in Chapter 12; and perspectives on dying and
bereavement in Chapter 13.
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Preface xxi
and culture to culture. Along the way, we describe some exciting studies that compare individuals
with and without particular genes and with and without particular life experiences to bring home
what it means to say that genes and environment interact to influence development – as when genes
predisposing an individual to depression combine with stressful life events to produce depression.
We also illustrate the many ways in which genes and environment are intertwined and affect one
another – for instance, ways in which genetic makeup influences the experiences an individual has,
and ways in which experience influences which of an individual’s genes are activated or expressed.
In this book we provide coverage not only of genes, hormones, brain functions and other biological
forces in development but also of ways in which ethnicity, social class, community and the larger
cultural context modify development. Most important, we illuminate the complex interrelationships
between biological and environmental influences that are at the heart of the developmental process.
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xxii
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xxiii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The adapting authors would like to thank Carol K Sigelman and Elizabeth A Rider for allowing
adaptation of their original work for the Australian and New Zealand first, second and third editions.
Thank you also to the editorial team at Cengage Australia for their support in the development of
this textbook.
Reviewers
The authors and Cengage would like to thank the following reviewers for their time, expertise and
constructive criticism:
Annette Gainsford, Charles Sturt University
Annette Henderson, The University of Auckland
Claire Henderson,Wilson, Deakin University
Ying Yang, Australian Catholic University (NSW)
Sharna Spittle, Victoria University
Natasha Loi, University of New England
Joel Howell, Curtin University
Tick Zweck, Tabor College of Higher Education
Justine Dandy, Edith Cowan University
Laynie Hall-Pullin, Western Sydney University
Prudence Millear, University of the Sunshine Coast
Sandra Goetz, Griffith University.
Every effort has been made to trace and acknowledge copyright. However, if any infringement
has occurred, the publishers tender their apologies and invite the copyright holders to contact them.
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Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-202
CHAPTER
Express
Throughout this chapter, the CourseMate Express logo indicates an opportunity for online self-study, linking you to online
resources.
1
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2 LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
centenarian An This book is about the development of humans like Ruth Frith – and you – from conception to
individual who lives to death. Like any life, the life of Ruth Frith, a centenarian (an individual who lives to 100 years or
be 100 years of age or
older.
older; see On the Internet:The 100+ club), raises many questions:Was her extraordinary physical fitness
in her 100s, and that of her daughter, now in her 70s, mainly a matter of good genes, or the result
of physical training? What changes in functioning and fitness does ageing entail, and are conditions
ON THE
INTERNET like heart and eye disease inevitable as we age? How important are lifestyle factors such as smoking
and diet for health and longevity? Going in a different direction, how were Ruth and others of
The 100+ club
http://www.
her generation affected by growing up in a society in which women often had to make the choice
flickchicks.com. between marriage, family and a career? And what allows some people to cope better than others with
au/100+clubdoco/
negative life events such as the death of a partner, parent or siblings?
media
Enter this website We address questions like these and more in this book. Among other things, we’ll ask how infants
to find out more perceive the world; how preschool children think; how life events such as the loss of a parent affect
about membership
of one of the most
a child’s adjustment and later romantic relationships; why some young people engage in riskier
exclusive clubs in pursuits than others; whether most adults eventually experience declines in their capacities; and how
the world, the 100+
people typically change physically, mentally and emotionally as they age. We will also take on even
club – where you
don’t have to be more fundamental questions: How does a single fertilised egg cell turn into a unique human being
rich and famous, like Ruth Frith? And how can we use knowledge of the genetic and environmental forces that shape
just extremely old!
At this website you
development to optimise it?
can view a clip Do any of these questions intrigue you? Probably so, because we are all developing people
from the 100+ club
interested in ourselves and other developing people around us. Many of us want to understand how
documentary, which
features Ruth Frith we and those we know have been affected by our experiences, how we have changed over the years
from our chapter and where we may be headed. Throughout this book there will be opportunities for you to reflect
opening, and you
will also find links to
on your own developmental experiences and views about development. For example, in the chapter
more information Engagement boxes there are questionnaires and quizzes to complete, and in the For discussion activities
about the club and
at the end of chapter you can explore your beliefs and attitudes about topical issues and debates in
centenarians.
human development. In the Making connections activities, you are invited to engage personally with
specific theories and concepts you are learning about.
Many who read this book have practical motivations for learning about human development –
for example, a desire to be a good parent or to pursue a career as a psychologist, educator, nurse,
occupational therapist, counsellor, speech and language pathologist, social worker or other human
services or allied health professional. So, in this edition of the book we are delighted to introduce
you to five Australian and New Zealand professionals who are practitioners, researchers and
educators in some of these fields. In Professional practice boxes throughout the book, they will share
their professional experiences with you, including how they use developmental theories, concepts
and research to inform their work of optimising human development. Look out, too, for a range
of other boxed features and activities throughout the text: Exploration boxes, Application boxes and
Search me! activities are all designed to enhance your study of human development by helping you
engage with the research and theory behind developmental sciences and the real-world applications
(refer to the Resources guide at the front of this book for a description of these and more features).
This introductory chapter will now lay the groundwork for the remainder of the book by
addressing some basic questions: How should we think about development and the influences on it?
What is the science of life span development? How is development studied? And what are some of
the special challenges in studying human development?
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CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 3
We begin by asking what it means to say that humans ‘develop’ or ‘age’ over the life span, how we
can conceptualise the life span and its cultural and historical diversity, and how nature and nurture
influence developing humans in their ever-changing environments.
Defining development
Development can be defined as systematic changes and continuities in the individual that occur development Orderly
patterns of change,
between conception and death, or from ‘womb to tomb’. Development entails many changes; by
as well as continuities,
describing these changes as systematic, we imply that they are orderly, patterned and relatively that occur in an
enduring – not fleeting and unpredictable like mood swings. Development also involves continuities, individual throughout
their life span.
ways in which we remain the same or continue to reflect our past selves.
The systematic changes and continuities of interest to those who study human development fall
into three broad domains or areas of development:
1 Physical development is concerned with physical and biological processes, such as genetic physical development
A component
inheritance; the growth of the body and its organs; the functioning of physiological systems,
of development
including the brain; health and wellness; the physical signs of ageing and changes in motor concerned with
abilities; and so on. physical and
biological processes.
2 Cognitive development is concerned with thought and other mental and intellectual processes,
cognitive
such as perception, attention, language, learning, memory, intelligence, creativity and problem development
solving. A component
3 Psychosocial development is concerned with aspects of the self, and social and interpersonal of development
concerned with
interactions, such as motives, emotions, personality traits, morality, social skills and relationships, thought and
and roles played in the family and in the larger society. other mental and
intellectual processes.
Developmentalists appreciate that humans are whole beings and that these developmental areas
are interwoven and overlap, with changes in one area often affecting the others throughout the psychosocial
development
life span (Figure 1.1). The baby who develops the ability to crawl (physical), for example, has new A component
opportunities to develop her mind (cognitive) by exploring kitchen cabinets, and can hone her social of development
concerned with aspects
skills (psychosocial) by following her parents from room to room and observing and interacting with of the self, and social
them. And for Ruth Frith, introduced at the start of the chapter, daily training and exercise (physical) and interpersonal
may have helped her retain her intellectual abilities (cognitive) and enriched her social interactions interactions.
(psychosocial).
How would you portray, in a graph, typical changes from birth to old age in these three domains?
Many people picture tremendous positive gains in capacity from infancy to young adulthood,
little change during early adulthood and middle age, and loss of capacities in the later years. This
stereotypical view of the life span is largely false, but it also has some truth in it, especially with growth The physical
changes that occur
respect to physical development.Traditionally, biologists have defined growth as the physical changes from conception
that occur from conception to maturity. We indeed become biologically mature and physically to maturity.
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4 LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
competent during the early part of the life span. And biological
FIGURE 1.1 The interwoven and overlapping
nature of the three main domains that influence ageing is the deterioration of all organisms, including humans,
human development that leads inevitably to their death. Biologically, then, development
does involve growth in early life, stability in early and middle
adulthood, and declines associated with the cumulative effects of
ageing in later life.
Physical Many aspects of development do not follow this ‘gain–
development
stability–loss’ model as we age, however. Developmental scientists
have come to appreciate that developmental change at any age
involves both gains and losses. For example, we should not assume
Cognitive Psychosocial that child development is all about gain; children gain many
development development cognitive abilities as they get older, but they also become less
flexible in their thinking and less open to considering unusual
solutions (Gopnik, Griffiths, & Lucas, 2015). They may also lose
self-esteem and become more prone to depression (Wasserman,
2011; Manning, Bear, & Minke, 2006).
Nor should we associate ageing only with loss. Some cognitive
Source: Adapted from Santrock (2014).
abilities do decline over the adult years. However, adults aged 50
and older typically score higher on vocabulary tests and on tests of
mental ability that draw on a person’s accumulated knowledge than young adults do (Hartshorne &
biological ageing
The biological and Germine, 2015; Salthouse, 2012). They also sometimes show more wisdom when given social
physical deterioration problems to ponder (Grossmann et al., 2010). Gerontologist Margaret Cruikshank (2009, p. 207)
of organisms that
conveyed the gains associated with ageing this way: ‘Decline is thought to be the main theme of
leads inevitably to
their death. ageing, and yet for many, old age is a time of ripening, of becoming most ourselves.’
In addition, people do not always improve or worsen but instead just become different than
they were (as when a child who once feared loud noises comes to fear hairy monsters under the
MAKING
CONNECTIONS bed instead, or an adult who was worried about career success becomes more concerned about her
children’s futures). Development clearly means more than positive growth during infancy, childhood
Identify examples
of how you have
and adolescence, and decline during adulthood and old age. In short, development involves gains,
changed and losses, neutral changes, and continuities in each phase of the life span, and ageing is part of it.
stayed the same
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CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 5
The most recent addition to this list of periods of the life span – the one you may not have heard
of – is emerging adulthood, a transitional period between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood emerging adulthood A
that extends from about age 18–25 and maybe as late as 29. According to psychologist Jeffrey Arnett period of the life span
from about
and others, this is a distinct phase of life in which post-school youth spend years getting educated 18–25 years, when
and saving money in order to launch their adult lives (Arnett, 2000, 2015). Emerging adulthood is a young people are
neither adolescents
distinct developmental period primarily in developed countries, but the phenomenon is spreading to nor adults and are
developing ones, especially in urban areas (Arnett, 2015). According to Arnett and colleagues (Arnett exploring their
& Tanner, 2006), emerging adults (maybe you?): identities, careers
and relationships.
• explore their identities
• lead unstable lives filled with job changes, new relationships, and moves
• are self-focused, relatively free of obligations to others, and therefore free to focus on their own
psychological needs
• feel in between – adult-like in some ways but not others; and
• believe they have limitless possibilities ahead.
Not everyone agrees that emerging adulthood is a distinct period of development (Epstein,
2013). Do you believe individuals in their late teens or early 20s are truly an adult rather than an
‘emerging’ adult? Why or why not? There are many ways to define adulthood, but sociologist Frank
Furstenberg and his colleagues (2004) looked at five traditional, objective markers of adulthood and
found that adolescents and young adults in our society are taking longer to achieve some of these,
such as completing an education, being financially independent, leaving home, marrying and having
children – patterns evident in the Statistics snapshot box. Granted, many people today no longer
consider marriage and parenthood to be markers of adulthood (Nelson et al., 2007), and the statistics
may be misleading due to other changes in family structures. For example, in Australia, while the
marriage rate has been decreasing, there has been a two-fold increase in cohabitation (two single
adults living together as an unmarried couple), with 22 per cent of people aged 20–29 living in a de
facto relationship in 2009–2010 compared to 10 per cent in 1992 (Australian Bureau of Statistics,
2012). Still, progress toward adulthood is changing, lending some support to the concept of a period
of emerging adulthood between adolescence and adulthood. Note too, that there are different social,
cultural and historical views about the periods of the life span as shown in Table 1.1.
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6 LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Statistics snapshot
SOCIAL TRENDS
In Australia … • In 1971 the median age of first • In 1971, the median age of first
• In 1976, 21 per cent of 18- to motherhood was 25.4 years; in 2014 marriage was 23 years for males
34-year-olds lived at home with their this had increased to 29 years. and 21 years for females; in 1966 it
parents; in 2011 this had increased • In 1974 the median age for first was 28 years for males and 26 years
to 29 per cent. fatherhood was around 29 years; for females; and in 2015 it was 30
in 2010 this had increased to 33.1 years for males and 29 years for
• In 1976, the median age of first
years. females.
marriage was 24 years for males and
21 years for females; in 2015 this had • In 1996, 30 per cent of 18- to
In New Zealand … 24 year olds were studying,
increased to 32 years for males and
30 years for females. • From 1986 to 2006, the number of compared to 40 per cent in 2006.
20- to 24 year olds living at home • in 1976 the median age for first
• In 1976, 14 per cent of 18- to
has remained relatively stable at motherhood was 25 years; this had
34-year olds attended a higher
around 30 per cent, although there increased to 28 years in 2011.
education institution compared to
was a peak in 1991 at 38.7 per cent.
26 per cent in 2011.
Sources: AIHW (2016); Australian Bureau of Statistics (1997, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015); New Zealand Families Commission (2008);
Statistics New Zealand (2012, 2015, 2017).
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CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 7
great’, is an honorary title granted to all older people starting at around age 50); the ‘old/dead’ (older
but still able to function); and the ‘old to the point of helplessness’, who are ailing and need care.
Once a culture has established age grades, this tends to define what people should and should
not do at different points in the life span – referred to as age norms (Elder & Shanahan, 2006). In age norms
Western culture, for example, most people agree that 6-year-olds are too young to date or drink beer Expectations about
what people should
but are old enough to attend school. We also tend to agree that adults should think about marrying be doing or how they
in their late 20s or early 30s (although in some segments of society earlier or later is considered should behave at
different points in
better) and should retire around age 65 (Parker & Vassallo, 2009; Settersten & Trauten, 2009). In the life span.
developing countries, age norms often call for having children in one’s teens and stopping work
social clock A personal
earlier than 65 in response to illness and disability (Shanahan, 2000). sense of when things
Why is understanding a society’s or culture’s age norms important? First, they influence the should be done in
life and when the
decisions people within that society or culture make about how to lead their lives and how easily individual is ahead of
they adjust to life transitions.They are the basis for what pioneering gerontologist Bernice Neugarten or behind the schedule
(1968) called the social clock – a concept that still seems to apply today and refers to a person’s sense dictated by age norms.
of when things should be done and when he or she is ahead of or behind the schedule dictated by
age norms. Prompted by the social clock, for example, an unmarried 30-year-old may feel that he MAKING
should propose to his girlfriend before she gives up on him, or a childless 35-year-old might fear that CONNECTIONS
she will miss her chance at parenthood unless she has a baby soon. Further, normal life events tend Have you ever felt
ahead of or behind
to affect us more negatively when they occur ‘off time’ than when they occur ‘on time’ at socially
schedule according
accepted ages (McLanahan & Sorensen, 1985). It can be challenging to experience puberty at either to the social clock?
age 8 or age 18, or to become a new parent at 13 or 48. However, age norms in Western societies What impacts has
being ‘on time’ or
have been weakening for some time; it is less clear now what one should be doing at what age and ‘off time’ had for
so people do things like marry, have children and retire across a wider range of ages (Settersten & you?
Trauten, 2009).
Social age norms may also be associated with age-related stereotypes and ageism. For example, stereotypes
misunderstandings about older adults abound – that they are sickly, frail, forgetful, cranky, unattractive, Generalisations
about the attributes
dependent or otherwise incompetent. Such stereotypes about older adults can lead to prejudicial of a group which are
and discriminatory attitudes and practices toward the elderly in employment and education, and assumed to be true of
all members regardless
prevent them from accessing opportunities and services. Yet stereotypes and ageist behaviours are of individual variation
not always negative. Ageism toward older adults can also be positive in nature, for example, seeking among the group
out advice from someone who is older because of a stereotypical view that all older people are wise members.
(see Chapter 7 for more on the topic of wisdom) (Cherry & Palmore, 2008). Either way, positive ageism Prejudice or
discrimination against
or negative ageism portrays older people in an unrealistic way – despite the stereotypes that suggest individuals or groups
that all old people are alike, elderly adults are in fact the most diverse of all age groups in terms on the basis of age.
of physiological and psychological functioning (Andrews, Clark, & Luszcz, 2002). You might like
to explore your own ways of relating to older people by completing the activity in the chapter LINKAGES
Engagement box.
Chapter 7
Ageist attitudes and practices are unfortunately not limited to the elderly. Stereotypical views Intelligence and
of children and adolescents as being ‘too young’ and unable to speak for themselves may lead to creativity
their opinions not being sought or being ignored in family and medical decision-making contexts
(Scherer et al., 2013). Steps toward combating stereotypical and ageist attitudes and behaviours
involve developing an accurate understanding of ageing and capabilities at various stages of the
life span, while also appreciating the considerable developmental diversity within various life span
periods.
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8 LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Engagement
Below are 20 statements that may or 10 When an older person has endorsed when compared to the
may not apply to you. Write a number an ailment, I may say, ‘That’s highest possible total score for all
from 0 to 2 next to each statement that normal at your age’. the positive items.
indicates how often you relate to older 11 When an older person can’t B Add together the ratings for items 2,
people, aged 60 and over, in these remember something, I may 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18,
ways. say, ‘That’s what they call a 19 & 20 then divide that total by 28.
0 = Never “Senior Moment”.’ This is the proportion of negative
1 = Sometimes 12 Talk louder or slower to older ageist behaviours you endorsed
2 = Often people because of their age. when compared to the highest
13 Use simple words when talking possible total score for all the
How often do you: to older people. negative items.
1 Compliment older people on 14 Ignore older people because of
C To help you see roughly where you
how well they look, despite their age.
stand, compare your positive and
their age. 15 Vote for an older person
negative scores to the average age
2 Send birthday cards to older because of their age.
and gender scores in Table 1.2.
people that joke about 16 Vote against an older person
The values in the table were found
their age. because of their age.
by Cherry and Palmore (2008) in
3 Enjoy conversations with older 17 Avoid older people because of
a sample of 162 participants. As
people because of their age. their age.
indicated by the results in the
4 Tell older people jokes about 18 Avoid older people because
table, they found all age groups
old age. they are cranky.
readily admitted to positive ageist
5 Hold doors open for older 19 When a slow driver is in front of
behaviours. Any differences in the
people because of their age. me, I may think, ‘It must be an
endorsement of positive or negative
6 Tell an older person, ‘You’re too old person’.
ageist items between age groups
old for that’. 20 Call an older woman, ‘young
was not significant, meaning the
7 Offer to help an older person lady’, or call an older man,
younger and older adults endorsed
across the street because of ‘young man’.
similar numbers of items. Females
their age. To score and interpret your responses:
endorsed positive ageist items
8 When I find out an older A Add together the ratings for items significantly more often than
person’s age, I may say, ‘You 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10, then divide that males, but there were no gender
don’t look that old’. total by 12. This is the proportion differences for the endorsement of
9 Ask an older person for advice of positive ageist behaviours you negative items.
because of their age.
Source: Reprinted from Cherry & Palmore (2008), with permission from Taylor & Francis Ltd, http://www.tandfonline.com, © 2008.
ethnicity A person’s
SUBCULTURAL DIFFERENCES
classification in or Age grades, age norms and social clocks differ not only from culture to culture but also from
affiliation with a group
based on common
subculture to subculture. Our own society is diverse with respect to race and ethnicity, or
heritage or traditions. affiliation with a group based on common heritage or traditions. It is also diverse with respect
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CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 9
to socioeconomic status (SES), or standing in society based on such indicators as occupational socioeconomic status
(SES) The position
prestige, education and income. As you will learn throughout this book, Australia and New
people hold in society
Zealand’s Indigenous people, and individuals of high versus low SES, sometimes have very different based on such factors
developmental experiences. Within these broad groups, of course, there are immense variations as income, education,
occupational status and
associated with a host of other factors. We must be careful not to overgeneralise. the prestige of their
Perhaps the most important message about socioeconomic status is that, regardless of race and neighbourhood.
ethnicity, poverty can be very damaging to human development. In 2016, almost 1 in 5 Australian
children (17 per cent, over 700 000 children) lived in poverty, defined as living in a household with
income below the poverty line (50 per cent of median income), which equates to $895.22 per week
for a couple with two children (Australian Council of Social Service, 2016). In New Zealand almost
1 in 3 children (28 per cent, almost 300 000 children) were living in poverty in 2016 (Simpson,
Duncanson, Oben, Wicken, & Gallagher, 2016). Parents and children living in poverty experience
more stress than higher-SES parents and children owing to noise, crowding, family disruption,
hunger, exposure to violence, and other factors (Evans & Kim, 2012). Under these conditions,
parents may have difficulty providing a safe, stable, stimulating and supportive home environment
for their children (Duncan, Magnuson, & Votruba-Drzal, 2015; and see Chapter 11). As a result, LINKAGES
the developmental experiences and trajectories of children who grow up in poverty and children
Chapter 11
who grow up in affluence are significantly different. The damaging effects of poverty can be seen in
Emotions,
measurable differences in brain development between high- and low-SES children that grow wider attachment and
over the critical periods of infancy and early childhood (Hanson et al., 2013) and that are linked social relationships
to lower school achievement in adolescence (Mackey et al., 2015). Indeed, the negative impacts of
poverty show themselves in a host of ways: not only in lower average academic achievement but in
poorer mental health and wellbeing and even poorer physical health in adulthood (Aber, Morris, &
Raver, 2012; Conger & Dogan, 2007; Evans & Kim, 2012).
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10 LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
cognitive functioning, stable relationships, many responsibilities and high satisfaction for most
people (Whitbourne & Willis, 2006).
• Old age. Not until the twentieth century did our society come to define old age as a period of
retirement. In earlier eras, adults who survived to old age literally worked until they dropped.
Starting in the last half of the twentieth century, thanks to pensions and medical and other
support programs, working adults began to retire in their 60s with many years ahead of them
(Schulz & Binstock, 2006).
What lies ahead? It is estimated that by 2030, adults aged 65 or older will represent not the 14 per
cent of the Australian and New Zealand population they represented in 2012, but more like 20–22
per cent (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013; Statistics New Zealand, 2013).Yet as more and more
people reach older ages, more chronic diseases and disabilities will be evident in the population,
and an increasingly large group of elderly people will depend on an increasingly small group of
younger, working adults to support them through social security, health services and other programs.
This ‘greying’ of our society, and indeed of the world’s population, along with societal changes we
cannot yet anticipate, will likely make the ageing experience by the end of the twenty-first century
different than it is today. While we cannot know exactly what lies ahead, the chapter Application box
summarises some of what researchers have learned about how we can improve the odds of successful
ageing as we move toward this future. Successful ageing is a key theme that we will address often
throughout this book.
We hope the broader message is clear: We must view life span development in its sociocultural and
sociohistorical context. We must bear in mind that each social group settles on its own definitions of
the life span, the age grades within it and the age norms appropriate to each age range, and that each
social group experiences development differently. We must also appreciate that age – whether it is 7,
17 or 70 – has had different meanings in different historical eras and most likely will mean something
different again in the decades and centuries to come. We must also remain aware of the cultural
and subcultural contexts of development and how these too influence views of age boundaries
and expectations. One of the most fascinating challenges in the study of human development is to
understand which aspects of development are universal and which differ across social, historical and
cultural contexts – and why (Norenzayan & Heine, 2005; Shweder et al., 2006).
Application
SUCCESSFUL AGEING
older adults. Some are limited by health ‘Developmental research designs’.) For
problems, but others, like Ruth Frith, the example, the Melbourne Collaborative
centenarian athlete who features in the Cohort study (which commenced in
chapter opening, enjoy active, healthy 1990 with over 40 000 participants born
lives. What factors might account for in Australia, New Zealand and Europe)
differences in the functioning of older and the Three-City (3C) study in France
adults, and what do we know about (which commenced in 1999 with 9000
staying healthy and ageing successfully participants) both found that avoiding Sister Esther, shown here at age 106,
in older adulthood? smoking, maintaining a healthy weight interacting with Nun Study researcher
Dr David Snowdon
Longitudinal studies that have and engaging in physical activity are
followed the same participants for strong predictors of successful ageing in study, those older people who smoked
a decade or more have produced the elderly (Artaud et al., 2013; Hodge, and were overweight and sedentary had
some consistent findings. (To learn English, Giles, & Flicker, 2013). In the 3C a 2.5-fold increased hazard of disability.
>>> >>>
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CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 11
>>>
Exercise in particular can reap many participants underwent annual mental positive perception of ageing (Sargent-
benefits for older adults – it can improve and physical testing, provided access Cox, Anstey, & Luszcz, 2012). Findings
and enhance physical capacities to their lifetime health records, and also point to the benefits of social
(cardiovascular and respiratory agreed to donate their brains for networks for successful ageing, showing
functioning, bone density and muscle examination following their deaths. A that strong connections with friends and
strength), cognitive capacities (memory major finding from this investigation family are associated with longer survival
and processing speed) and psychosocial was that the nuns who were active, both and are protective against disability
capacities (psychological wellbeing and physically and mentally, lived longer and and moving to residential aged care
social relationships) (Langlois et al., healthier lives than nuns who were not (Giles, Glonek, Luszcz, & Andrews, 2005,
2013; Muster, Hyunggun, Kane, & as active. Snowdon also analysed the 2007; Giles, Metcalf, Glonek, Luszcz, &
McPherson, 2010). What exercise cannot autobiography each nun had written Andrews, 2004).
do, however, is halt the inevitable prior to taking her vows (at an average The message to take away is that a
ageing process. For example, long- age of 22 years) and found that the healthy lifestyle and physical and mental
term follow up of competitive athletes use of more complex vocabulary and activity, along with a positive attitude
found that exercise capacity decreased the expression of positive emotions and good social networks, can help
for those in their 70s and 80s as a result was associated with later health and slow the effects of ageing on both the
of normal ageing processes, such as longevity (Snowdon, 2002). body and brain and improve quality
stiffening of cardiac valves (Muster Findings from the Australian of life as we age. The good news, as
et al., 2010). Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ALSA; you will see throughout the book, is
There is more to successful ageing learn more about this study in the that these factors are modifiable – so
than a healthy lifestyle and physical chapter Exploration box) have shown while we can’t avoid the biological
activity. In 1986, David Snowdon (2002) that older adults who maintain self- reality of ageing, we can make choices
began the Nun Study with 678 nuns esteem and a sense of personal control throughout our life span that will
ranging in age from 75–106 years. are buffered against the effects of increase the odds of ageing
In this remarkable longitudinal study, declining physical health and maintain a successfully.
offers an explanation as to why each person’s development is unique (see Chapter 3).
environment Events
or conditions
Nurture outside the person
Nurture emphasises developmental change in response to environment – all the external physical and that are presumed
to influence and
social conditions, stimuli and events that can affect us, from crowded living quarters and polluted air, be influenced by
to social interactions with family members, peers and teachers, to the neighbourhood and broader the person.
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12 LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
cultural context in which we develop. We know that the physical environment matters; for example,
MAKING
CONNECTIONS that exposure to lead in the paint in older buildings can stunt children’s intellectual development, or
that living near a noisy airport can interfere with their progress in learning to read (Evans, 2006). And
Identify examples
we will see countless examples in this book of how the social environment, the behaviour of other
of how nature
and nurture have people, shapes development. Rather than seeing maturation as the process driving development,
influenced your nurture emphasises learning – the process through which experience (environmental stimuli) brings
development so far.
about relatively permanent changes in thoughts, feelings or behaviour. A certain degree of physical
learning A relatively maturation is clearly necessary before a child can kick a soccer ball into position and score a goal,
permanent change in but careful instruction and long, hard hours of practice are just as clearly required if the child is to
behaviour, or behavioural
excel at soccer. Nurture helps us to understand the variety of pathways an individual’s life can take.
potential, that results
from a person’s Table 1.3 summarises the key concepts surrounding nature and nurture.
experiences or practice.
The interplay of nature and nurture
TABLE 1.3 The language of nature and nurture Developmental changes, then, are the products of a complex
interplay between nature/heredity (genes, maturation and
Nature Nurture
biological predisposition) and nurture/environment (experiences,
Heredity Environment
learning and sociocultural influences). To make matters more
Genes Experience complex, nature affects nurture and nurture affects nature! For
Maturation Learning example, heredity and genes (nature) provide us with a brain that
Innate or biologically- Sociocultural
allows us to learn from experiences in our environment (nurture),
based predispositions influences experiences that in turn change our brains by altering neural
connections and can even change our genes by activating and
deactivating them (see Chapter 3). Much of the joy of studying
LINKAGES human development comes from trying to understand more precisely how these two forces combine
to make us what we are and become.
Chapter 3 Genes,
environment and To conceptualise a changing person in a changing environment, we will consider an influential
the beginnings of conceptual model of development formulated by Russian-born American psychologist Urie
life
Bronfenbrenner (1917–2005). Bronfenbrenner became disturbed that many early developmental
scientists were studying human development out of context, expecting it to be universal and failing to
appreciate how much it could vary from culture to culture, from neighbourhood to neighbourhood
and from home to home. Bronfenbrenner formulated an ecological model to describe how the
bioecological model environment is organised and how it affects development. He later renamed it a bioecological
Bronfenbrenner’s model
model of development to stress how biology and environment interact to produce development
of development, which
emphasises the roles of (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, 1989; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006).
both nature and nurture In Bronfenbrenner’s view, the developing person, with his or her genetic makeup and biological
as the developing
person interacts with a
and psychological characteristics, is embedded in a series of environmental systems. These systems
series of environmental interact with one another and with the individual over time to influence development. As shown in
systems.
Figure 1.2, Bronfenbrenner described five environmental systems that influence and are influenced
by the developing person.
microsystem The 1 A microsystem is an immediate physical and social environment in which the person interacts
immediate settings
face-to-face with other people and influences and is affected by them. The primary microsystem
in which the person
functions. for a firstborn infant, for example, is likely to be the family – perhaps infant, mother and father,
all reciprocally influencing one another. The developing child may also experience other
microsystems, such as a childcare centre or grandmother’s house. We have much evidence that
the family environment is an important influence on development and have come to appreciate
the importance of peers, educational settings and neighbourhood environments.
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CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 13
Macrosystem
Exosystem
Mesosystem
Home
Microsystems
Person with
Chronosystem
overnment
Patterning of events Day biological and Peer
over time care psychological group
characteristics
al g
Loc
Pa School
rent
s’
wo
rkp ks
So laces wor
cia and social net e
l co tur
nditi er cul
ons Broad
Although Bronfenbrenner wrote these words over 40 years ago, his observations are still
very relevant for families today, especially for those parents juggling work and family. Data
Urie Bronfenbrenner,
from ‘Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children’ (LSAC; you in his bioecological
can learn more about this study in the chapter Exploration box) indicates that work may model of human
development,
negatively impact on the parenting role for many parents: 40 per cent of employed mothers emphasised the
and 66 per cent of employed fathers in the LSAC reported that they missed out on home influence of both
nature and nurture.
or family activities as a result of work, and one-quarter indicated their family life was less
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14 LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
enjoyable and more pressured as a result of work (Hayes, Qu,Weston, & Baxter, 2011). Family-
friendly workplace policies, such as flexible working hours, if available, may help some families
to better balance work and family life (Gray & Tudball, 2002). Further, there is considerable
international evidence that paid parental leave is associated with improved child development
and maternal health outcomes (Berger, Hill, & Waldfogel, 2005; Khanam, Nghiem, & Connelly,
2009). This is good news for the New Zealand and Australian parents who have been able to
access government-funded parental leave since 2002 and 2011 respectively (Department of
Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 2011; Inland Revenue, 2011).
5 In addition to microsystems, mesosystems, exosystems and macrosystems, Bronfenbrenner
chronosystem The introduced the concept of the chronosystem to capture the idea that changes in people and
system that captures
their environments occur in a timeframe (chrono means time) and unfold in particular patterns
the way changes in
environmental systems, or sequences over a person’s lifetime. Another way to think about this is that we cannot study
such as social trends development by taking still photos; we must use video to understand how one event leads to
and life events, are
patterned over a
another and how societal changes intertwine with changes in people’s lives. For example, an
person’s lifetime. economic crisis may result in a husband’s job loss, causing marital conflict, and in turn leading to
divorce and to changes in their children’s lives and family relationships. Each of us, then, functions
in particular microsystems linked through the mesosystem and embedded in the larger contexts
of the exosystem and the macrosystem, all in the continual flux of the chronosystem.
Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model suggests that answers to questions about how child
MAKING
CONNECTIONS abuse, marriage, retirement or other experiences affect development will often be complex because
outcomes depend on so many factors. According to Bronfenbrenner and Morris (2006), researchers
Give an example
of how each of
need to consider the relationships among and effects of key characteristics of the person, the context,
Bronfenbrenner’s the time dimension and the processes through which an active person and his or her environment
environmental interact (for example, parent–infant interaction or play with peers). Nature and nurture, therefore,
systems have
affected you and cannot be separated easily because they are part of a dynamic system, continually influencing one
your development another. Complex research designs and statistical techniques are needed to assess the many interacting
over the past year.
influences on development portrayed in Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, but progress is being
made (Holt, 2009; Sameroff, 2009). It is appropriate, then, that we look next at the science of life
span human development.
Professional practice
intervention and counselling services to way that is meaningful for them. Thus,
help children and adults with learning as in my psychology practice I work
well as developmental issues. I personally with children, adolescents and their
believe this definition accurately captures families. This means I really work with all
the nature of this specialisation. Yet the stages of the life span, including even
specific roles within this specialisation the prenatal stage if I am providing Kimberley Cunial BA(Hons), PGDipEd,
can be quite diverse. MEdPsych, MAPS, CEDP, Educational and
pregnancy support counselling.
Developmental Psychologist, Queensland,
Australia
>>>
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CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 15
>>>
However, I would say most of my work child with autism may present with means not only considering the child-
focuses on children 6–12 years of age proprioception (body awareness) family dynamics but also relevant
who fall into the middle childhood problems, social challenges, as well factors regarding the child’s school,
stage of their life span. In my work as as learning difficulties. Each individual peer group, community associations
a university academic and teacher, I is unique and may be functioning or clubs, cultural and religious groups,
work with a range of students spanning at different and indeed multiple medical supports and so forth. The
adolescence through early, middle and developmental stages across child and family may need to be
even occasionally late adulthood. domains. This means a comprehensive referred to a range of support systems
assessment is needed to get a in order to fully accommodate all
How do the physical, cognitive
and psychosocial domains of complete picture of strengths and these considerations. Ultimately, the
development and the contexts weaknesses across all domains, and intervention plan would often be
of development influence your to inform a holistic intervention. multidisciplinary, with me working in
psychology practice? Any process of assessment and collaboration with the family, other
Children often present with problems intervention needs to be systemic, medical and allied health professionals,
affecting their development across with consideration given to multiple as well as school teachers and
multiple domains. For instance, a domains, but also contexts. This support staff.
Before we continue, we invite you to visit the three Professional practice boxes that you will find
throughout the remainder of this chapter. In these boxes you will meet three of the five professionals
who will feature throughout this book – Kimberley Cunial, an educational and developmental
psychologist and one of the authors of this book; Nancy Wright, an occupational therapist; and
Bill McGarry, a social worker. (In Chapter 2, you will be introduced to an educator and a clinical
LINKAGES
psychologist.) Each describes their professional discipline and role and how they work to understand
and optimise the development of their clients and others. You might like to take particular note of Chapter 2
Theories of human
how all refer, in different ways, to the interweaving nature of the physical, cognitive and psychosocial development
domains and multiple contexts of development.
IN REVIEW
CHECKING UNDERSTANDING CRITICAL THINKING
1 What are the three broad domains or areas of Apply Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model to Ruth
development? Frith, the centenarian athlete featured at the beginning
of the chapter, and give an example of how each of
2 What is culture, and how does it influence
Bronfenbrenner’s environmental systems may have
development across the life span?
affected her development over the course of her life span.
3 In Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, where is
Get the answers to the Checking
‘nature’ and where is ‘nurture’? (Review Figure 1.2.)
Express understanding questions
on CourseMate Express.
If development consists of systematic changes and continuities from conception to death, the science
of development consists of the study of those changes and continuities and their causes. In this
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16 LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
section we consider the goals of the science of life span development, its origins, and the modern life
span perspective on development.
Goals of study
The goals driving the study of life span development are:
• describing
• explaining
• predicting
• optimising development (Baltes, Reese, & Lipsett, 1980).
To achieve the goal of description, developmentalists characterise the functioning of humans of
different ages and trace how it changes with age. They describe both normal development and
individual differences, or variations, in development. Although average trends in human development
across the life span can be described, it is clear that no two people (even identical twins) develop
along precisely the same pathways.
Description is the starting point in any science, but scientists ultimately strive to achieve their
second goal, of predicting and explaining development. Developmentalists seek to identify factors that
predict development and establish that these factors actually cause humans to develop as they
typically do or cause some individuals to develop differently than others. To do so, developmentalists
often study the contributions of nature and nurture to development. A first step is often finding
a relationship between a possible influence on development and an aspect of development – for
example, a relationship between whether or not an adolescent’s friends use drugs and whether or
not the adolescent does. If there is a relationship, knowing whether an adolescent’s friends use drugs
allows us to predict whether the adolescent uses drugs. But is this a causal relationship? That’s what
LINKAGES must be established before the goal of explanation is achieved. Maybe it is not that friends cause
Chapter 12 adolescents to use drugs by exposing them to drugs and encouraging them to try them. Maybe it is
Developmental just that adolescents who use drugs pick friends who also use drugs (see Chapter 12 for evidence
psychopathology
that both possibilities may be true).
A fourth goal is optimisation of human development. The questions to be answered in relation
to this goal include: How can humans be helped to develop in positive directions? How can
their capacities be enhanced? How can developmental difficulties be prevented, and how can any
developmental problems that emerge be overcome? Pursuing the goal of optimising development
might, for example, involve evaluating ways to stimulate intellectual growth in preschool programs,
prevent binge drinking among university students or support elderly adults after the death of a spouse.
To those who aspire to a career in human development, developmental research that defines,
explains and offers insights into how to optimise development is especially relevant. Today’s human
evidence-based development professionals are being asked to engage in evidence-based practice, grounding what they
practice Professional
do in theory and research – ensuring their assessments and evaluations take into account the established
action and practice
grounded in theory descriptions and explanations of development, and that the treatments or curricula they provide have
and research, ensuring been demonstrated to be effective. Too often, professionals go with what their personal or anecdotal
that interventions
provided to optimise experience tells them works, rather than using what scientific research says about developmental
development have expectations and the most effective approaches (Baker, McFall, & Shoham, 2009). Ensuring that the
been demonstrated
results of research are implemented faithfully and successfully in real treatment and educational settings
to be effective.
is challenging (McCall, 2009), but we can all probably agree that we would rather see investment in
interventions of proven effectiveness than in ones that could be ineffective or even harmful.
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CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 17
Early beginnings
Just as human development has changed through the ages, attempts to understand it have evolved
over time. Although philosophers have long expressed their views on the nature of humans and
the proper methods of raising children, it was not until the late nineteenth century that the first
scientific investigations of development were undertaken. Several scholars began to carefully observe
the growth and development of their own children and publish their findings in the form of baby
biographies. Perhaps the most influential baby biographer was Charles Darwin (1809–1882), who
made daily records of his son’s development (Darwin, 1877; see also Dewsbury, 2009). Darwin’s
curiosity about child development stemmed from his interest in evolution. He believed that infants
share many characteristics with their non-human ancestors and that understanding the development
of the embryo and child can offer insights into the evolution of the species. Darwin’s evolutionary
perspective and studies of the development of embryos strongly influenced early theories of human
development, which emphasised universal, biologically-based, maturational changes (Cairns &
Cairns, 2006). Baby biographies, however, had major flaws as works of science. Each emphasised
different developmental aspects, so they were difficult to compare; observations by parents of their
own children may have been influenced by assumptions or bias; and finally, because each baby
biography was based on a single child – often the child of a distinguished family – its findings were
not necessarily generalisable to other children.
Although Darwin and other baby biographers deserve credit for creating interest in the study
of human development and influencing early views of it, the man most often cited as the founder
of developmental science is G. Stanley Hall (1846–1924), an American psychologist (see Lepore,
2011, for an interesting view of the man). Well aware of the shortcomings of baby biographies, Hall
attempted to collect more objective data on large samples of individuals. He developed a now all-too-
familiar research tool – the questionnaire – to explore ‘the contents of children’s minds’ (Hall, 1891).
Professional practice
What does your role as an life. Occupational therapists [nga work with the resident, their whaˉnau
occupational therapist involve, kaiwhakaora ngangahau] achieve this by (family) and carers and staff to develop
and why did you decide to working with people and communities solutions.
become one? to enhance their ability to engage in the I also use my skills to analyse other
Occupational Therapy New Zealand occupations they want to, need to, or occupational challenges. For example,
(Whakaora Ngangahau Aotearoa) are expected to do, or by modifying the in managing staff I use my occupational
has adapted the World Federation of occupation or the environment to better therapy skills to analyse the interface
Occupational Therapists’ definition support their occupational engagement between three elements: the person
of occupational therapy and has (adapted from WFOT definition, 2012)’. and their capacities, the environment in
incorporated the Maˉori language In my current roles I use my which they work and the requirements
names for our profession in Aotearoa occupational therapy core skills to of the occupations or tasks that they
(New Zealand). Occupational therapy, facilitate the people I work with need to do. I can then work with the
or whakaora ngangahau, is: ‘a client- to engage successfully in their person to develop the most effective
centred health profession concerned occupations. So, in the residential approach to their role and tasks by
with promoting health and wellbeing aged-care home I assess and evaluate suggesting adaptations to any of those
through occupation. The primary goal the elderly residents’ ability to engage, three elements. I also use this approach
of occupational therapy [whakaora within their environments, in self-care, with the occupational therapy students
ngangahau] is to enable people to leisure and productive occupations. and their practicum supervisors in
participate in the activities of everyday Where I identify a problem I then my role as Community and Clinical
>>>
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18 LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
>>>
Hall went on to write an influential book, Adolescence (1904). Inspired by Darwin’s evolutionary
LINKAGES
theory, Hall drew parallels between adolescence and the turbulent period in the evolution of
Chapter 12 human society during which barbarism gave way to modern civilisation. Adolescence, according
Developmental
psychopathology to Hall, was a tempestuous period of the life span, a time of emotional ups and downs and rapid
changes – a time he called ‘storm and stress’ (see Chapter 12). Thus, Hall is credited with the
Source: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Reproduction
notion that most teenagers are emotionally unstable – a largely inaccurate notion, as it turns
Snapshot out (Arnett, 1999). Yet as this book will reveal, Hall was right to mark adolescence as a time of
number LC-DIG-ggbain-05209 (digital file from original neg.)
dramatic change; substantial changes in the brain and in cognitive and social functioning do take
place during this period.
Hall capped his remarkable career by turning his attention to the end of the life span in Senescence
(1922), an analysis of how society treats (or, really, mistreats) its older members. Overall, Hall’s
developmental science was limited by modern standards (Shanahan, Erickson, & Bauer, 2005).Yet he
deserves much credit for stimulating scientific research on the entire human life span and for raising
many important questions about it.
G. Stanley Hall is
considered the The modern life span perspective
founder of the field
of developmental Although a few early pioneers of the study of human development, such as G. Stanley Hall, viewed
science.
all phases of the life span as worthy of study, the science of human development began to break
into age-group specialty areas during the twentieth century. Some researchers focused on infant or
gerontology The
study of the social,
child development, others specialised in adolescence, and still others formed the specialisation of
psychological, mental gerontology, the study of the social, psychological, mental and biological aspects of ageing and old
and biological aspects age. In the 1960s and 1970s, however, a true life span perspective on human development began to
of ageing and old age.
emerge. In an influential paper, noted developmentalist Paul Baltes (1939–2006) laid out the seven
life span perspective
The view of development
key assumptions of the life span perspective seen in the following list (Baltes, 1987; also see Baltes,
as a lifelong, multidirectional Lindenberger, & Staudinger, 2006).These are important themes that you will see echoed throughout
process that involves gain this book. They will also give you a good sense of the challenges facing researchers and practitioners
and loss, is characterised
by considerable plasticity, who study human development from a life span perspective.
is shaped by its historical- 1 Development is a lifelong process. Today’s developmentalists appreciate that human development
cultural context, has many
causes and is best viewed
is not just ‘kid stuff ’, we can change throughout the entire life span. They also believe that
from a multidisciplinary development in any period of life is best seen in the context of the whole life span. For instance,
perspective.
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CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 19
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-202
20 LIFE SPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
According to one analysis (Valkenburg & Peter, 2009), early studies of the impact of the internet
on adolescents suggested that it was isolating them and keeping them from developmentally
Search me! and important social experiences such as interacting with peers. More recent studies are revealing
Discover teachers’
views about how digital
positive effects of time on the internet and digital media use. Why? In the 1990s, adolescent
technology impacts internet users were fewer in number and usually surfed the net or talked to strangers in chat
on the lives of young rooms. Now, many more adolescents use the internet and digital media to network with their
people:
Betts, L. R., & Spenser, K. A.
friends – mainly through Facebook and other social media sites if they are girls, and often
(2015). ‘A large can of worms’: through video game sites if they are boys (Lenhart et al., 2015). And now that teens are spending
Teachers’ perceptions of
young people’s technology much of their online time interacting with friends, studies are showing more positive correlations
use. International Journal of
Cyber Behavior, Psychology between internet use and social adjustment and wellbeing (Reich, Subrahmanyam, & Espinoza,
and Learning, 5, 15–29.
2012;Valkenburg & Peter, 2009). For emerging adults who have gone away to study, for example,
social networking sites can be a way to hold on to the social support offered by their high school
friends (Manago et al., 2012).
However, the question of the effects of digital media on adolescents is far from resolved. For
LINKAGES
example, Roy Pea and his colleagues (2012) found that heavy media use – especially spending
Chapter 10 Social
cognition and
large amounts of time watching videos, engaging in online communication and using multiple
moral development media at once – was negatively associated with feeling good about one’s close relationships
and social acceptance, whereas spending more time in face-to-face conversations was positively
related to these aspects of social wellbeing. Then there are the negative effects of cyberbullying
MAKING
to consider. Cyberbullying, which has increased in recent years (Jones, Mitchell, & Finkelhor,
CONNECTIONS
2013; and see Chapter 10), is linked to stress, depression and suicidal thoughts among its victims
What historical (Hamm et al., 2015; Kowalski et al., 2014). We still have much to learn about how human
events have you
lived through in development is being affected by the internet and digital media.
your lifetime and 7 Development must be studied by multiple disciplines. Because human development is influenced by
how has this shaped
your development?
everything from biochemical reactions to historical events, it is impossible for one discipline
to have all the answers. A full understanding of human development will come only when
developmental science
many disciplines, each with its own perspectives and tools of study, join forces. Not only
The multidisciplinary psychologists but also biologists, neuroscientists, educators, historians, economists, sociologists,
and interdisciplinary anthropologists and many others have something to contribute to our understanding of human
study of human
development across the development.Where we once talked of developmental psychology as a field of study, we now talk
life span. of developmental science.
Professional practice
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II
Hilu tekee työtä niin pitkälle kuin jaksaa, lepää vain sen, mikä
välttämätöntä on, ja jatkaa sitten taas. Alussa tuntuu jäsenissä
hiukan pakotusta, työn päätyttyä ne joskus tuntuvat lopen
puutuneilta, mutta se johtuu vain tottumattomuudesta. Jonkun ajan
kuluttua käy kaikki kuin itsestään, hän ei huomaa, kuinka aika kuluu
ja kun hän sen viimein huomaa, ei hän malta lopettaa. Se on nyt
sellaista.
Niin, ja nyt sitä ollaan yhdessä Iinan kanssa. Iinalla on kyllä lapsi
jonkun rakennusmestarin kanssa, mutta se nyt on sen lapsenkin
kohta niinkuin se on. Alkujaankaan ei ole syytä Iinaa moittia ja
sitäpaitsi se asia on jo niin moneen kertaan sovittu. Oli syytä
hänessäkin, Hilussa, ja mikä tietää, vaikka hänestäkin olisi siinnyt
lapsi jonnekin… Mutta mitäpäs näitä, turhaan tulevat mieleen. Ollaan
nyt tässä, mihin ollaan pyrittykin. Siellä, kotona, Keinuvaaran
kupeella, on Iina. Aurinko paistaa tällä hetkellä suoraan ikkunoista
sisään ja pölyhiutaleet leijailevat valojuovissa. Iina odottaa häntä
kotiin myöhään lauantai-iltana, saattaa siksi tehdä juustonkin.
Heittäydytään levolle yhdessä… Ja kun heille lapsiakin tulee, niin ei
Kalle sen huonommalle osalle joudu. Ei tahdo aina muistaakaan,
ettei se ole omia, on päässyt siitä pitämäänkin niin… No, joko se
taas!
*****
— Vai talontapaista!
Mies naurahtaa eikä näytä lainkaan ystävälliseltä. Saattaa olla
joku yhtiön herroista.
— Se on vale.
— Vaikkapa!
— Hyvä on.
— Nytkö jo tänään?
Hilu sai mennä ja hän riensi sydän pamppaillen portaita alas. Vai
ovat asiat niin täpärällä. Hilu ei nimittäin tiennyt, että joskus oli
tapahtunut sellaistakin, että yhtiö oli jollakin jätkällään haetuttanut
uutistalon, auttanut kaikin puolin sen asianmukaiseen kuntoon
saamisessa niin että se mahdollisimman pian tuli perinnöksi ja
sukeltautui sitten metsään. Mutta metsäherra, hän oli kyllä tietoinen
konstista jos toisestakin, vaikka hän enimmäkseen piti suunsa kiinni.
III
— Kyllä se sanoi.
— Siinon, äijät.
— No niin. Tervetuloa!
— No, hyvästi nyt sitten ja voi hyvin. Joko sinä ajattelet syyniä eli
katselmusta, niinkuin sanotaan, tänä vuonna?
— Kyllä kai.
— Menehän nyt sitten. Kyllä talo irtausi. Kevein mielin astelee Hilu
pappilaa kohden.
Onhan se kuultu.