,Study Guide Human Growth and Development
C217 Study Guide
Chapter 1: The Life-Span Perspective
Mentor Note: This chapter focuses on the theoretical perspectives in human growth
and development. As you review the section reading material, try to identify the
similarities and differences between the five clusters of theories and how they
complement each other. Focus on the big picture rather than the details. As you
progress through the course you will have the opportunity to examine each theory as it
applies to the development lifespan.
Section 1-1. The Lifespan Perspective
Match the term with the description of the type of development.
According to the learning resource, there are different characteristics of
development. Review the description of the characteristic in the first column.
Write the corresponding letter of the term in the second column. (Note: there is
only 1 term per description.)
Terms:
A. Lifelong B. Multidimensional C. Multidirectional D. Plastic E. Multidisciplinary
F. Contextual
lifespan perspective The perspective that development is lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional,
plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual; involves growth, maintenance, and regulation; and is
constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual factors working together.
Development Characteristic Description Term (Letter)
Some dimensions expand and others shrink Multidirectional
Has biological, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions Multidimensional
Includes how body, mind, emotions, and relationships change and
affect each other
Involves the capacity for change Plastic
Early adulthood is not the endpoint of development; no age period lifelong
dominates development
Multidisciplinary
Various areas of study have an interest in the field of development
through the life span
All development occurs within a context, or setting (social, cultural, Contextual development
and historic factors)
Occurs within families, schools, peer groups, neighborhoods,
universities, and countries
Involves biological, cultural, and individual factors Co-constructional
Page 1 of 70
,Study Guide Human Growth and Development
Development Is Lifelong In the lifespan perspective, early adulthood is not the endpoint of
development; rather, no age period dominates development. Researchers increasingly study the
experiences and psychological orientations of adults at different points in their lives. Later in this
chapter, we will describe the age periods of development and their characteristics.
Development Is Multidimensional No matter what your age might be, your body, mind, emotions,
and relationships are changing and affecting each other. Consider the development of Ted Kaczynski,
the Unabomber discussed at the beginning of this chapter. When he was 6 months old, he was
hospitalized with a severe allergic reaction and his parents were rarely allowed to visit the baby.
According to his mother, the previously happy baby was never the same after his hospitalization. The
infant became withdrawn and unresponsive. As Ted grew up, he had periodic “shutdowns” accompanied
by rage. In his mother’s view, a biological event in infancy warped the development of her son’s mind
and emotions.
Development has biological, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions. Even within a dimension,
there are many components. For example, attention, memory, abstract thinking, speed of processing
information, and social intelligence are just a few of the components of the cognitive dimension.
Development Is Multidirectional Throughout life, some dimensions or components of a dimension
expand and others shrink. For example, when one language (such as English) is acquired early in
development, the capacity for acquiring second and third languages (such as Spanish and Chinese)
decreases later in development, especially after early childhood. During adolescence, as individuals
establish romantic relationships, their time spent with friends may decrease. During late adulthood, older
adults might become wiser because they have more experience than younger adults to draw upon to
guide their decision making, but they perform more poorly on tasks that require speed in processing
information.
Development Is Plastic Even at 10 years old, Ted Kaczynski was extraordinarily shy. Was he
destined to remain forever uncomfortable with people? Developmentalists debate how much plasticity
people have in various dimensions at different points in their development. Plasticity means the capacity
for change. For example, can you still improve your intellectual skills when you are in your seventies or
eighties? Or might these intellectual skills be fixed by the time you are in your thirties so that further
improvement is impossible? Researchers have found that the cognitive skills of older adults can be
improved through training and developing better strategies. However, possibly we possess less capacity
for change as we grow older. The search for plasticity and its constraints is a key element on the
contemporary agenda for developmental research
Developmental Science Is Multidisciplinary Psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists,
neuroscientists, and medical researchers all share an interest in unlocking the mysteries of development
through the life span. How do your heredity and health limit your intelligence? Do intelligence and
social relationships change with age in the same way around the world? How do families and schools
influence intellectual development? These are examples of research questions that cut across disciplines.
Page 2 of 70
, Study Guide Human Growth and Development
Development Is Contextual All development occurs within a context, or setting. Contexts include
families, schools, peer groups, churches, cities, neighborhoods, university laboratories, countries, and so
on. Each of these settings is influenced by historical, economic, social, and cultural factors.
Contexts, like individuals, change. Thus, individuals are changing beings in a changing world. As a
result of these changes, contexts exert three types of influences: (1) normative agegraded influences, (2)
normative historygraded influences, and (3) nonnormative or highly individualized life events. Each of
these types can have a biological or environmental impact on development. Normative agegraded
influences are similar for individuals in a particular age group. These influences include biological
processes such as puberty and menopause. They also include sociocultural, environmental processes
such as beginning formal education (usually at about age 6 in most cultures) and retirement from the
workforce (which takes place during the fifties and sixties in most cultures).
Section 1-2. The Nature of Development
Complete the terminology comparison table:
The first column lists the term. In the second column enter a brief definition of the term. In the
third column enter an example to help you distinguish between the terms.
TERM Definition Example
Nature A persons environmental experiences Born stong-willed
Nurture A persons biological inheritance Learning to lead by example through leaders
Continuity Gradual, cumulative change
Discontinuity Distinct stages
The degree to which early traits and characteristics
Stability persist through life.
Extent to which development is determined by
Change early versus later experiences.
Section 1-3. Theories of Development (pg. 20-21
Complete the theories of development table:
The first column lists the theory. In the second column enter a description of the key assumptions
of the theory. Pay particular attention to Erikson’s and Piaget’s theories since they address the
entire lifespan.
Theory Description
Psychoanalytic and Psychosocial Theories
Freud Our adult personality is determined by the way we resolve
conflicts between sources of pleasure at each stage and the
demands of reality; Primary motivation for human behavior is
sexual in nature; Our basic personality is shaped during the
first five years of our life.
Five stages of Psychosexual Development:
1. Oral
2. Anal
Page 3 of 70
C217 Study Guide
Chapter 1: The Life-Span Perspective
Mentor Note: This chapter focuses on the theoretical perspectives in human growth
and development. As you review the section reading material, try to identify the
similarities and differences between the five clusters of theories and how they
complement each other. Focus on the big picture rather than the details. As you
progress through the course you will have the opportunity to examine each theory as it
applies to the development lifespan.
Section 1-1. The Lifespan Perspective
Match the term with the description of the type of development.
According to the learning resource, there are different characteristics of
development. Review the description of the characteristic in the first column.
Write the corresponding letter of the term in the second column. (Note: there is
only 1 term per description.)
Terms:
A. Lifelong B. Multidimensional C. Multidirectional D. Plastic E. Multidisciplinary
F. Contextual
lifespan perspective The perspective that development is lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional,
plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual; involves growth, maintenance, and regulation; and is
constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual factors working together.
Development Characteristic Description Term (Letter)
Some dimensions expand and others shrink Multidirectional
Has biological, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions Multidimensional
Includes how body, mind, emotions, and relationships change and
affect each other
Involves the capacity for change Plastic
Early adulthood is not the endpoint of development; no age period lifelong
dominates development
Multidisciplinary
Various areas of study have an interest in the field of development
through the life span
All development occurs within a context, or setting (social, cultural, Contextual development
and historic factors)
Occurs within families, schools, peer groups, neighborhoods,
universities, and countries
Involves biological, cultural, and individual factors Co-constructional
Page 1 of 70
,Study Guide Human Growth and Development
Development Is Lifelong In the lifespan perspective, early adulthood is not the endpoint of
development; rather, no age period dominates development. Researchers increasingly study the
experiences and psychological orientations of adults at different points in their lives. Later in this
chapter, we will describe the age periods of development and their characteristics.
Development Is Multidimensional No matter what your age might be, your body, mind, emotions,
and relationships are changing and affecting each other. Consider the development of Ted Kaczynski,
the Unabomber discussed at the beginning of this chapter. When he was 6 months old, he was
hospitalized with a severe allergic reaction and his parents were rarely allowed to visit the baby.
According to his mother, the previously happy baby was never the same after his hospitalization. The
infant became withdrawn and unresponsive. As Ted grew up, he had periodic “shutdowns” accompanied
by rage. In his mother’s view, a biological event in infancy warped the development of her son’s mind
and emotions.
Development has biological, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions. Even within a dimension,
there are many components. For example, attention, memory, abstract thinking, speed of processing
information, and social intelligence are just a few of the components of the cognitive dimension.
Development Is Multidirectional Throughout life, some dimensions or components of a dimension
expand and others shrink. For example, when one language (such as English) is acquired early in
development, the capacity for acquiring second and third languages (such as Spanish and Chinese)
decreases later in development, especially after early childhood. During adolescence, as individuals
establish romantic relationships, their time spent with friends may decrease. During late adulthood, older
adults might become wiser because they have more experience than younger adults to draw upon to
guide their decision making, but they perform more poorly on tasks that require speed in processing
information.
Development Is Plastic Even at 10 years old, Ted Kaczynski was extraordinarily shy. Was he
destined to remain forever uncomfortable with people? Developmentalists debate how much plasticity
people have in various dimensions at different points in their development. Plasticity means the capacity
for change. For example, can you still improve your intellectual skills when you are in your seventies or
eighties? Or might these intellectual skills be fixed by the time you are in your thirties so that further
improvement is impossible? Researchers have found that the cognitive skills of older adults can be
improved through training and developing better strategies. However, possibly we possess less capacity
for change as we grow older. The search for plasticity and its constraints is a key element on the
contemporary agenda for developmental research
Developmental Science Is Multidisciplinary Psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists,
neuroscientists, and medical researchers all share an interest in unlocking the mysteries of development
through the life span. How do your heredity and health limit your intelligence? Do intelligence and
social relationships change with age in the same way around the world? How do families and schools
influence intellectual development? These are examples of research questions that cut across disciplines.
Page 2 of 70
, Study Guide Human Growth and Development
Development Is Contextual All development occurs within a context, or setting. Contexts include
families, schools, peer groups, churches, cities, neighborhoods, university laboratories, countries, and so
on. Each of these settings is influenced by historical, economic, social, and cultural factors.
Contexts, like individuals, change. Thus, individuals are changing beings in a changing world. As a
result of these changes, contexts exert three types of influences: (1) normative agegraded influences, (2)
normative historygraded influences, and (3) nonnormative or highly individualized life events. Each of
these types can have a biological or environmental impact on development. Normative agegraded
influences are similar for individuals in a particular age group. These influences include biological
processes such as puberty and menopause. They also include sociocultural, environmental processes
such as beginning formal education (usually at about age 6 in most cultures) and retirement from the
workforce (which takes place during the fifties and sixties in most cultures).
Section 1-2. The Nature of Development
Complete the terminology comparison table:
The first column lists the term. In the second column enter a brief definition of the term. In the
third column enter an example to help you distinguish between the terms.
TERM Definition Example
Nature A persons environmental experiences Born stong-willed
Nurture A persons biological inheritance Learning to lead by example through leaders
Continuity Gradual, cumulative change
Discontinuity Distinct stages
The degree to which early traits and characteristics
Stability persist through life.
Extent to which development is determined by
Change early versus later experiences.
Section 1-3. Theories of Development (pg. 20-21
Complete the theories of development table:
The first column lists the theory. In the second column enter a description of the key assumptions
of the theory. Pay particular attention to Erikson’s and Piaget’s theories since they address the
entire lifespan.
Theory Description
Psychoanalytic and Psychosocial Theories
Freud Our adult personality is determined by the way we resolve
conflicts between sources of pleasure at each stage and the
demands of reality; Primary motivation for human behavior is
sexual in nature; Our basic personality is shaped during the
first five years of our life.
Five stages of Psychosexual Development:
1. Oral
2. Anal
Page 3 of 70
