Human Life Span Development

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Human Life Span Development Marty Annette Hill PSY/375 July 18, 2013 Instructor: Lateefah Wielenga, PhD Human Life Span Development Introduction From the time a human life enters the world, grows, develops, and matures mentally and physically, and then, ultimately, dies; all is considered as part of the human life span. Life is a continuous strand of changes from beginning to end. Psychologists have dubbed the term “Lifespan Development” for referencing the continuous physical and cognitive changes which occur regularly throughout one’s lifetime (Meacham, 2013). This essay purposes to explain the Life Span Development Perspective, examine two theories of Life Span Development, and explore how heredity and environment serve to produce differences in human development. Life Span Perspective of Development Many characteristics are associated with human development. Until very recently, changes which occur during childhood had been the primary focus of psychological studies of human development. In fact, the subject of development was often limited to childhood specifically. The Life Span Perspective of Development is considered “new” because it offers the same degree of importance to changes in adulthood and childhood alike – in essence the entire span of a person’s life. Life span is life-long and, as such, is not characterized by any specific age period or age group (Hernandez, 2008). The Meacham (2013) website states that, “In order to define lifespan development psychology we must understand the different context by which it is characterized (Para. 2).” Of the many characteristics linked to Life Span Development, the main points include: Plasticity, Interdisciplinary Research, and a Multi-contextual View of the Nature of Development (Meacham, 2013). Plasticity Acquiring new habits or releasing old ones is
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