LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
A Psychological Perspective Second Edition
By Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French
1
, Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective
Second Edition
By Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French (Published 2019)
This Open Education Resource (OER) textbook was funded by a grant from the
College of Lake County Foundation and supported by the Business and Social
Sciences Division.
This textbook can be found at:
http://dept.clcillinois.edu/psy/LifespanDevelopment.pdf
Publication is under the following license:
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 unported license to view a copy
of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative
Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
2
, Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to Lifespan Development
Chapter 2: Heredity, Prenatal Development, and Birth
Chapter 3: Infancy and Toddlerhood
Chapter 4: Early Childhood
Chapter 5: Middle and Late Childhood
Chapter 6: Adolescence
Chapter 7: Emerging and Early Adulthood
Chapter 8: Middle Adulthood
Chapter 9: Late Adulthood
Chapter 10: Death and Dying
3
, Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to Lifespan Development ....................................................................................... 9
Lifespan Perspective ............................................................................................................................. 10
Conceptions of Age ............................................................................................................................... 13
Periods of Development......................................................................................................................... 14
Issues in Lifespan Development ............................................................................................................. 16
Historical Theories on Development ....................................................................................................... 17
Contemporary Theories on Development ................................................................................................ 18
Descriptive Research ............................................................................................................................. 24
Correlational Research .......................................................................................................................... 26
Experimental Research .......................................................................................................................... 28
Research Involving Time-Spans ............................................................................................................. 29
Conducting Ethical Research .................................................................................................................. 32
References ............................................................................................................................................ 33
Chapter 2: Heredity, Prenatal Development, and Birth.............................................................................. 35
Heredity ............................................................................................................................................... 35
Genotypes and Phenotypes .................................................................................................................... 36
Genetic Disorders ................................................................................................................................. 37
Chromosomal Abnormalities .................................................................................................................. 39
Behavioral Genetics .............................................................................................................................. 41
Prenatal Development ........................................................................................................................... 43
The Germinal Period ............................................................................................................................. 43
The Embryonic Period ........................................................................................................................... 44
The Fetal Period.................................................................................................................................... 45
Prenatal Brain Development .................................................................................................................. 47
Teratogens ............................................................................................................................................ 47
Maternal Factors ................................................................................................................................... 53
Prenatal Assessment .............................................................................................................................. 57
Complications of Pregnancy .................................................................................................................. 59
Preparation for Childbirth ...................................................................................................................... 60
Stages of Birth for Vaginal Delivery ....................................................................................................... 61
Assessing the Neonate ........................................................................................................................... 63
Problems of the Newborn ...................................................................................................................... 63
Postpartum Maternal Concerns ............................................................................................................... 65
References ............................................................................................................................................ 65
Chapter 3: Infancy and Toddlerhood .......................................................................................................... 71
The Brain in the First Two Years ............................................................................................................ 72
Infant Sleep .......................................................................................................................................... 74
From Reflexes to Voluntary Movements ................................................................................................. 77
Motor Development .............................................................................................................................. 78
Sensory Capacities ................................................................................................................................ 79
Nutrition .............................................................................................................................................. 82
Global Considerations and Malnutrition .................................................................................................. 84
Piaget and the Sensorimotor Stage .......................................................................................................... 85
Language ............................................................................................................................................. 89
Components of Language ...................................................................................................................... 90
Language Developmental Progression .................................................................................................... 91
Theories of Language Development........................................................................................................ 93
4
A Psychological Perspective Second Edition
By Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French
1
, Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective
Second Edition
By Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French (Published 2019)
This Open Education Resource (OER) textbook was funded by a grant from the
College of Lake County Foundation and supported by the Business and Social
Sciences Division.
This textbook can be found at:
http://dept.clcillinois.edu/psy/LifespanDevelopment.pdf
Publication is under the following license:
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 unported license to view a copy
of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative
Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
2
, Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to Lifespan Development
Chapter 2: Heredity, Prenatal Development, and Birth
Chapter 3: Infancy and Toddlerhood
Chapter 4: Early Childhood
Chapter 5: Middle and Late Childhood
Chapter 6: Adolescence
Chapter 7: Emerging and Early Adulthood
Chapter 8: Middle Adulthood
Chapter 9: Late Adulthood
Chapter 10: Death and Dying
3
, Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to Lifespan Development ....................................................................................... 9
Lifespan Perspective ............................................................................................................................. 10
Conceptions of Age ............................................................................................................................... 13
Periods of Development......................................................................................................................... 14
Issues in Lifespan Development ............................................................................................................. 16
Historical Theories on Development ....................................................................................................... 17
Contemporary Theories on Development ................................................................................................ 18
Descriptive Research ............................................................................................................................. 24
Correlational Research .......................................................................................................................... 26
Experimental Research .......................................................................................................................... 28
Research Involving Time-Spans ............................................................................................................. 29
Conducting Ethical Research .................................................................................................................. 32
References ............................................................................................................................................ 33
Chapter 2: Heredity, Prenatal Development, and Birth.............................................................................. 35
Heredity ............................................................................................................................................... 35
Genotypes and Phenotypes .................................................................................................................... 36
Genetic Disorders ................................................................................................................................. 37
Chromosomal Abnormalities .................................................................................................................. 39
Behavioral Genetics .............................................................................................................................. 41
Prenatal Development ........................................................................................................................... 43
The Germinal Period ............................................................................................................................. 43
The Embryonic Period ........................................................................................................................... 44
The Fetal Period.................................................................................................................................... 45
Prenatal Brain Development .................................................................................................................. 47
Teratogens ............................................................................................................................................ 47
Maternal Factors ................................................................................................................................... 53
Prenatal Assessment .............................................................................................................................. 57
Complications of Pregnancy .................................................................................................................. 59
Preparation for Childbirth ...................................................................................................................... 60
Stages of Birth for Vaginal Delivery ....................................................................................................... 61
Assessing the Neonate ........................................................................................................................... 63
Problems of the Newborn ...................................................................................................................... 63
Postpartum Maternal Concerns ............................................................................................................... 65
References ............................................................................................................................................ 65
Chapter 3: Infancy and Toddlerhood .......................................................................................................... 71
The Brain in the First Two Years ............................................................................................................ 72
Infant Sleep .......................................................................................................................................... 74
From Reflexes to Voluntary Movements ................................................................................................. 77
Motor Development .............................................................................................................................. 78
Sensory Capacities ................................................................................................................................ 79
Nutrition .............................................................................................................................................. 82
Global Considerations and Malnutrition .................................................................................................. 84
Piaget and the Sensorimotor Stage .......................................................................................................... 85
Language ............................................................................................................................................. 89
Components of Language ...................................................................................................................... 90
Language Developmental Progression .................................................................................................... 91
Theories of Language Development........................................................................................................ 93
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