LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
A Psychological Perspective
By Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French
1
, Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective
By Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French
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
By Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French
1
, Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective
By Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French
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
