What Is Lifespan Development?
A note before we begin:
This course has external links to informational websites and videos. The information on these
pages is part of the course and will be incorporated into the exams. Make sure to follow each link
and read the material or watch the video as specified in the course material.
Lifespan Development
Throughout the human life span, numerous changes occur. These changes have physical, social,
cognitive, and emotional dimensions. Lifespan development studies these changes from
conception to death by investigating major periods of development.
These major periods include:
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prenatal development
infancy and toddlerhood
early childhood
middle childhood
adolescence
early adulthood
middle adulthood
late adulthood
1. Lifelong
In studying these major periods, experts in lifespan development note some distinctive features
of human development. First, development is lifelong. Early research and theory in human
development primarily focused on children. However, developmental science increasingly
emphasizes the major changes that occur throughout adolescence and adulthood, showing that it
is important to consider development (or change) at each period.
2. Multidirectional
Secondly, development is multidirectional. In the paragraph above, development is loosely
defined as change. However, change can be good or bad. It can even be both, simultaneously.
Thus, at every period, an individual might be improving in some ways and falling behind in
others. We even have terms for these different aspects of change.
For example, aging, or the process of becoming old, is something that everyone faces if they live
long enough. There is a surprising amount of mystery in science regarding what precisely
triggers aging. We would typically use this term for adults. While children technically are getting
older as well, we wouldn’t use the term “aging” to refer to a child.
Aging is somewhat different from growth, which implies physical change (such as growing
taller).
Maturation, on the other hand, can be physical, emotional, and/or cognitive. Maturation has to
do with something becoming more developed and more advanced. For example, our brains don’t
grow in size across the lifespan, but they do mature (due to physical changes occurring within
the brain) across childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. In everyday conversation, we may
speak of someone becoming more mature; this type of improvement in emotional regulation is a
good example of emotional maturation.
Multidirectional development can be seen in adults who are aging and facing some physical
declines but are becoming more emotionally mature at the same time.
3. Multidisciplinary
Thirdly, the study of development is multidisciplinary. You might be taking this course because
of your training in the health sciences, social sciences, or education. Each of these professional
fields has a major stake in understanding human development. In addition, each of these fields is
influenced by major contributions from professionals in the remaining fields.
4. Multidimensional
Finally, development is multidimensional. As stated earlier, we experience changes in the
following dimensions: biological, social, emotional, and cognitive. In addition, moral
development is an important area of consideration.
In summary, development is multidimensional, multidisciplinary, multidirectional, and lifelong.