Life Span Development
development from conception to death lifelong progressive orderly
what is development? Development is the pattern of progressive, orderly and predictable changes that begin at conception and continue throughout life.
3 Dimensions
- cognitive
- biological
- socio-emotional
intersection of and interaction between all of these dimensions
Lifespan Perspective / Assumptions / Characteristics / - on Development
Development is : -Lifelong takes place from conception till death -Multidimensional cognitive, physical, socio-emotional -highly plastic -contextual historical, economic, social, and cultural factors -inter-disciplinary -depends on historical conditions -depends on how individual responds and acts to context
Periods of Development
- Prenatal Phases of Prenatal Development
- Infancy Infancy, childhood, adolescence
- Early Childhood
- Middle and Late Childhood
- Adolescence
- Early Adulthood Emerging Adulthood
- Middle Adulthood Middle Adulthood
- Late Adulthood Late Adulthood
Perspectives / Key Issues in Lifespan Development
Nature vs Nurture
nature - basic growth tendencies are genetically programmed into humans - it is biological nurture - effect of the environment; social environment and biological environment
Continuity Vs Discontinuity
gradual, continuous process vs discrete groups or stages gradual or abrupt?
Activity Vs Passivity
(involvement in their own development)
Specificity Vs Generality
(is it universal or is it dependent on culture, country, community)
Types of Developmental Research and Ethical Values
Developmental Research
Types of Developmental Research Designs
Cross-sectional Design
A cross-sectional study compares the behaviors of different age groups at a single time point.
most common in developmental research
less time-consuming and less expensive than the other methods
Longitudinal Design
examine the same individuals over a period of time; regular intervals
Longitudinal research takes time. Sometimes people quit before it ends. This is called attrition. Researchers should start with larger samples as people will leave. But some groups may leave more than others. For example, people who are sick, poor, or less educated may quit more. This can make the results less accurate because the people who stay are not representative of the whole population.
takes a long time
Sequential Design
include elements of both cross-sectional and longitudinal studiesÂ
Ethnography
focuses on the lived experience of people, usually as detailed by the research participants (also called “informants”) and as observed by the researcher relies heavily on participant observation
Cohort Design
longitudinal study in which researchers monitor and observe a chosen population over an extended period of time, with no particular aim
Case study
Observation
Survey and Interview
Questionnaire
Ethical Issues in Developmental Research
Informed Consent Protection of individuals’ rights Right to withdrawal Debriefing Confidentiality Deception
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