TERM 1
1. What is the lifespan perspective?
DEFINITION 1
The lifespan perspective divides hum an development into two
phases: an early phase (childhood an d adolescence) and a later
phase (young adulthood, middle age a nd old age).Viewed from this
perspective, adult devel and aging ar e complex phenomena that
cannot be understood within the sco pe of a single disciplinary
approach. Rather, it requires input fro m a wide variety of
perspectives. This perspective emph asizes that human devel
takes a lifetime to complete.
TERM 2
2. What are the four key features of the
lifespan perspective as identified by Paul
Baltes. Provide original examples for each
feature.
DEFINITION 2
Multidirectionality: devel involves both growth and decline; as people grow in one
area, they may lose in another and at differen t rates. Ie. Vocabulary increases
while reaction time slows. (text examples) Plasticity: Ones capacity is not
predetermined or set in concrete. Many skill s can be trained or improved with
practice, even in late life. However, there are limits to the degree of potential
improvement. Historical context: Each of us develop s within a particular set of
circumstances determined by the historical t ime in which we are born and the
culture in which we grow up. Ie. Living in th e 20th century in a Chicano
neighborhood in southwest Texas Mu ltiple causation: how people develop results
from a wise variety of forces ie. Biological, sociocultural a nd life-cycle forces.
TERM 3
3. Take the Global Aging Quiz first. Were you
surprised at the answers? Why or why not?
Describe the demographic changes that are
occurring around the world.
DEFINITION 3
I was surprised that 75% of countries hav e public old-age security
programs and that children still outnumber the elderly in all major
nations but 6. Over the next several decad es, the number of older adults
will dramatically increase in nearly all areas of the world. The oldest
areas of the world will continue to be Europ e and the youngest Africa.
The rate of growth of older adults in Japan is the highest in the
industrialized world due to declining birth rat e. Developing countries
such as Malaysia, Singapore and Colombi a will see explosive increases in
pop of older adults. Poverty is strongly rela ted to the odds of living a long
life.
TERM 4
4. Describe the 4 forces that shape
development and provide an original example
for each.
DEFINITION 4
Biological forces: include all genetic and hea lth related factors that affect
development. Ie. Menopause, facial wrinklin g, changes in major organ systems.
Psychological forces: include all internal perc eptual, cognitive, emotional and
personality factors that affect development. Co llectively, they provide the
characteristics we notice about people that m ake them individuals. Sociocultural
factors: include interpersonal, societal, cultura l, and ethnic factors that affect
development. These forces provide the over all contexts in which we develop.
Life-cycle forces: reflect differences in how th e same event or combination of
biological, psychological and sociocultural forc es affect people at diff points in
their lives. Life-cycle forces provide the conte xt for the devel differences of
interest in adult devel and aging.
TERM 5
5. Describe the 3 developmental influences
DEFINITION 5
Normative age-graded influences: experience s caused by biological,
psychological and sociocultural forces that occ ur to most people of a particular
age. (puberty, menarche, menopause, a mi ddle-aged persons concern with
socializing the younger generation, the age o f retirement) Normative history-
graded influences: events that most people in a specific culture experience at the
same time. May be biological (epidemics), p sychological (particular stereotypes)
or sociocultural (changing attitudes towards se xuality). These influences often
give a generation its unique identity. Nonnormative in fluences: random or rare
events that may be important for a specific in dividual but are not experienced by
most people. (winning the lottery, an accide nt, a layoff). The unpredictability of
these events makes them unique.
