WK 1 Lifespan

Question 1

What processes are involved in development?

Answer 1

Biological, cognitive, social, emotional, moral

Question 2

How do you define lifespan developmental psychology?

Answer 2

Change in psychological function from conception through old age. Developments are normative (predictable), qualitative (stages), and progressive (gain, rather than ageing).

Question 3

What is normative change?

Answer 3

Predictable changes related to growing older

Question 4

What is qualitative change?

Answer 4

Change which happens in stages as opposed to incremental gains.

Question 5

What are examples of qualitative changes in psychological growth?

Answer 5

E.g. going from not having self-awareness to having it,

Question 6

What is the difference between growth vs ageing?

Answer 6

Growth is a gain in Psychological capacity; ageing is a decline or loss of capacity

Question 7

How does Baltes’ gain/loss balance work?

Answer 7

There are gains as losses at every phase of development.

Question 8

What are examples of the above in young vs old age?

Answer 8

Eg. Children gain language/literacy but lose the ability to discriminate linguistic sounds. Eg. Older people gain wisdom and mellowness; but lose reaction speed/visual acuity

Question 9

Is progressive development possible in old age?

Answer 9

Yes, qualitative gain is possible lifelong. E.g. gains in psychological complexity and coping power

Question 10

What do children’s drawing tell us about development?

Answer 10

Children’s drawings get more complex in predictable stages across cultures. Therefore this change is progressive, qualitative, AND normative.

Question 11

What is the normative social clock?

Answer 11

The social clock is a cultural influence on lifespan development. It prescribes age-appropriate behaviour and changes.