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Life Span Perspective
Dennis L. Bentley
Life Span Human Development- PSY/375
November 7, 2011
Professor Deborah Wilkerson M.A., ABD

What is the life span perspective of development? And what do heredity and environment have to do with a persons’ development? These are two questions that shall be answered by this paper along with a summary of the two theories of life span development. This paper will utilize the internet and the library of the University of Phoenix to assist in the answering of these questions. A very through and complete paper is not possible given the restraints, however every effort will be made to achieve the papers’ intention.

To begin with the life span development perspective can be defined by Erickson eight stages or the different thoughts brought about by Behavioral, Cognitive, Epigenetic, or Sociocultural theorist. Whatever the school the basics are the same 1) we never stop learning, 2) development begins at birth, and 3), it does not end until death. As Santrock (1999) put it as "some aspects of development increase while others decrease". This is seen as plastic meaning that there is a certain elasticity that occurs in response to the different environmental demands that one might have during life. Like wise there are three domains that key in this perspective they are physical, cognitive, and social. In the physical, height, weight, and shape changes are the ingredients of what a person sees as a self perspective. The cognitive takes a back seat as the social is driven mainly by the physical and no one really looks at the cognitive except maybe as an introspective part of soul searching.

One theory of life span development is the cognitive theory of Jean Piaget. One of his breakthrough theories was the stage independent theory. This theory dealt with four

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