...Developmental Psychology of the Lifespan 1. Describe how the growth in the corpus callosum allows children to increase their capabilities. The human brain is made up of two separate hemispheres. The right hemisphere is generally thought of as the creative side while the left hemisphere is thought to be the logical side. Both sides must work together to create a fully functional person. The communication channel between the two halves is known as the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is made up of 250-800 million fibers that connect the two halves of the brain together and coordinates the processing between them (Berger, 2005, p. 200). It is the building block to more complex motor skills and expression. In other words the corpus callosum is what allows the left hand to know what the right hand is doing. Maturation of the corpus callosum can be witnessed by observing the drawings of “people” produced by children of different age groups. For example, children age two to three generally produce pictures which more closely resemble a tadpole than a person. They usually draw a circle with dots for eyes and a line underneath for the body. By age five they typically expand this “tadpole” to including a torso. After age five the drawing includes arms and hands (Berger, 2005). This progression from tadpole to stick figure directly corresponds with the maturation of the corpus callosum and the improvements in motor skills that maturation...
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...Lifespan Perspective Paper Lifespan Perspective Paper A person’s lifespan is from the moment of conception through death. Lifespan development is the different stages a person passes through as he or she develops. Perspective of lifespan development understands the changes that occur in development. Freud and Piaget have very different theories of lifespan development. Freud’s theory is a basis of id, ego, and superego, whereas Piaget’s is a cognitive development that occurs over a person’s lifetime. Nature and Nurture are more than perspectives in lifespan development they influence how and who a person will be. Lifespan development is the time from conception to death as a person develops and grows; the perspective in relationship to human development is lifelong, and theories of lifespan development can be seen in Freud, and Piaget, while the influences of a person life is nature and nurture. What is Lifespan Development A person’s lifespan begins as a fetus and as it develops and grows for nine months in the womb becoming a person either male or female will continue through stages in a his or her life. The study of human development is a science seeking to understand how humans change over their lifetime (Berger, 2008). The changes a person goes through as he or she grows can be linear-gradual, predictable, steady, but normally they are none of these. The common stages are birth, infancy, adolescence, adulthood, old age, and the ending death. To define lifespan...
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...A person’s lifespan is from the moment of conception through death. Lifespan development is the different stages a person passes through as he or she develops. Perspective of lifespan development understands the changes that occur in development. Freud and Piaget have very different theories of lifespan development. Freud’s theory is a basis of id, ego, and superego, whereas Piaget’s is a cognitive development that occurs over a person’s lifetime. Nature and Nurture are more than perspectives in lifespan development they influence how and who a person will be. Lifespan development is the time from conception to death as a person develops and grows; the perspective in relationship to human development is lifelong, and theories of lifespan development can be seen in Freud, and Piaget, while the influences of a person life is nature and nurture. What is Lifespan Development A person’s lifespan begins as a fetus and as it develops and grows for nine months in the womb becoming a person either male or female will continue through stages in a his or her life. The study of human development is a science seeking to understand how humans change over their lifetime (Berger, 2008). The changes a person goes through as he or she grows can be linear-gradual, predictable, steady, but normally they are none of these. The common stages are birth, infancy, adolescence, adulthood, old age, and the ending death. To define lifespan development is also to mention that humans in their lifetime...
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...Lifespan Development and Personality Luis Cervantes PSY/103 January 11, 2016 Susanne Nishino Lifespan Development and Personality Developmental psychology is the study of how human beings age and transform throughout the eight major stages of life. This paper will focus on the physical, cognitive, social, moral, and personality development of individuals found in stage two, (early childhood 1-6 year olds). Through exploring, and examining the countless influences that affect their growth development. The physical growth transformations infants undergo in stage two of lifespan development range from, brain, motor, to sensory/perceptual development, and infant’s overall body height and weight. During the first two years, brain development and the central nervous system experience the most growth increase of any other infant’s body parts. Brain growth and learning transpire simply because neurons grow in size and the number of axons and dendrites, escalate (Carpenter S, & Huffman K. 2013a. pp. 237, 238). Meanwhile on the outside of the infant’s skull the fontanels or soft spots close off (Bjorklund, D. F., & Bering, J. M. 2002., pp. 272- 275). Motor skill development fall into two categories fine, and gross motor skills. Fine motor skill development involves the muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems generating precise operations of motions on the infant hands (Fluetsch, K. 2015 p. 9). Example of fine motor skills, a child’s ability to grasp a fork, spoon,...
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...This paper will discuss a person’s lifespan is from the moment of conception through death. Throughout my paper I will explain the lifespan perspective and development. I will summarize two theories of life span development. Lastly, I will explain how heredity and the environment interact to produce individual differences in development. Lifespan development is the different stages a person goes through as they grow. Perspective of lifespan development recognizes the changes that happen in development. Freud and Piaget have very different theories of lifespan development. Freud’s theory is a foundation of id, ego, and superego, whereas Piaget’s is a cognitive development that transpires over a person’s lifetime. Nature and Nurture are more than perspectives in lifespan development they affect how and who a person will be. Lifespan development is the time from conception to death as a person develops and grows; the perspective in relationship to human development is lifelong, and theories of lifespan development can be seen in Freud, and Piaget, while the impacts of a person life is nature and nurture. A person’s lifespan starts as a fetus and as it develops and grows during the nine months in the womb being a individual whichever male or female will remain through stages in a his or her life. The study of human development is a science on a quest to understand how humans change over their lifetime (Berger, 2008). The modifications a person goes through they grow can be...
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...However, in the 19th century the study of human development was given legs to its already well-defined frame in the form of the theory of evolution, as put forth by Charles Darwin. With the idea of evolutionary stages in place, G. Stanley Hall of Clark University was able to formulate his theory of norms, which hypothesize that human development can be segregated into identifiable phases, and Arnold Gesell was able to suggest his theory of maturation, which was largely dependent on genetic predisposition. From these beginnings the lifespan development perspective of human psychology has been largely concerned with the physiological, psychological, cultural, genetic, and environmental context of individual human development from conception to old age (Baltes & Staudinger, 1999; Boyd & Bee, 2006). Moreover, the lifespan perspective (LSP) of development can be put into context through the models of both human development domains and developmental periods, the major characteristics of LSP, and the contemporary concerns about LSP. Human Development Domains LSP is concerned with three separate, but principally overlapping, domains of human development: physical domain (ontogenesis), cognitive domain, and social domain. The physical domain of LSP studies the physiological changes that occur over a lifetime, such as puberty, menopause, and bone loss. On the other hand, the cognitive domain researches changes in thinking, problem-solving, and memory that occur throughout life...
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...Human Development Amber Jones PSY 280-Human Growth and Development October 13, 2012 Linda Baker Human Development The growth and development of humans is a very interesting topic to discuss with anyone. There are so many theories that people have on human development and it always makes for interesting conversations. In this paper, I will put focus on the psychoanalytic theory, the stages of psychosocial development theory, and the stages of faith theory. I will focus on the three theories because I feel that they are extremely interesting to the growth and development of humans. To be more specific, I want to focus on exactly what the theories are and how they are important and/or related to the human growth and development. As well, I want to focus on at least on theorist who is known specifically for the theory I focus on. I also want to identify the aspects of the life span from that theory’s perspective. Last, but definitely not least, I want to discuss in detail how the heredity and the environment have influence on human development. By the end of the paper, you as the reader, should have a better understanding of the three theories of my choosing and how human development works. Psychoanalytical Theory The first theory related to human growth and development that I want to focus on is the psychoanalytical theory. With this specific theory, the personality organization and the development of the personality dynamics is he focus. Probably the most...
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...understand human development, this essay will discuss the importance of the lifespan perspective. Many researches believe that the lifespan orientation consists of several classic beliefs that form a family of perspectives that gives a cohesive view on the nature of development. While each of these seven perspectives are essential to lifespan development and emphasize a different aspect of development, this essay will focus on the two aspects of plasticity and contextualism as a paradigm. It will also illustrate how they give evidence supporting development as a life long process. Lifespan development can be defined as “the field of study that examines patterns of growth, change, and stability in behaviour that occur throughout the entire life span” (Sigelman & Rider, 2011). Lifespan development takes a scientific approach in its study of growth, change and stability as researchers use scientific methods to test their assumptions (Sigelman & Rider, 2011s). Previously child development was the focus of many theorists but within the last two decades lifespan development has begun to be studied empirically. Another justification for lifespan development is that it originates in other disciplines as well such as sociology and anthropology and this suggests that this field of lifespan development did not originate solely from developmental psychologists (Baltes, 1987). There are three relevant areas in lifespan development: physical development which looks at the ways in which the body’s...
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...Lifespan Development Name Institution Course Date Lifespan Development Lifespan development is a wide field in the field of psychology. It all began with Darwin, who, in his quest to understand evolution, began to study the topic. In simple terms, lifespan development refers to a process, usually beginning from conception and ending when an organism dies. The process occurs methodologically and is as a result of the change that occurs with increasing age. Although the lifespan development may look simple, it is quite complex and involves different developmental stages. According to Baltes, (1996), the entire life cycle has four eras. These eras, he says, take an approximate time of 20-25 years. Levinson goes further to identify the developmental periods as childhood and adolescence, early childhood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. At this point in time, it is formal to simplify various terminologies that relation to human development. This is because they will feature constantly in the preceding sections. First and foremost is development. This is simply a change characterized by movement from one state to another. Usually, development leads to transitions. Development, as will be used in this paper, will refer to growth, and progression through certain stages, commonly termed as “maturity.” Another term of significance is stage. This refers to sections that differentiate the various phases of growth. The phases involve...
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...However, in the 19th century the study of human development was given legs to its already well-defined frame in the form of the theory of evolution, as put forth by Charles Darwin. With the idea of evolutionary stages in place, G. Stanley Hall of Clark University was able to formulate his theory of norms, which hypothesize that human development can be segregated into identifiable phases, and Arnold Gesell was able to suggest his theory of maturation, which was largely dependent on genetic predisposition. From these beginnings the lifespan development perspective of human psychology has been largely concerned with the physiological, psychological, cultural, genetic, and environmental context of individual human development from conception to old age (Baltes & Staudinger, 1999; Boyd & Bee, 2006). Moreover, the lifespan perspective (LSP) of development can be put into context through the models of both human development domains and developmental periods, the major characteristics of LSP, and the contemporary concerns about LSP. Human Development Domains LSP is concerned with three separate, but principally overlapping, domains of human development: physical domain (ontogenesis), cognitive domain, and social domain. The physical domain of LSP studies the physiological changes that occur over a lifetime, such as puberty, menopause, and bone loss. On the other hand, the cognitive domain researches changes in thinking, problem-solving, and memory that occur throughout life...
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...Lifespan Development and Personality Paper: Middle Childhood Ages Soterica Johnson Psy 103 June 15, 2015 Mary Newhams Lifespan Development and Personality Paper: Middle Childhood Ages The main goal of developmental psychology is to pursue the understandings of and report different aspects of human development. These aspects include development of physical, cognitive, social, moral, and personality. Discussing these aspects in different terms can be a tough task. In this paper I chose to write on one age group. To define this age, I will focus on the middle childhood ages 6 to 12. I will address physical, cognitive, social, and moral as well as personality development. Within these factors I am also considering both hereditary and environmental factors. Middle childhood is the period of life between the years of 6 to 12, where children are going to school, beginning to make friends outside of their families, mastering new physical and mental abilities, and also learning to become independent. During these ages physical development is most important. Growth may be slower during these ages, causing wide differences in height and weight in children. Passing through the beginning stages of life children have already began losing teeth. Middle childhood ages is when permanent teeth began to come in and dental visits have become more frequent. Children of this age group have improved motor skills so they began getting involved in more physical activities. Along with the psychical...
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...Theories and Theorists Zsofia Kappelman-Arany Walden University Theories and Theorists I am completing a master’s degree in Culture of Psychology. One of my goals is working with children in the future. Therefore, it is crucial to understand human development theories that I will be able to use in my work. Human development theories can help professionals examining how a person’s behavior and personality improves during the lifespan (Berk, 2010). For this assignment, I chose two key theories that address human development. I will introduce and analyze Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory and Erikson’s psychosocial theory. I will identify similarities and differences. Finally, I will discuss how these theories relate to my goals in research. Piaget’s Cognitive-Developmental Theory Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was a Swiss theorist who conducted research studies on cognitive development. Although he observed his own children, his theory is one of the key theories of human development. Piaget published several books on childhood development, psychology, moral judgment, and intelligence (Berk, 2010). Few of his major works that I will use for this assignment are: The Moral Judgment of the Child (1948), The Early Growth of Logic in the Child (1964), Biology and Knowledge (1971). Piaget’s four stages address infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence (Mussen, 1983). Piaget believed that there is a significant connection between biological and cognitive...
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...Saint Leo University PSY325 Developmental Psychology Course Description: A survey of the major areas in human development with an equal emphasis placed on child, adolescent, and adult development. The course examines developmental changes over the entire life-span and the processes underlying these changes. All major areas are reviewed including biological, cognitive, language, personality, emotional, moral, social, and career development. This course is an upper level elective course in the major. It is a course that is highly desirable for students in Social Work, Education, Human Services, Pre-Med, and Pre-Nursing. The sub-discipline of Developmental Psychology also draws heavily upon almost every other field in psychology. Prerequisite: PSY121 Textbooks: Berk, L. E. (2014). Exploring lifespan development (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN-13: 978-0-205-95738-5 Course Objectives: Developmental Psychology is perhaps the most interdisciplinary field within psychology. It encompasses genetics, learning, physiological psychology, perception, cognitive psychology, intelligence, personality, gender issues, social influences, and psychological disorders. It uses a similar methodology as other fields but also utilizes some innovations specific to human development research. This course is a lifespan development course. That is, it will examine in detail how we develop physically, mentally, morally, and socially from the moment of conception through adulthood and old age...
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...Developmental theories in psychology are efforts to comprehend the stages of one's growth and development. We recognize the stages throughout a child's lifespan to adulthood and the effects of environmental and social influences. These theories name the sources of growth, language and learning skills. The big debate in psychology is are these emotions caused by nature or nurture. It is impossible to tell which one is right. However both play an important role in a person's lifespan influencing the person we grow to be. All developmental theories have good points and can be the base to research and forming educated analyzes. They help us to better understand child development and social growth. Piaget's cognitive stages of development proposes that during each stage of a persons life from adolescence to adulthood new skills are learned. As a person develops in age their skills and abilities also progress. Piaget's theory consist of fours major developmental stages. They are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. The sensorimotor stage occurs from birth to the age of two. In this developmental stage children use simple motor activities such as looking, listening and touch understand and learn about their surrounding environment. The second stage preoperational stage ranges from ages 2 to 7. In this stage children mentally represent events and objects with figurative play. At this age children are unable to look at situations from other peoples...
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...Lifespan perspectives ***** ******** Psy/375 June 25, 2012 ***** ******* Lifespan perspectives Although humans seem very different from one another, each human develops partly like everyone else, yet partly like no one else. Most of the time human’s attention is focused on one another’s unique qualities instead of realizing how similar humans really are. In fact, as humans, almost everyone has traveled some similar path. People such as, President Barack Obama, Joan of Arc, and Marilyn Monroe shared similar paths of life span development. Each one began to walk at approximately age one, began to talk sentences at about age four, as young children they played with toys while imagination worked wonders, and as young adults they would pack these toys up because they were no longer needed. As life goes on every human will experience almost the same developmental patterns from conception until death (Guest, 2011). Life-span perspective is the perspective that human development lasts all though out life. It views development as multicultural, multidirectional, multidisciplinary, plastic and contextual. In this perspective once a human hits their early 20’s, they have not completed development. In fact there are many developmental points in a human’s life after young adult hood that will last until death. This explains how human development is life-long (Guest, 2011). Multicultural can be defined as development that is affected by a person’s culture. Although...
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