SAMPLE Developmental Psychology

Chapter1: Introduction to Developmental Psychology (The Lifespan) Overview

There are many reasons why it is important to study Developmental Psychology. Some reasons include seeking an understanding of patient needs and being self-reflective. These are just a couple of reasons of importance. Also, learning about Developmental Psychology will help you, the student, learn how to become a better-informed professional in your field of choice. Studying developmental psychology will better understand many clients or patients’ psychological, emotional, and physical needs. It is also important that one learns about the importance of being self-reflective, which will help you understand your personal life stages and what will motivate you and help you understand your clients or patients in your field. In this first chapter, we will discuss the basic concepts of each of the stages of the lifespan. Hopefully, learning these concepts in chronological order will help you grasp these concepts and build a starting foundation for the different psychological schools of thought. It is important to remember the information presented to you in this chapter. The information you gain from this chapter will be presented in other parts of this study guide. The concepts and terms commonly asked in the exam will be in boldtext and italicized. Learning Objectives: ● Describe the domains of development. ● Understand the various contexts in which development occurs. ● Explain the major theories of developmental psychology and the people associated with these theories. A. The Basics Previously, psychologists believed that psychological development stopped after adolescence ended. After more research and studies about psychological development, it has been found that development occurs from birth through to death. The lifespan is the processes that occur between birth and death. The maximum lifespan is the longest period of time a species can live. When it comes to the human lifespan, their maximum lifespan is nearly 120 years. When thinking about lifespan, it is thought of more as the average lifespan, which can be defined as the average age reached by a given population member. The average lifespan is not the same between males and females and can be quite different, depending on cultures and geographic locations. Life expectancy is known as the number of years a person is expected to live. The chart below shows how the human lifespan can be organized into different categories. At the end of the chapter, you should be able to:

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