Developmental Psychology

Chapter 1: 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 as well as 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. By studying Developmental psychology, you will be provided with a better understanding of many of the psychological, emotional and physical needs of clients or patients. It is also important that one learns about the importance of being self-reflective which in turn will help you understand your personal life stages as well as what will motivate you, and help you understand your clients/patients in your field. In this first chapter, we will be discussing the basic concepts of each of the stages of the lifespan. Hopefully, learning these concepts in a chronological order will help you grasp these concepts and build a starting foundation to the different psychological schools of through. It’s important to remember the information that is presented to you in this chapter. The information that you gain from this chapter will be presented in other parts of this study guide, in later chapters as well. The concepts and terms that you need to know will be in bold text and italicized . Learning Objectives At the end of the chapter, you should be able to: • Describe the domains of development • Understand the various contexts in which development occurs • Explain the major theories of developmental psychology and the people who are associated with these theories. 1.1 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 thought development occurs from birth all the way through death. The lifespan is the processes that occur between birth and death. Maximum Lifespan is the longest period of time a species can life. When it comes to the human lifespan, their maximum lifespan is near 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 member of a given population. The average lifespan is not the same between males and females and can be quite different, depending on cultures and geographic locations. The 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.

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