Module 5: Life Span Development

You may be wondering why life span development is studied in psychology. People change significantly over their lifetimes, and developmental psychology explores what changes and what stays the same. Physical, intellectual, social, and emotional growth all contribute to your life span development. This module will delve into how humans develop from birth until death.

Getting Started

Take a trip down memory lane. How much have you changed since you were a child? Reflect on what you were like at age three, five, seven, nine, eleven, and thirteen. Now think about how much you have changed since you were in middle school.

Shift gears for a moment, and visualize your future. How much do you think you will change as you enter and pass through adulthood? Everyone has difficulty imagining becoming elderly, but what do you think your life will be like during late adulthood?

 

Key Vocabulary

To view the definitions for those key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.