Chapter 1.1
normative history-graded influences:
influences associated with a specific time period that define the broader bio-cultural context in which an individual develops
Contexts exert three types of influences
normative age-graded influences, normative history-graded influences, nonnormative or highly individualized life events
nonnormative influences
unpredictable influences not tied to a certain developmental time, personally or historical period
Change in one dimension also affect development in the other dimensions
What is Multidimensional
During late adulthood, older adults might become wiser by being able to call on experience to guide their intellectual decision making but they perform more poorly on tasks that require speed in processing information
What is Multidirectional
Development is Contextual
All development occurs within a context e.g. families, schools, peer groups, churches, etc.
Development in Multidimensional
Development consists of biological, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions..
Development is a Co-Construction
Development is shaped by biology, culture, and the individual factors influencing each other.
According to Baltes' lifespan perspective, what is true about development?
Development of plastic
Development is lifelong
In the life-span perspective, early adulthood is not the endpoint of development; rather, no age period dominates development
Plasticity
Means the capacity for change
During adolescence, as individuals establish romantic relationships, their relationships with friends might decrease.
Multidirectional
Michael's grandfather was teaching Michael how to drive a car. At first, Michael was frustrated because his grandfather's reactions and driving were rather slow; his grandfather explained that while he's not as fast as he used to be, he is more careful in his driving in later life. When Michael followed his grandfather's example and avoided hitting another car due to his cautious driving, he appreciated his grandfather's slow, but careful driving. This difference in ability involving the loss of speed but gain of caution best illustrates Baltes' principle that development is:
Multidirectional
Developmental Science is Multidisciplinary
Multiple fields, including psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, neuroscientists, and medical researchers, share an interest in studying human development across the life span.
Iminathi and all of her siblings are being raised by their elderly grandmother (with few resources) because both of their parents have died from complications of AIDS. This is very common in recent years in South Africa, as many adults have died due to the AIDS/HIV epidemic, leaving their children to be raised by grandparents. According to Baltes' contextual paradigm, this best exemplifies:
Normative history-graded influences
life-span perspective
The perspective that development is lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual that is involves growth, maintenance and regulation; and that is is constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual factors working together.
Development is multidirectional
Throughout life, some dimensions or components of a dimension expand and others shrink.
Developmental Psychology
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
Cognitive dimension includes
a. attention b. memory c. abstract thinking d. speed of processing information e. social intelligence
normative age-graded influences
biological and environmental factors that have a strong correlation with chronological age
Development is plastic
capacity for change