Psychology PresentationChapter 10: Life Span DevelopmentAla SahouriEduardo Villanueva

Introduction: Lifespan DevelopmentDevelopmental psychology is the study of change and stability of human physical, cognitive, social, and behavioral characteristics across the lifespan

Stages?Language development begins before we are even born

Methods Concepts and prenatal DevelopmentTwo methods of measuring development:Cross sectional Study: different ages,compared at a single point in time.

Longitudinal Study: same group of subjects, tracked over multiple point in time.Stages; 1.germinal:0 to 2 weeks- division lead to multiple organ,nervous system and skin tissue

2.Embryonic: 2 to 8 weeks- mayor structures begin to form, head, heart and limbs. embryo attaches to placenta (oxygen and nutrients exchanged)

3.Fetal Stage: 8 to birth- brain development,

Cohort Effects where the age of the person can affect of the yearteratogen: substance such a drug that is capable of producing physical defectsfetal alcohol syndrome involves abnormalities in mental functioning growth and facial development in the offspring of women who use alcohol during preg.reflexes involuntary muscular reactions to specific of stimulation

Infancy and childhoodSynaptogenesis: formation of billions of new synapses.

Synaptic pruning: the loss of weak nerve cell connections.Piaget Stages of cognitive Development:Sensorimotor 0-2yrs thinking and understanding about the world is based on sensory experiences and physical actions.Preoperational 2-7yrs understanding of symbols pretend play mastery of concept of conservationconcrete operational 7-11yrs develop skills in using and manipulating numbers as well as logical thinking.Formal Operational 11-adulthood advance cognitive processes abstract reasoning and hypothetical thinking.

Erikson Stages of Psychosocial development 8 Stages. for example Trust versus mistrust during infancyPhysical changes: Motor skills develop in stages

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AdolescenceThe awkward stage*Brain not fully developed until the age of 25 yrs.

A time of Opportunity period of physical growth

Kohlbergs Stages of moral reasoning; Trolley examplePreconventional morality: characterized by self-interest in seeking reward or avoiding punishment.Conventional morality: regards social conventions and rules as guides for appropriate moral behavior.Postconventional morality: considers rules and laws as relative.

Adulthood and AgingDementia: refers to a set of symptoms including mild to severe disruption of mental functioning, memory loss, disorientation, poor judgement, and decision making.Alzheimer's disease: usually appears at 71 but rarely at 60 Puzzles and brain teasers leads to better maintenance of cognitive and brain functioning

Research on aging has shown that while declines may be expected in some mental abilities, people can still have control over how they age.

Cognitive task = mentally sharper and more satisfied with their mental abilities. no real transition from adolescence to young adult, Here in the US 18 seems to be the point going into adulthood but not yet resposible .Article (CALTAP Model) TheContextual Adult Lifespan Theory for Adapting Psychotherapy Model provides an understanding as to how to treat older patients with regards to social/cultural differences and their age developmentsThe main themes of the CALTAP model are: developmental aging, social context, cohort differences, and cultural issues

Negative MaturationPhysical aspects of negative maturation include vision, mobility, and hearing impairmentsThese impairments may affect emotional healthMental aspects of negative maturation such as decreased cognitive functionality, memory loss, and diseases affecting the brain (E.g. Alzheimers) may also negatively impact a patient and should be considered when treating themPositive MaturationOlder adults can also benefit from maturation such as gaining life experiences and learning to deal with their emotions

Challenges in later lifeA psychologist should understand the challenges an older patient may face when treating them. These challenges include disabilities, diseases, and depression Social ContextsThe CALTAP Model also considers the need to understand the current social environment of the patientThe psychologist should take note of the patients living situation (E.g. Nursing home, their own home, independent living villagesThe people around the patient such as family, friends, nursing home staff, and etc are also factors when assessing a patient and should be consideredCohort InfluencesCohort refers to a group of people born within a certain timespan who share a sense of group identity.Where and when a person was born should be taken into consideration when treating them.While cohorts are important to consider, there should be no assumptions made about the patient based upon their cohortFor example older patients may have different views on same sex marriage and abortion than younger patients

Cultural ContextLike cohort factors, culture should be considered but no assumptions should be made based on culture contextDepending on culture aging can be considered either positive or negativeCultures that believe in respect for elders may have a hard time dealing with decreased cognitive function and physical impairmentsThe psychologist must take care when discussing this subject for it may be sensitive to the patientCALTAP ModelThe CALTAP Model can be used for implemented for both psychotherapy and psychoanalysis of older adults.A psychologist must be aware of all the factors when treating an older patient and should be able to address these.Differences between treating older adults vs younger adults has little to do with developmental aging but more with the social and cultural differences between the two.Discussion questions:1. Has technology allowed for an increase of life expectancy or has it shorten it?

2. Give an example of a social/cultural aspect of an older persons life that is different than ours today.