Human Development: A Life-Span Approach

by Rice, F. Philip

• ISBN13: 9780130185655
• ISBN10: 0130185655
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

This practical and interesting read contains many anecdotes, real-life examples, and special features drawn from the author's extensive experience as a Marriage, Family and Child Counselor. It reflects the fascinating story of our development--and the development of others around us--to encourage readers to examine their lives and the lives of others. Chapter topics include the beginnings of human life; heredity, environmental influences, and prenatal development; cultural influences and individual differences on human development; child development; adolescent development; adult development; parenting issues, and death, dying, and bereavement. For anyone trying to understand how we have become the individuals we are today, and curious about how our development will change throughout our lives.

Table of Contents

Preface	xxi
Part One The Study of Human Development Over the Life Span
A Life-Span Developmental Perspective	2	(20)
Theories of Development	22	(20)
Part Two The Beginnings of Human Life
Heredity, Environmental Influences, and Prenatal Development	42	(34)
Childbirth and the Neonate	76	(20)
Part Three Child Development
Perspectives on Child Development	96	(14)
Physical Development	110	(36)
Cognitive Development	146	(46)
Emotional Development	192	(32)
Social Development	224	(58)
Part Four Adolescent Development
Perspectives on Adolescent Development	282	(16)
Physical Development	298	(22)
Cognitive Development	320	(24)
Emotional Development	344	(28)
Social Development	372	(30)
Part Five Adult Development
Perspectives on Adult Development	402	(26)
Physical Development	428	(34)
Cognitive Development	462	(26)
Emotional Development	488	(24)
Social Development	512	(44)
Death, Dying, and Bereavement	556

Excerpts

Preface The story of human development is an exciting portrayal of life in the process of becoming. From conception to death, the drama unfolds, revealing an ever more complex being in the making. This story is about you, me, and everyone around us: how we began, how we grew and how we changed before we were born, during our infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adult years. As you read this story, examine your own life. Learn as much as possible about the various influences that have fashioned you into the person you are today. In doing so, you will acquire a keen understanding of the development of others. You will gain an appreciation for the factors that have influenced your friends and family, and learn how those factors have shaped their identities. By looking back and thinking about who you are and how you became you, you will be well equipped to set new sights for the future, and to adjust your own life course so that your development proceeds in the new directions that you chart for yourself. Organization and Divisions There are two basic ways to write about and teach the subject of human development. One method is the chronological approach, which presents all aspects of development during each separate stage of life. The other is the topical approach, which discusses each aspect of development through the entire life span. This text combines the best features of both approaches. This life span development text is organized into five major parts. Part I provides an introduction to a life-span development perspective. It outlines the periods and theories of development, as well as the research methods used in studying this subject. Part II discusses heredity and environmental influences on development, prenatal development, childbirth, and the characteristics of the neonate. Parts III, IV, and V divide the life span into broad chronological age divisions: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, respectively. Five topics are discussed within each of these age categories: perspectives, and physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. While each of these dimensions emphasizes a particular aspect of development, there is a considerable interdependency among them all. Equal attention is given to these three major age groups, reflecting an emphasis on development throughout the life span. This is important because many development books will devote a majority of space to the discussion of the child at the expense of the adolescent and adult. The topical presentation within each of these age groups makes this text ideal for use in courses emphasizing either a topical or chronological approach to life span development. Developmental Theory The aim of this text is not to adopt and present one theory of development. Rather, it is to reflect an eclectic point of view that recognizes the wide variety of theories that can contribute to the total picture of human development, and select the most important ideas from those numerous theoretical positions. The result is a modern philosophy of human development that provides a comprehensive understanding of the theories of developmental psychology. Development is explored as a life-span process, influenced by the interaction of heredity and the environment, beginning with conception and continuing until death (or after death, as some believe). This text examines how development can be seen as simultaneously continuous and discontinuous, controllable and beyond our control, stable and changing. There are many different theories that can tell the story of human development across the life span, and it is the similarities we find in these theories that teach us about ourselves and each other. Features o f the Text What is studied must be relevant. This text deftly applies academic and scholarly principles to our everyday lives, personalizing discussions through the use of manyreal