What is lifespan development?
The scientific study of behavior and mental changes across the lifetime.
What does adaptation mean in lifespan development?
Adjusting effectively to changing biological, environmental, or life demands.
Why is development considered multidimensional?
Because physical, cognitive, and socioemotional changes occur simultaneously.
Why is development called multidirectional?
Because some behaviors expand while others shrink or stay stable at the same life stage.
Why is development described as contextual?
Because individuals are influenced by environments, culture, socioeconomic status, and life events.
What does chronological age measure?
The amount of time a person has been alive.
What does biological age indicate?
Physiological cellular and tissue functioning.
What does developmental age compare?
A person's developmental position with same-age peers.
What does social age reflect?
Cultural expectations for people in different age groups.
What are the lifespan stages from conception to birth called?
Prenatal stage.
What age range defines early childhood?
From 2 to 6 years.
What age range defines adolescence?
From 13 to 17 years.
From what age does late adulthood begin?
From 65 years onward.
What is cognition in developmental psychology?
A broad set of mental processes to acquire knowledge and solve problems.
What does physical development include?
Changes in biology and health like brain development and motor skills.
What processes change during cognitive development?
Thought processes such as reasoning, memory, and language.
What does socioemotional development involve?
Changes in social interactions and emotions including identity and personality.
Why is understanding development important for a SET?
To identify atypical needs and set realistic goals.
How does understanding development help with interventions?
It informs appropriate interventions and promotes empathy.
When do the most rapid physical changes of lifespan occur?
From conception to birth.
What defines an infant as preterm?
Being born before 37 weeks.
Why do preterm infants face higher risks of illness and death?
Their bodies and organs are not fully developed.
Which senses develop prenatally for early experiences before birth?
Touch, hearing, and taste.
What is a reflex in newborns?
An automatic motor response.
Why are newborn reflexes assessed?
Absent or weak reflexes can indicate brain or nervous-system problems.
Name three important newborn reflexes.
Grasping, rooting, and sucking reflexes.
What is the pincer grasp and when does it develop?
Thumb and index finger meet; develops around 9 to 12 months.
When do overall rates of growth and physical change slow?
During early life.
At what age does the adolescent growth spurt begin for girls?
Around age 10.
At what age does the adolescent growth spurt begin for boys?
Around age 12.
What physical changes increase during the adolescent growth spurt?
Height, muscle fibers, and strength.
Between which ages does puberty typically begin?
Between ages 9 and 13.
What marks the beginning of puberty?
The attainment of sexual maturity.
When does young adulthood generally bring the peak of physical development?
When body systems reach maximum efficiency, strength, and biological potential.
What is senescence in the context of aging?
Senescence is the natural physical decline that occurs with age.
Why is senescence described as asynchronous?
Because body systems age at different speeds and in different ways.
What defines primary aging?
Inevitable universal changes caused by normal aging.
What characterizes secondary aging?
Changes related to illness or health habits that are not inevitable.
How can a client adapt when physical limitations interfere with tasks?
By modifying actions through compensation strategies or using adaptive equipment.
What is genotype in genetics?
The inherited set of genes.
What is phenotype in genetics?
The set of observable traits from gene and environment interaction.
What environmental factors influence phenotype?
Nutrition, exercise, accidents, and illnesses.
What does epigenetics study?
Environmental influences that switch gene expression on or off without changing genes.
How does physical well-being affect overall well-being?
It contributes significantly to overall well-being.
Do clients control many physical characteristics?
Clients have little or no control over many physical characteristics.
What is memory?
The ability to store information or past experience representations.
Which types of memory are included in the memory system?
Sensory memory, short-term memory, episodic memory, and long-term memory.
What brain areas develop to support memory management in childhood?
The prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
How does brain development affect memory during childhood?
It supports managing complex short-term and long-term memory demands.
When do infants begin taking in information through their senses?
Before birth and during infancy.
How does sensory learning in infancy affect memory?
It supports the use of memory.
When do significant memory improvements occur in infancy?
During infancy between 2 and 6 months.
At what age do children start generating memory strategies spontaneously?
After age 5.
What are examples of memory strategies?
Organization, elaboration, and meaningful associations.
How does rehearsal affect memory?
It helps information re-enter short-term memory to aid long-term storage.
How do accumulated experience and expertise affect memory in older children?
They help organize and store new information more efficiently using prior knowledge.
Why is forgetting considered normal at any age?
Because it is biologically necessary for efficient cognitive functioning.
How do adults typically experience age-related memory changes?
They experience only minor declines that do not interfere with daily life.
What causes severe memory loss if not normal aging?
Neurodegenerative disorders and other medical conditions cause severe memory loss.
Name one factor that can affect memory besides neural connections.
Stress can affect memory.
Name another factor that can affect memory besides stress and neural connections.
Declining attention can affect memory.
Name a lifestyle factor that influences memory.
Physical activity influences memory.
Why is death rarely a singular sudden event biologically?
Because aging involves a developmental trajectory of loss and decline.
What characterizes the biological process of aging?
A developmental trajectory increasingly marked by loss and decline.
What does death represent in biological terms?
The ultimate biological limit when the body can no longer sustain life.
Test your knowledge with 32 questions on Lifespan Physical and Cognitive Development.
1. What does lifespan development scientifically examine across a person's life?
2. Which situation best illustrates adaptation in lifespan development?
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