Focusing on the life span as a whole versus focusing on particular developmental periods
Explain the pros and cons of focusing on the life span as a whole versus focusing on particular developmental periods, such as preschool, middle childhood, and adolescence. Why are both approaches necessary when examining child and adolescent development? Find a scholarly journal article that utilizes the life-span perspective; provide a brief summary of the a r ticle comparing that to your course readings.
What are some of the major political, cultural, and scientific cohort effects for your generation? Provide a unique example of a history-graded cohort effect, an age-graded cohort effect, and a sociocultural-graded cohort effect that your cohort has experienced.
Sample Answer
here are the pros and cons of focusing on the life span as a whole versus focusing on particular developmental periods:
Pros of focusing on the life span as a whole:
- It allows us to see how development unfolds over time and how different periods of development are interrelated.
- It helps us to understand how experiences in one period of development can influence later development.
- It can help us to identify factors that promote healthy development across the life span.
Cons of focusing on the life span as a whole:
- It can be difficult to keep track of all the different factors that can influence development over time.
- It can be difficult to generalize findings from one period of development to another.
- It can be difficult to identify the specific mechanisms that underlie developmental change.