- Denise Boyd |
- Helen Bee |
- Michelle Jaworsky |
- Paul A Johnson |
Title overview
For courses in Lifespan Development
An introduction to developmental science that focuses on applications and research
Lifespan Development provides an essential balance among theory, research, and practical application while making the study of human development relevant for those in the various fields in which this information is needed, including the social and health sciences, education, and many others. Current thinking and recent research are presented in a personal and direct way so that the book is more like a conversation than a traditional text, without sacrificing either theoretical clarity or rigour of research. To convey this richness, Lifespan Development includes teaching and learning features to help you manage and sort out all this information in an engaging and meaningful manner.
Hallmark features of this title
- Policy Questions. Discussions of Canadian social policy issues relevant to human development appear at the end of each unit. These discussions will provide you with insight into how the findings of developmental research may be used to influence policy changes in the real world. They may also serve as starting points for group discussions and research projects.
- Development In The Real World. Development in the Real World essays help you understand the complexities involved in trying to apply developmental theories and research to real-life problems. They offer practical advice on parenting, teaching, caregiving, and other aspects of daily life to which developmental psychology is relevant.
New to this Edition
- Updated Key Terms. Language is such an important part of this course. All key terms throughout the text have been assessed and replaced as necessary with more relevant and currently correct terminology. When referencing a specific research study, the language the researchers used to describe the participants is also used in our text.
- New Information on Topics including but not limited to: Sexual and gender diversity; Inclusive education; Intersectionality and cultural and ethnic identity development; Individual variability in midlife multigenerational caregiving and personality stability; Multilinguistic learners; Multigenerational households.
- Assessment-Driven Learning Objectives. Faculty are seeking ways to integrate opportunities for assessment and accountability into the instructional materials they require students to use. In response to this need, we have revised instructional objectives in Lifespan Development to correspond to content additions, deletions, and revisions. Our goal is to provide readers with the direction they need to extract key information from the text. Importantly, too, we want to be sure that every objective helps instructors choose test items and build assignments that answer the following questions: “Are students learning what they should from a course in human development, and are they capable of applying what they are learning to practical questions about human development?”
- Organization and Pedagogy. Each revision of Lifespan Development provides us with an opportunity to critically examine and improve all aspects of the text’s organization and pedagogy. Likewise, revisions enable us to reframe topics in the context of changes in the ways in which those topics are explained and studied. For example, for the eighth Canadian edition, previous editions of the text were extensively reviewed with respect to discussions of diversity and inclusion. These reviews generated suggestions for improvement that were incorporated into the goals that drove the revision process.
Key features
Important Digital Assets in Revel
- MyVirtualLife. Bringing developmental practices to life, MyVirtualLife is an interactive simulation that allows students to virtually raise a child from birth to age 18 and monitor the effects of their parenting decisions over time. After students parent their virtual child, MyVirtualLife pivots to the first person perspective of a virtual adult. By incorporating physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development throughout the lifespan, MyVirtualLife helps students think critically as they apply their course work to the practical experiences of first raising a virtual child and then navigating key decisions from emerging through late adulthood. MyVirtualLife includes current and modern-day scenarios as well as an updated interface with new avatars. You can access MyVirtualLife within Revel.
- Truth and Reconciliation in Psychology. This module invites you to learn about reconciliation promotion with Indigenous Peoples. Dr. Natasha Wawrykow is a member of the Skuppah Band, Nlaka’pamux Nation. She resides as a visitor on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen peoples, as well as, the land of the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEC peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day. Dr. Wawrykow is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Victoria. Through her role as Department of Psychology Indigenization Advisor, she supports Indigenous community-driven research topics and counselling opportunities that promote reconciliation and prosperity for the Indigenous community.
- Videos. Video topics range from discussions of contemporary research to personal stories of individuals’ struggles with and triumphs over the challenges associated with each phase of the lifespan.
Table of contents
- Basic Concepts and Methods
- Theories of Development
- Prenatal Development and Birth
- Physical, Sensory, and Perceptual Development in Infancy
- Cognitive Development in Infancy
- Social and Personality Development in Infancy
- Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
- Social and Personality Development in Early Childhood
- Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
- Social and Personality Development in Middle Childhood
- Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence
- Social and Personality Development in Adolescence
- Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood
- Social and Personality Development in Early Adulthood
- Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood
- Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood
- Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood
- Social and Personality Development in Late Adulthood
- Death, Dying, and Bereavement
Author bios
About our authors
Denise Boyd received her doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Houston and is a professor of psychology at Houston Community College. During her years at HCC, Dr. Boyd has served in several instructional leadership positions. She has also been appointed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to working groups charged with developing psychology curricula for community colleges across the state. In addition, she is a licensed psychologist. Dr. Boyd has co-authored 5 other Pearson texts: with Samuel Wood and Ellen Green Wood, Mastering the World of Psychology and The World of Psychology; with Helen Bee, The Developing Child (13th Edition) and The Growing Child; and with Genevieve Stevens, Current Readings in Lifespan Development.
Michelle Jaworsky is a second-generation immigrant who has the privilege of living on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples most of her life. She completed undergraduate and post-graduate studies in a variety of disciplines at the University of Victoria and received a masters of counselling psychology from the City University of Seattle. Throughout her career, Michelle has supported individuals and families in a variety of roles, including as an elementary and postsecondary educator, investigations analyst at the Office of the British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth, and as a registered clinical counsellor in private practice. She is currently the chair of the Community, Family, and Child Studies department at Camosun College.