Date created: 2018
Theoretical and Conceptual Approaches
to the Lifespan Developmental Approach in Psychology
Lifespan Developmental Paradigms and Meta-Models:
1968-2016
Presenter: Willis Overton, PhD
In this presentation, Overton traces the early history of lifespan psychology and his collaboration with Hayne Reese on their chapter for the first lifespan conference in 1969. This presentation discusses the meta-theoretical concepts discussed by Pepper: organismic and mechanistic. There is a discussion of the dominance of behaviorism and the cognitive revolution, including Piaget, Bruner, Werner and Kaplan, as well as influence of Erickson.
There is further discussion of the influence of Kuhn and Pepper and the development of Organismic Developmental Theory as a lifelong process. There is discussion of the work of Paul Baltes with the emphasis on contextualism. Ontogenetic development including biocultural contextualism, adaptive change and neo functional approach are discussed. The person is seen as a dynamic active system. The presentation also discusses the challenge of bringing together of the organismic and contextual worldviews.
Modifiability of Middle Age and Older Adults’ View of Aging
Presenter: Manfred Diehl, PhD
This presentation addresses the origins of the Lifespan Developmental Approach, including European and American precursors such as Teitens, Buhler, Havighurst, Pressy and Kuhlen and Ericson and Birren. Diehl advances the argument that there was community readiness to accept new approaches, including modifiability and plasticity, new views of aging, person modifiability, promoting healthy aging and opportunities for new interventions. Issues such as age stereotypes leading to negative self-concepts are discussed. Diehl then discusses his research on intervention involving exercise as well as health promotion intervention.
Results include creating awareness of positive aging-gains: stereotypes become less negative, expectations show positive improvement, improvement of physical activities and improvement in control beliefs. Modifiability is shown to be possible.
Manfred Diehl’s Presentation (PDF, 354 KB)opens in new window
Plasticity of Human Aging
Presenter: Ursula M. Staudinger, PhD
In this presentation, Staudinger opens with the discussion that there are now two and three generations of lifespan scholars that have been influenced by this approach to development.
Two major issues that need to be addressed in our time are climate change and population aging. Lifespan psychology has opened doors to solving these issues.
We have had 30 years of added life expectancy and are living in societies that have longer lives. More epidemiology studies show more years of healthy aging. There is a disjuncture between chronological age and health age. There has been enormous changeability and modifiability of human development.
The lifespan paradigm has enabled researchers to move beyond the individual and to embrace biological beings and social/cultural aspects. Plasticity is the modifiability of development, not individual variability. The positive side of plasticity emphasizes improvement and optimization. The negative side is dysfunction and pathological development. There are types of resources that are available to enhance development resulting in personalized plasticity.
Aging science is a multi-level behavioral system—study how development occurs across time and cohorts, that is, ontogenetic development. This approach emphasizes cultural and societal influences—longitudinal data sets across different countries.
Plasticity in 2016 is a snap shot. First, we see plasticity in life expectancy, and second, we see work that shows modifiability of cognitive function. We will see this research moving forward. There is a juncture between chronological age and health age resulting in a 10-year difference. For example, of the Flynn Effect in cohort to cohort development. In the Seattle Longitudinal Study, there has been a positive change over time 1.5 SD over 50 years. Ninety-year-olds 10 years apart show improvement. Examples from data projections will show less decline in the future. Can the slope of development be influenced?
Examples of modification (i.e., aerobic exercise): after 6 months, the aerobic group has significant improvement. Positive brain changes were documented in prefrontal areas. Another example comes from work environment studies. Variations in work activities were found with people experiencing change had higher levels of functioning. Cognition in vivo is a future challenge. Also addressed was modifiability of personality such as openness to experience. Different countries provide different structural characteristics, which can lead to different outcomes. Personality plasticity has had, so far, very little research.
Lifespan psychology has a lot to offer. There is a need to strengthen data sets. An interdisciplinary approach is necessary. That is, there need to be many different disciplines—psychological, biological and cultural—to capture complexity.
Ursula Staudinger’s Presentationopens in new window (PDF, 2MB)
Promoting Character Virtues Across the Lifespan: Relational Development Systems-Based Models, Individual-Context Relations and Relative Plasticity
Presenters: Jacqueline V. Lerner, PhD, and Richard M. Lerner, PhD
This presentation focuses on positive youth development using relational development models. The focus is on the second decade of life. This research uses Relational Development Systems Theory and focuses on positive youth development. Much of adolescence has focused on the deficit model. Lerner and Lerner have used a strength-based model, that is, youth have strength. There are developmental assets and an optimistic view of adolescence. There is an emphasis on context, individual self- regulation and hope for the future and positive relationships.
Positive Youth Development Research has led to positive outcomes in terms of social networks and individual development. Competence, caring, character and connection were found to improve.
Relational plasticity does exist in adolescence, including an optimistic view and promotion of strength with focus on characteristics of change, contextual aspects and improved relational process.
Jacqueline V. Lerner and Richard M. Lerner’s Presentationopens in new window (PDF, 1,433 KB)
Session One Questions
- What do you think are the major contributions of the Lifespan Developmental Approach for expanding our theoretical and conceptual understanding of developmental processes?
- What are the current theoretical and conceptual shortcomings/limitations in our field?
- How can these shortcomings/limitations be addressed?
- Where does the Lifespan Developmental Approach go from here?