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Lifespan Development
Authors Lally and Valentine-French in their 2022 book Lifespan development: A psychological perspective 4th edition, breakdown the six stages of life in their book. They stated on page 9, that “originally, most were concerned more with infants and children, now the field has expanded to include adolescence and even more recently, aging and the entire life span. Previously, the message was once you are 25, your development is essentially completed. Our academic knowledge of the lifespan has changed, and although there is still less research on adulthood than on childhood, adulthood is gaining increasing attention. This is particularly true now that the large cohort known as the “baby boomers” are beginning to enter late adulthood. The assumption that early childhood experiences dictate our future is also being called into question. Rather, we have come to appreciate that growth and change continues throughout life and experience continues to have an impact on who we are and how we relate to others. We now recognize that adulthood is a dynamic period of life marked by continued cognitive, social, and psychological development.” It’s important to look at the whole lifespan of people to truly see how communication has impacted them throughout each stage in their life. Read below to learn more about each of the six life stages.
Lally, M., & Valentine-French, S. (2022). Lifespan development: A psychological perspective (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
