Life Span Psychology Blogs

This week we read Chapter 12 regarding old age, death and dying.  As we come to the end of this class, Life Span Psychology, I realize that I have been able to relate at each life stage.  I was surprised to learn about the four different classifications of death and what the legal community identifies as death.  There are four different definitions of death:  Clinical, Brain, Biological/Cellular and Social. (LifeSmart, pg. 281-282) Clinical Death is defined as no respiration and no heartbeat Brain Death is defined when the brain is deprived of oxygen  for a short period of time.  This can typically be 8 to 10 minutes. Biological or Cellular Death  happens when there is no electrical charge that can be detected with in the heart and lung tissue. Social Death is when the person is treated as if they were dead even though the individual could be biologically or clinically alive. Legal Death is noted by a qualified person that a patient should be co...

This week we read about early and middle adulthood which have similar milestones with different situations and markers. Physical Development Early Adulthood - One is at height of fitness but more susceptible to alcohol and smoking which can put them at risk for sexual harassment and rape. Middle Adulthood  - This is marked by health concerns and starting testing for serious conditions like breast or colon cancer.  There is more worry about cardiovascular health, vision issues and health/sexual habits.  These latter issues can be dependent on what we did during early adulthood. Cognitive Development Early Adulthood - This is shown during our college years and just after college with our intellectual development.  We look at right vs. wrong or is it right or wrong depending on the situation or new beliefs based on our understanding of our values Middle Adulthood - At this time frame we look at intelligence where it is fluid vs crystallized and the perc...

Adolescence is an interesting topic to explore.  As we read in chapter 8, we ask when does it officially start?  Is it our physical developments?  Is it when we begin to think for ourselves or form our own opinions which may be separate from our parents or grandparents?  Does it have do with influences of our peers, family, teachers or other adults?  Does where we see ourselves in society influence our view of adolescence?  Do we mark adolescence when we become of aware of sexual desires or behaviors?  There are many factors to take into consideration when viewing this time period. The concept of Adolescent Egocentrism was an interesting read.  Elkind termed it as a "an adolescents' tendency to exaggerate the importance, uniqueness and severity of their social and emotional experiences."  (pg. 192)  I saw this during my six years of coaching high school girls' track and field.  When I was coaching, I was in my mid to late twentie...

I continue to be engaged in the chapter readings as they continue to bring insight regarding the physical, motor and cognitive developments with children.  This weeks chapters shed light on the early childhood years (ages 2 to 5 years) and the middle childhood years (ages 5 to 12 years).  I know I blog a lot about my sons but so much of our reading provides additional insight as to how or why my sons develop their cognitive, social and physical skills.     Regarding the early childhood years, I found the left hand and right hand views interesting.  My oldest son started as a toddler favoring his right hand when picking up finger foods or grabbing a utensil or crayon.  As time continued, he started using his left hand more.  In our family my husband and I each had a grandfather that was left handed.  When we enrolled our son in t-ball, he started batted and fielded the ball left handed.  We encouraged it but also let him do what seemed...

This week our reading centered around conception, pregnancy and infancy.  I found the chapters, handout and video all interesting as I recall learning about the biology and science around these three topics.  The more interesting part this week was the emotions I felt as I read the chapters and recalled each of my own pregnancies.  Each of my pregnancies were unique and different and the information helped provide some context for me regarding my experiences.  The biology was of conception and pregnancy caught my attention.  The DNA and chromosomal structures and how they related to the different hereditary disorders.  With my last pregnancy I was considered "of advanced age" which required the doctor to explain the different genetic and chromosomal tests that could be done.  The results of any test were not going to influence my husband and I into any decisions; therefore, we declined taking the tests.  In the reading, I was astonished at the "...

The reading this week brought me back to Psych 101 in college.  Reflecting back on my 18 year old self in my Psych 101 class, I realize now why I failed to truly comprehend the subject matter.  I was able to remember and memorize topics to succeed on assignments and exams, but I did not have the proper context to apply what I was learning from the class.  At that point in time, I didn't have much life experience to apply what we were learning in class to many real world experiences.  I am now older, married with two boys and several pets and extended family and friends within my community.  The theories contained in Chapter 2 make more sense to me at this point in my life.  I can understand how they would have developed but also how each theory seemed to learn from the one before it.  Each theorist reflected on the different prior theories contributing new and differing information to support their theory but all the while expanding the explanation hum...