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Project Two
Emily Higdon
Southern New Hampshire University
PSY-211: Lifespan Development
Victor Vila
October 14, 2024
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The biological perspective when it comes to life-span development focuses on things
such as genetics, immune system, and the brain. The theorist whose theory relates to this
perspective is Jean Piaget and their theory is cognitive development theory. Our textbook
describes how this theory works as, “humans universally develop through four universal stages
of cognitive development (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal
operational)” (Sigelman & Rider, 2021). The first stage, or the sensorimotor stage, starts when
someone is born and lasts until a little over a year old and is portrayed by the development of
increasingly complex motor and sensory mechanisms that provide infants the capacity to
organize and control the world around them. The second stage, or the preoperational stage, takes
place when a child starts learning new words and how to talk which lasts up until they are about
5 or 6 years old and during this stage children acquire the skills necessary to depict plans
metaphorically throughout this period through speech, imitating, mental imagery, imaginative
play, and symbolic illustration.
The third stage, or the concrete operational stage, takes place when a child is about 6 or 7
years old and ends around ages 11 or 12. In contrast to creating hypotheses regarding solely
philosophical or abstract concepts, they are more successful at solving problems that are directly
related to physical reality during this stage. The final stage, or the formal operational stage, starts
during the teenage years and continues throughout adulthood and this cognitive stage allows the
individual to think about several simultaneously interacting factors which helps with problem
solving. An example of how the biological perspective of life-span development applies to me
would be when I was born, I was actually born with a hole in my heart and I was born with blue
eyes even though my mom has hazel eyes and my dad has green eyes! Both my brother and I
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have blue eyes which we got from my mom’s father which I always found super interesting. I
was also born with birthmarks in each of my eyes.
The psychological perspective when it comes to life-span development is based on
factors such as beliefs, mental health, and addiction. The theorist whose theory relates to the
psychological perspective of life-span development is Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalytic
theory. Freud believed that all behavior is motivated even if the person is not aware of this
motivation or purpose. He categorized three different structures to personality which are id, ego,
and superego. “The superego is developed through a process called identification. Motivated by
love, fear, and admiration, children actively imitate their parents’ characteristics and internalize
their parents’ values. Through identification, parents’ values become the ideals and aspirations of
their children” (Newman, 2020). An example of how the psychological perspective of life-span
development applies to me would be my struggles with addiction because I always saw my
parents drinking and my dad smoking weed which I always thought was normal.
The social perspective when it comes to life-span development is based on how a
person’s behavior is shaped by their family, culture, and the surrounding they were raised in.
The theorist whose theory relates to the social perspective of life-span development is Lev
Vygotsky and his theory is called the sociocultural theory. “The sociocultural approach to
cognitive development based on Vygotsky's ideas proposes that mental development is best
understood as a product of social and cultural experience” (Gauvain, 2020). An example of how
the social perspective of life-span development applies to me would be the behaviors I learned
living in a very small town with a lot of people who live to break rules. It resulted in me getting
in a lot of trouble as a teenager since I was basically imitating all the stuff my friends were doing
when I was around them.
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It is very important to analyze the life-span from a combined biological, psychological,
and social perspective because it will give you a better understanding of all the factors that
influenced the way they behave and how they grew up. Having this information can be especially
important when it comes to someone who is maybe having learning difficulties or even just
behavioral difficulties because it will show you the specific needs or interventions you can use to
help them. Another reason why it is important is because it can show you any potential
difficulties or potential challenges a person might have throughout their entire life-span. For
example, knowing the type of environment I grew up in with my parents drinking and smoking
weed could become a guide for resolving my addiction and mental health issues, Focusing on
those traumas and the behaviors I learned with my friends really showed my why I did the things
I did and how to correct those.
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References
Gauvain, M. (2020, March 11). Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory. ScienceDirect.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128093245235694#s0025
Newman, B., & Newman, P. (2020, May 27). Chapter 5 - Psychoanalytic theories.
ScienceDirect.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012815450200005X
Sigelman, C.K., & Rider, E.A., (2021). Life-Span Human Development. Cengage Learning.
