Three Development Patterns of Aging

○ Normal aging

 Mostindividuals

 Psychologicalfunctions peak in early middle age

 Stable until the late fifties

○ Pathological aging

 Greater than average decline

 Early old age, may havemild cognitive impairment

○ Successfulaging

 Positive physical, cognitive, andsocioemotional development maintained

longer

 Declining later in old age

• TheNature of Development (pg. 14-16)

○ Nature-nurtureissue

 Nature- Biological inheritance

 Nurture- Environmentalexperiences

○ Stability-change

 Early traits and characteristics persist throughlife or change

○ Continuity-discontinuity issue

 Involvedeither gradual, cumulative change or distinct stages of change

• Theories ofDevelopment (pg. 26)

○ Scientific Method

 Come up witha process or problem to be studied

 Collect research information

 Analyze data

 Draw conclusions

○ Theory

 Aninterrelated, coherentset of ideas that helps to explain phenomena

and make predictions

 Theories (possibly onquiz - people related to what theory):