Lifespan Development Theory

Lifespan is an extension to development psychology from the moment we are conceived, until the day we die, we are continually developing and altering, although nearly all the changes we go through are due to coincidental incidents and individual choices ("Lifespan Development Introduction and Information", 2018). The clear majority in life changes and the stages we go through are linked to common biological and psychological culture as human beings this is shared by all individuals. In this report it will show the case study created in appendix one informing how development psychology is linked, and the theories psychologist believed contributed to the transitions through life.

Psychologist study the behaviour and mental processes

Due to Anna not attending school regularly and missing part of her education this transition would not have happened impacting her later in life, unlike Vygotsky’s (1934) theory Jean piaget (1896-1980) based his theory on four stages of cognitive development Anna would have been in the formal operational stage, where at this point of transition teenagers consider to think about ethical, social and political views where hypothetical reasoning is needed (Cherry, 2017).Erik Erikson (1902-1994) theory of lifespan development would conclude anna’s transition from childhood to adulthood would be the stage of intimacy versus isolation, Erikson (1994) believed young grown-ups whose personalities are weak or shapeless will continue in shallow relationships and will practice a sense of segregation or loneliness consistent with Erikson’s (1994) theory anna had suffered isolation as a child and this continued on into annas lifespan where she entered into an abusive relationship this stage in Erikson’s (1994) theory of intimacy versus isolation, as also proved with this theory of stages anna would continue into the generativity versus stagnation which

This transition did not go smoothly for Dave as he was neglected by his parents and fended for himself and later taken into foster care. The link to Bowlby’s (1990) theory is dave continued to follow this development pattern showing being unloved and rejected by his main caregivers at an early age resulted in him avoiding any attachment with others as he reached adolescents. Unlike Bowlby’s (1990) theory Sigmund Freud (1939) stated his greatest noteworthy conclusion was behaviour is ruled equally by conscious and unconscious developments through five psychosexual stages that did not cover the whole lifespan (Boyd & Bee, 2012) pages 24.Erikson (1994) know as neo-Freudians projected thoughts that completed strength of Freud’s (1939) theory but his concept is linked to psychosocial stages in comparison to psychosexual ones, he alleged that development continued through the whole lifespan. Linked to Erikson’s (1994) stages of development Dave entered identity versus role confusion aged thirteen years, he alleged youths will