6/25/2017 LifeSpanDevelopmentBiologicalAndSocialProcessesAge,Aging,Developmental,Physiological,Aging,andDevelopmentalJRankArticles

LifeSpanDevelopmentBiologicalAndSocialProcesses
age aging developmental physiological aging developmental theory outcomes

Anothermainthemeoflifespandevelopmentaltheoryistheideathatagingiscontinuouslyandsimultaneouslyinfluencedby
awiderangeofdynamicbiologicalandsocialprocesses.Althoughitseemstrivialtopointoutthataginghasmultiplecauses,
mosttheoriesofagingemphasizethenonmalleableaspectsofaging.Fromalifespanperspective,itisrecognizedthatsome
oftheantecedentsofagingareuniversalandspeciesdetermined,andthatsomeareidiosyncraticorcohortspecific,culture
specific,orspecifictoasegmentofhistoricaltime.Further,someofthebiogeneticandsocioculturalaspectsofdevelopment
andagingaregenderspecific,andsomeofthebiologicalandsocialaspectsofdevelopmentandagingaregenderinvariant.
Someoftheenvironmentalinfluencesonagingareorseementirelyuniquetoindividuals.

Itseemsthatlifespanresearchersalsofinditusefultolookforconceptuallinkagesacrossdisciplines.Occasionally,such
linkagesleadtomajoradvancesinhowwethinkaboutagingprocesses.Significantadvancesinthestudyofagingoftenreflect
multidisciplinaryintegrationsofideas.Forexample,recentworkintheareaofdevelopmentalbehavioralgeneticsgoes
beyondthestandardpositiononorganismenvironmentinteractionbycallingattentiontononadditivesynergisticeffects.
Thatis,thereareuniquecombinationsofnatureandnurturethatproducesynergisticoroptimaloutcomesfordevelopment.
Asanexampleofasynergisticinteractionbetweenenvironmentalconditionsandheritability,ithasbeenreportedthatthere
isasignificantincreaseintheheightsofsecondgenerationJapanesepersonsraisedintheUnitedStatescomparedwith
secondgenerationJapanesepersonsraisedinJapan.SecondgenerationJapanesepersonsraisedintheUnitedStateswere
overfiveinchestallerthantheAmericanrearedsonsofshortJapanesefathersandtheJapanrearedsonsoftallJapanese
fathers(seeBronfenbrennerandCeci).

Inconclusion,lifespandevelopmentaltheoryprovidesabasisfordescribingbothgainsandlossesassociatedwithaging.
Fromalifespandevelopmentalperspective,researcherstendtoconsiderthepotentialsaswellaslimitsofintraindividual
changeacrossthelifespan.Duetoacombinationofinfluences,manydevelopmentaloutcomesarepossibleforeachperson,
someoutcomesaremorelikelythanothers,someoutcomescanbemademorelikely,andsomeoutcomesarenotpossible.
Fromalifespanorientation,theunderstandingofspecificaspectsofhumanagingarebestunderstoodinalargercontextthat
encompassestheinfluencesofbiologicalandsocioculturalfactorsacrosstimeandage.

WILLIAMJ.HOYER

SeealsoAGEPERIODCOHORTMODELLIFECOURSELIFESPANTHEORYOFCONTROLPHYSIOLOGICALCHANGESSUCCESSFUL
AGING.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
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BALTES,P.B.STAUDINGER,U.M.andLINDENBERGER,U."LifespanPsychology.TheoryandApplicationtoIntellectual
Functioning."AnnualReviewofPsychology50(1999):471507.

BRONFENBRENNER,U.,andCECI,S.J."NaturenurtureReconceptualizedinDevelopmentalPerspective:ABioecological
Model."PsychologicalReview101(1994):568586.

ELDER,G.H.."TheLifeCourseasDevelopmentalTheory."ChildDevelopment69(1998):112.

GREENOUGH,W.T.,andBLACK,J.E."InductionofBrainStructurebyExperience:SubstratesforCognitiveDevelopment."In
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RAMACHANDRAN,V.S."PlasticityintheAdultHumanBrain:IsThereReasonforOptimism?"InMaturationalWindowsand
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RILEY,M.W."OntheSignificanceofAgeinSociology."AmericanSociologicalReview52(1987):114.

ROWE,J.W.,andKAHN,R.L."SuccessfulAging."TheGerontologist37(1997):433440.

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