Chapter 11: Human Development Across the Life Span

1. Outline the major events of the three phases of prenatal development.

2. Summarize the impact of environmental factors on prenatal development.

3. Describe general principles of motor development and cultural variations in motor development.

4. Summarize Thomas and Chess's longitudinal study of infant temperament and Kagan’s work on temperament.

5. Describe Harlow’s and Bowlby’s views on attachment.

6. Summarize research on patterns of attachment and their effects.

7. Discuss cultural variations in attachment and Belsky’s evolutionary perspective on attachment.

8. Outline the basic tenets of Erikson's theory and describe his stages of childhood personality development.

9. Outline Piaget's stages of cognitive development and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Piaget's theory.

10. Describe Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of cognitive development.

11. Summarize evidence which suggests that some cognitive abilities could be innate.

12. Outline Kohlberg's stages of moral development and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Kohlberg's theory.

13. Describe the physiological changes of puberty and research on neural development in adolescence.

14. Evaluate the assertion that adolescence is a time of turmoil.

15. Discuss some common patterns of identity formation in adolescence.

16. Summarize evidence on the stability of personality in adulthood and the prevalence of the midlife crisis.

17. Outline Erikson's stages of development in adulthood.

18. Describe typical transitions in family relations during the adult years.

19. Describe the physical changes associated with aging and the evidence on Alzheimer’s disease.

20. Describe how intelligence, memory, and mental speed change in later adulthood.

21. Explain how this chapter highlighted the interaction of heredity and environment.

22. Summarize evidence on gender differences in behavior and discuss the significance of these differences.

23. Explain how biological factors are thought to contribute to gender differences.

24. Explain how environmental factors are thought to contribute to gender differences.

25. Explain the argument that fathers are essential for healthy development and some criticism of this line of reasoning.