Note to students:

• The topics covered in these slides are the topics you’ll want to study
most thoroughly in the textbook.

• Many of these slides have notes, which provide more detail.

• These notes generally align with info from the textbook.
PSY 1100
(Human Development Life Span)

Instructor:
Leo Schlosnagle, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
● Take a few moments to download and read the syllabus
(located under “files” on Canvas)

● The syllabus has the due date of every assignment, the date
of every exam, and other essential information

● Mark your calendar with due dates and exam dates, and plan
accordingly!
● Remember: especially in an online course, nobody will be reminding
you to read, work on assignments, or study for exams.
● It will be YOUR responsibility to stay organized and stay on top of the
coursework.
**If this is a summer semester course**
• The pace of the class will be very quick.

• Some assignments may be due on the first day of the semester, and
others are due in the very near future (see syllabus).
• Exams will occur in the near future.

• To avoid falling behind, you will need to stay organized and begin work
immediately, and you will need to continue working consistently
throughout the semester.
• Expect to be engaged with the course nearly every day (reading textbook, studying
for exams, working on assignments, etc.)
Using Canvas

● Take some time to explore the Canvas site for the course, and
familiarize yourself with its contents.
● Click “announcements”, and you’ll see some introductory info, and tips
for success—this is a good place to start.

● Instructions for assignments & materials are posted on Canvas

● (Many of the materials you’ll use are under “files”)
Using Canvas

• Please be aware:
• Late work is not accepted (any work you turn in after the deadline will receive 0 points)
• Plan accordingly—do not wait until the last minute to submit assignments or to take an
exam.
• Despite these warnings, each semester a student waits until the last minute to submit an assignment,
they experience a technical problem that prevents them from submitting, the deadline passes, and
receive a score of 0. Do NOT put yourself in this position!
● The instructor is NOT responsible for computer crashes, power outages, internet failures,

corrupted or lost files, or any other computer problem that prevents a student from
submitting an assignment!
● Thus, do NOT wait until the last minute to submit your assignment!
 Syllabus Overview
• GENERAL COURSE OBJECTIVES
• Improve understanding of:

• -typical human development across the life span.

• -influences of biology and the environment on development & behavior.

• -the scientific process used to study human development and behavior.

• -critical thinking, esp. your ability to think critically about course topics.

• - “best practices” that you can apply to your own life.

The text:
• Papalia, Diane E., Feldman, Ruth D., & Martorell, G. (2011). Experience Human Development, 13th Edition.
McGraw-Hill. ISBN -10: 0078035147 / ISBN-13: 978-0078035142
Your instructor:
Leo Schlosnagle, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Utah Valley University

I earned my B.A. in Psychlogy at

St. Mary’s College of Maryland

I earned my Ph.D. in Psychology

(specializing in life-span
developmental psychology) at
West Virginia University
Syllabus Overview: Grading
● 4 exams (75 pts each)
● 1 OPTIONAL comprehensive make-up exam (replaces lowest exam
score; 75 pts)
● 20 brief reflection activities (4 pts each=80 pts)
● 2 discussion questions (5 pts each)
● 1 out of class experience/interview (25 pts)
● 3 term paper preps (5 pts each)
● 1 term paper (60 pts)
● 2 homeworks (35 pts each)
● 1 OPTIONAL homework (replaces lowest HW score, 35 pts)

• All assignments are submitted via Canvas

• All exams take place on Canvas
Syllabus Overview: Grading
● Thus, 560 pts total

● A 90+% 504 – 560 pts

● B 80–89.9% 448 – 503 pts
● C 70–79.9% 392 – 447 pts
● D 60–69.9% 336 – 391 pts
● F < 60% 0 – 335 pts

● (more detail in syllabus)

MS Word is REQUIRED!
• Plan ahead!
How do we earn good grades?
• Any ideas?
How to Learn and Get a Good Grade
1. Be aware of / adhere to syllabus
2. Study materials CONSISTENTLY, do not “cram“
3. Participate & ask questions if you don't understand
4. Start term paper, HWs, other assignments early; do not write at last minute
5. If you’re having trouble, get help sooner, rather than later
(You can sometimes save your grade if you get help at the start of the semester, but by
the end of the semester, it’s often too late. Thus, if you’re having trouble, talk to the
instructor immediately).
6. Don't just know, but understand
Chapter 1: The study of human development
The study of human development
• Why should we study human development?
What’s this?
Normal Distribution
• In nature
– (temp.)
• Among humans
– (height)
– (test scores) 0
3’
F 35
4’
D 50
5’
C 85
6’
B 100
7’
A

– This class focuses on averages (the middle)

The study of human development
• Categories (“toddler”, “adolescent”, “adult”, “old age”)

• Who considers themselves:

• An adult?
• An adolescent?
• A child?
• Some other category?

• What makes someone an adult? (also, what makes someone not an adult?)
 The study of human development
• How old is “old”?

• Dara Torres (U.S.)

• First Olympics: 1984
• Won Olympic silver in Beijing in 2008 at age of 41
• in the 50m freestyle, in a personal-best 24.07 seconds.
• Just .01 seconds behind gold winner Britta Steffen of Germany (24)

• Nick Skelton (U.K.)

• 2016: wins equestrian individual jumping gold medal in Rio at age 58
• The oldest medalist ever in Olympic equestrian history
The study of human development
• Broad & evolving field
• Initially focused on just childhood
• Life span approaches
• 1st graduate program to focus on life span development established
at West Virginia University in 1970s

• How and why do people change?

• How/why does someone live to 100?
• How/why does someone become a violent criminal?
• How/why does someone achieve a 4.0 GPA?
The study of human development
• Sometimes, seemingly small events can have a BIG impact

– Infants raised in orphanage

• Large room, many cribs
• Infants on outer perimeter (near the walls) had more positive outcomes
• Infants in center of room had poorer outcomes

• Why?
The study of human development
• Periods of the life span
• Social constructions
• Subjective, varies across cultures & generations

• But, they can still be useful

• Prenatal
• (Infancy/toddler) Birth-3
• Early Childhood (3-6)
• Middle childhood (6-11)
• Adolescence (11-20)
• Emerging adulthood (20-40)
• Middle adulthood (40-65)
• Late adulthood (65+)
The study of human development
• How do people change? 3 domains:

• Physical/Biological –genetics, diet, exercise, etc.

• E.g.; Living to 80

• Psychosocial/emotional—parents, peers, temperament, etc.

• E.g.; becoming a violent criminal

• Cognitive—IQ, decision making ability, ability to learn, etc.

• E.g.; Achieving a 4.0 GPA

Do these domains interact?

The study of human development
Domains of Development Involve
Stability & Change

• Physical Development
 Height, brain
• Psychosocial Development
 temperament, relationships
• Cognitive Development
 language, judgment & decision making
The study of human development
• What can we do with the information?

• Four main goals: describe, explain, predict, intervene

• Living to 80?
• Describe: (e.g.; the bone density of someone 80 yrs old is ___)
• Explain: (e.g.; diet is related to longevity)
• Predict: (e.g.; a person w/ education & friends is likely to live to 100)
• Intervene: (e.g.; if a person exercises, they will live longer)
The study of human development
Influences on development:
• Why do people change?
• Heredity/genes (nature)
• Environment (nurture)
• Maturation

• “nature vs. nurture”

• Consider alcoholism
The study of human development

Biological and environmental

Normative age- influences associated w/ age,
affect a group (puberty,
graded influences driver’s license)

Normative history- Biological and environmental

influences associated with history,
graded influences affect a group (polio, WWII)

Non-normative life Unusual (+ or -) occurrences

that have a major impact on a
events specific person (winning lotto)
The study of human development
• Normative history-graded influences in more detail:

• Historical generation (WWII; 9/11)

• Cohort
Contexts of development
• Culture
• Outgoing personality in culture where shyness is valued
• Socioeconomic status (SES)
• Income, education & occupation (resources)
• Growing up next to a busy airport
The study of human development
• Timing of influences: critical & sensitive periods

• “Impressionable age”
• “Can’t teach an old dog new tricks”

• Plasticity

• The study of “Genie”

• 12 yrs old; only knew her name & “sorry”
The study of human development
• Paul Baltes’ Life Span Approach: 7 key principals

1. Development is lifelong.

2. Development is multidimensional (i.e., mult. Domains)

3. Development is multidirectional.
The study of human development
Paul Baltes’ Life Span Approach: 7 key principals

4. Relative influences of biology and culture shift over the life span.

5. Development involves changing resource allocations.

6. Development shows plasticity.

7. Development is influenced by the historical and cultural context.

Chapter 1 = Done!
…but the studying is just beginning…