preview

Lifespan Development Paper

Decent Essays

One of the key goals of psychology is understanding how and why people function the way that they do. Lifespan development allows us to look at the whole picture of human development and see how life experiences influence decision making. Many people consider lifespan development to be an interdisciplinary field of study, encompassing both the examination of internal factors, such as mental cognition over time and genetics, and external factors, such as one’s environment. Key areas of development that highlight the influence of both nature and nurture include health, both mental and physical, and learning. It is through research and experimentation that psychologists are able to conclude that both nature and nurture yield developmental variations in individuals in every stage of life. Similar to psychology, health is an ongoing developmental process that changes overtime. In studying health, as it pertains to psychology, we must be aware of the biological and environmental factors that are associated with health. On some level, every …show more content…

These difficulties can be the result of genetic influences. In a study that examined the IQ of identical twins, who have the same genes, and the IQ of fraternal twins, whose genes slightly differ, the results showed that because of gene variation IQ differed between the sets of twins (Santrock, 2016). Another area that highlights genetics as an influence on learning is in people with learning disabilities. Intellectual disabilities are the result of genetic brain damage. The most common form of disability is Down Syndrome. This specific type of disability can be the result of the presence of an extra X chromosome or fragile X syndrome. In conclusion, the ability to learn is heavily influenced by both environmental aspects, such as choice of school, and genetic aspects, such as gene

Get Access