Developmental Science

Introduces readers to lifespan perspectives on various areas in developmental psychology - neuroscience, genetics, perception, cognition, language, emotion, self, and social interaction. This book also introduces the history and systems, methodologies, and measurement and analytic techniques used to understand the area of human development.

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Noted as one of the most comprehensive textbooks in the field, Developmental Science, 6th Edition introduces readers to all of areas in developmental psychology: neuroscience, genetics, perception, cognition, language, emotion, self, and social interaction. Each of the world-renowned contributors masterfully introduces the history and systems, methodologies, and measurement and analytic techniques used to understand the area of human development under review. The relevance of the field is illustrated through engaging applications in each chapter. As a whole, this highly-respected text illuminates substantive phenomena in developmental science, its applications across the life span, and its relevance to everyday life.


Each chapter has been substantially revised for this new edition to reflect the current state of the field and the new edition is now accompanied by a website. Students and instructors will find chapter outlines, topics to think about before reading the chapters, a glossary, and suggested readings with active reference links on the website. Electronic access to the text’s figures and tables, suggestions for classroom assignments and/or discussion, and a test bank with multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions is limited to instructors only. Two new chapters highlight many modern developments. Each chapter features an introduction, up-to-date overviews of the field, summary and conclusion, and numerous classical and contemporary references.


The book opens with an overview of developmental science -- its history and theory, the cultural orientation to thinking about human development, and the manner in which empirical research is designed, conducted, and analyzed. Part 2 focuses on the field’s major substantive areas: neuroscience and genetics, physical and motor skills, perception, and cognitive and language development. Part 3 examines personality and social development within the context of the various relationships and situations in which developing individuals function and by which they are shaped. The book concludes with a new chapter on the latest applications of developmental science. Ways in which developmental thinking and research affect and are affected by practice and social policy are particularly emphasized.


Used primarily as a graduate level text for courses on developmental psychology/science, life span, and/or human development, the book can also be used at the advanced undergraduate level. Researchers interested in staying abreast of the latest developments in the field also appreciate the book’s comprehensive nature.