Development Across the Life Span

Robert S. Feldman is Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.  A recipient of the College Distinguished Teacher Award, he teaches psychology classes ranging in size from 15 to nearly 500 students.  During the course of more than two decades as a college instructor, he has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses at Mount Holyoke College, Wesleyan University, Virginia Commonwealth University, in addition to the University of Massachusetts.     Professor Feldman, who initiated the Minority Mentoring Program at the University of Massachusetts, also has served as a Hewlett Teaching Fellow and Senior Online Teaching Fellow.  He initiated distance learning courses in psychology at the University of Massachusetts     A Fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, Professor Feldman received a B.A. with High Honors from Wesleyan University and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He is a winner of a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer award, and he has written more than 100 books, book chapters, and scientific articles. He has edited Development of Nonverbal Behavior in Children (Springer-Verlag), Applications of Nonverbal Behavioral Theory and Research (Erlbaum), and co-edited Fundamentals of Nonverbal Behavior (Cambridge University Press). He is also author of Child Development, Understanding Psychology, and P.O.W.E.R. Learning: Strategies for Success in College and Life.  His books have been translated into a number of languages, including Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese.  His research interests include honesty and deception in everyday life and the use of nonverbal behavior in impression management, and his research has been supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Disabilities and Rehabilitation Research.     Professor Feldman loves music, is an enthusiastic pianist, and enjoys cooking and traveling. He has three children, and he and his wife, a psychologist, live in Amherst, Massachusetts, in a home overlooking the Holyoke mountain range.

 

Brief Table of Contents



 

PART 1  BEGINNINGS


CHAPTER 1: An Introduction to Lifespan Development                                 

CHAPTER 2: The Start of Life: Prenatal Development                                               

CHAPTER 3: Birth and the Newborn Infant                

 

PART 2  INFANCY FORMING THE FOUNDATIONS OF LIFE

 

CHAPTER 4: Physical Development in Infancy                                                          

CHAPTER 5: Cognitive Development in Infancy                                                        

CHAPTER 6: Social and Personality Development in Infancy                                     

 

PART 3  THE PRESCHOOL YEARS

 

CHAPTER 7: Physical and Cognitive Development in the Preschool Years                 

CHAPTER 8: Social and Personality Development in the Preschool Years                  

 

PART 4  THE MIDDLE CHILDHOOD YEARS

 

CHAPTER 9: Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood                    

CHAPTER 10: Social and Personality Development in Middle Childhood                     

 

PART 5   ADOLESCENCE

              

CHAPTER 11: Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence                            

CHAPTER 12: Social and Personality Development in Adolescence                

 

PART 6   EARLY ADULTHOOD

 

CHAPTER 13: Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood                       

CHAPTER 14: Social and Personality Development in Early Adulthood                        

 

PART 7   MIDDLE ADULTHOOD

 

CHAPTER 15: Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood                    

CHAPTER 16: Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood                     

 

PART 8   LATE ADULTHOOD

         

CHAPTER 17: Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood                        

CHAPTER 18: Social and Personality Development in Late Adulthood                         

 

PART 9  ENDINGS

 

CHAPTER 19: Death and Dying



 

 

Detailed Table of Contents

 

 

PART 1  BEGINNINGS


CHAPTER 1: An Introduction to Lifespan Development                                 





Prologue: The Oldest Newest Mother
Looking Ahead

AN ORIENTATION TO LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
KEY ISSUES AND QUESTIONS: DETERMINING THE NATURE–AND NURTURE–OF LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
RESEARCH METHODS


Epilogue
Looking Back

CHAPTER 2: The Start of Life: Prenatal Development                                               



Prologue: An Agonizing Choice
Looking Ahead

EARLIEST DEVELOPMENT
THE INTERACTION OF HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT
PRENATAL GROWTH AND CHANGE


Epilogue
Looking Back

CHAPTER 3: Birth and the Newborn Infant                



Prologue: Smaller Than a Soda Can
Looking Ahead

BIRTH
BIRTH COMPLICATIONS
THE COMPETENT NEWBORN


Looking Back
Epilogue

PART 2  INFANCY FORMING THE FOUNDATIONS OF LIFE

 

CHAPTER 4: Physical Development in Infancy                                                          



Prologue: Waiting for the First Steps
Looking Ahead

GROWTH AND STABILITY
MOTOR DEVELOPMENT
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SENSES


Epilogue
Looking Back

 CHAPTER 5: Cognitive Development in Infancy                                                        



Prologue: The Electric Nanny
Looking Ahead

PIAGET’S APPROACH TO COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
INFORMATION-PROCESSING APPROACHES TO COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
THE ROOTS OF LANGUAGE


Epilogue
Looking Back 

CHAPTER 6: Social and Personality Development in Infancy                                     



Prologue: The Velcro Chronicles
Looking Ahead

DEVELOPING THE ROOTS OF SOCIABILITY
FORMING RELATIONSHIPS
DIFFERENCES AMONG INFANTS


Epilogue
Looking Back

PART 3  THE PRESCHOOL YEARS

 

CHAPTER 7: Physical and Cognitive Development in the Preschool Years                 



Prologue: Wild William
Looking Ahead

Physical Growth
Intellectual Development
The Growth of Language and Learning


Epilogue
Looking Back

CHAPTER 8: Social and Personality Development in the Preschool Years                  



Prologue: Baby's First Application Essay
Looking Ahead

FORMING A SENSE OF SELF
FRIENDS AND FAMILY: PRESCHOOLERS’ SOCIAL LIVES
MORAL DEVELOPMENT AND AGGRESSION


Looking Back
Epilogue

PART 4  THE MIDDLE CHILDHOOD YEARS

 

CHAPTER 9: Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood                    



Prologue: A Kid-Drawn Sensation
Looking Ahead

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT
SCHOOLING: THE THREE Rs (AND MORE) OF MIDDLE CHILDHOOD


Looking Back
Epilogue 

CHAPTER 10: Social and Personality Development in Middle Childhood                     



Prologue: To Play or Not to Play
Looking Ahead

THE DEVELOPING SELF
RELATIONSHIPS: BUILDING FRIENDSHIP IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD
FAMILY AND SCHOOL: SHAPING CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOR IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD


Looking Back
Epilogue

PART 5   ADOLESCENCE

              

CHAPTER 11: Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence                            



Prologue: The Middle School Marathon
Looking Ahead

PHYSICAL MATURATION
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND SCHOOLING
THREATS TO ADOLESCENTS’ WELL-BEING


Looking Back
Epilogue

CHAPTER 12: Social and Personality Development in Adolescence                



Prologue: Teen Tech
Looking Ahead

IDENTITY: ASKING “WHO AM I?”
RELATIONSHIPS: FAMILY AND FRIENDS
DATING, SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, AND TEENAGE PREGNANCY


Epilogue
Looking Back

PART 6   EARLY ADULTHOOD

 

CHAPTER 13: Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood                       



Prologue: A Tale of Two Students
Looking Ahead

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
COLLEGE: PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION


Epilogue
Looking Back

CHAPTER 14: Social and Personality Development in Early Adulthood                        



Prologue
Looking Ahead

FORGING RELATIONSHIPS: INTIMACY, LIKING, AND LOVING DURING EARLY ADULTHOOD
THE COURSE OF RELATIONSHIPS
WORK: CHOOSING AND EMBARKING ON A CAREER


Looking Back
Epilogue 

PART 7   MIDDLE ADULTHOOD

 

CHAPTER 15: Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood                    



Prologue: Faster, Higher, Older
Looking Ahead

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
HEALTH
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT


Epilogue
Looking Back

CHAPTER 16: Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood                     



Prologue: From Clothes to Rock to Talk
Looking Ahead


PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
RELATIONSHIPS: FAMILY IN MIDDLE AGE
WORK AND LEISURE


Looking Back
Epilogue

PART 8   LATE ADULTHOOD

         

CHAPTER 17: Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood                        



Prologue: Better Way to Shell a Nut
Looking Ahead

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IN LATE ADULTHOOD
HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN LATE ADULTHOOD
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN LATE ADULTHOOD


Epilogue
Looking Back

CHAPTER 18: Social and Personality Development in Late Adulthood                         



Prologue: Logging on Late in Life
Looking Ahead

PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESSFUL AGING
THE DAILY LIFE OF LATE ADULTHOOD
RELATIONSHIPS: OLD AND NEW


Epilogue

PART 9  ENDINGS

 

CHAPTER 19: Death and Dying



Prologue: Facing the End with a Smile
Looking Ahead

DYING AND DEATH ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
CONFRONTING DEATH
GRIEF AND BEREAVEMENT


Epilogue
Looking Back 

Glossary

References

Acknowledgments

Name Index

Subject Index