Experiencing Childhood and Adolescence

Born in New York City, Janet Belsky always wanted to be a writer but was also very interested in people. After receiving her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, she deferred to her more practical and people-loving side and got her PhD. in clinical psychology at the University of Chicago. Janet spent her thirties in New York City teaching at Lehman College, CUNY, and doing clinical work in hospitals and nursing homes. During this time, she wrote one trade book, Here Tomorrow, Making the Most of Life After 50, got married, adopted a child and, with the publication of the first undergraduate textbook in the psychology of ageing, began what turned into a lifelong developmental science textbook writing career. In 1991, Janet moved to Tennessee with her family to write and teach undergraduate courses in psychology at Middle Tennessee State University. After her husband died in 2012, Janet enrolled in the Master’s Program in Liberal Arts at the University of Chicago. Still, she remains committed to her life passion—exciting readers in the marvellous human lifespan through this book.

Part I. The Foundation.- 1. The People and the Field.- 2. Prenatal Development, Pregnancy, and Birth.- Part II. Infancy.- 3. Infancy: Physical and Cognitive Development.- 4. Infancy: Emotional and Social Development.- Part III. Childhood.- 5. Early Childhood.- 6. Middle Childhood.- 7. Settings for Development: Home, School and Community.- Part IV. Adolescence.- 8. Physical Development.- 9. Cognitive, Emotional, and Social Development.- Part V: Emerging into Adulthood and Final Thoughts.- 10. Emerging Into Adulthood.- Epilogue: Final Thoughts.