Lifespan development in psychology belongs to the greater field of human development. From a high-level view, human development is a discipline that engages the optimizing of several factors of human life and fields of study to help people live their best lives.
A human development professional is likely to study a mix of sociology, biology, psychology, behavior, emotion, genealogy, education, religion, and more. Generally speaking, any field that contributes to an understanding of the multifaceted and complex nature of humanity is a field studied by lifespan development professionals.
Let’s take a closer look at what lifespan development is, what professionals glean from this knowledge, and more.
What is Lifespan Development?
As described by the American Psychological Association, human lifespan development studies how humans learn, mature, and adapt from infancy to adulthood to the elderly phases of life. Some areas of focus include physical, cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, personality, and emotional growth.
What are the benefits of pursuing this field?
Lifespan development gives individuals a deeper understanding of both themselves and others. While every individual grows in their own unique way, human lifespan development gives educators, counselors, and other mentors the tools to teach others and help them become self-determined.
Here are some benefits you may experience as a result of studying lifespan and human development:
A Better Understanding of Others and Nuanced Empathy
According to an article in the online resource Verywell Mind, five reasons to study human development include having a better understanding of your friends, family, and those around you. Lifespan development offers an extension of these benefits by granting professionals better insights into how and why people become who they are and who they become over time.
Following the maturation and development of people over time allows professionals to assess how to best optimize their lives. The same article in VeryWellMind states, “While every person is a little bit different, human development tends to follow a remarkably predictable pattern. Once you’ve studied development, you’ll know what’s typical at certain ages.”
Studying human development can help illuminate atypical patterns in people at any stage in life and help spot developmental challenges that could be inhibiting one’s quality of life and seek out solutions.
Self-Discovery Through the Academic Study of Lifespan Development
While studying lifespan development, it’s not unlikely to find applications to your personal life. With this knowledge, you might learn more about who you are, reflect on your childhood or adulthood, and look toward the future, asking yourself, “What is lifespan development?”
Lifespan development is a field that encompasses the complexities of human beings, their growth, and personhood. It offers a way to study a vast array of subjects in one field. If you find yourself interested in multiple fields but can’t seem to settle on just one option, lifespan and human development may eliminate the need to choose.
Human Development programs
Our Human Development programs introduce the sociological, emotional, biological, and psychological factors that contribute to an individual’s development. Studying Lifespan Development at Pacific Oaks offers unique perspectives and a distinct pedagogical philosophy to provide an exceptional educational experience. See below for the entire list of Human Development programs available at Pacific Oaks:
- B.A. in Human Development: Active Learning Across the Lifespan (Pasadena, Online)
- B.A. in Human Development: Early Childhood Education and Development (Pasadena, Online)
- B.A. in Human Development: Social Change (Pasadena, Online)
- B.A. in Human Development: Working with Adults (Pasadena, Online)
- M.A. in Human Development: Early Childhood Education & Development (Pasadena, Online)
- M.A. in Human Development: Leadership in Education and Human Services (Pasadena, Online)
- M.A. in Human Development: Social Change (Pasadena, Online)
Learn more about Pacific Oaks College
Interested in advancing your career in human development? Learn more about beginning your education in human development at Pacific Oaks!
Pacific Oaks is proud to be a nonprofit and regionally accredited higher education institute that offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology, early childhood education, marriage and family therapy, and more. Request more info today by completing the required information below.
