The Life-Span Perspective
Multidirectional- the lifespan of each individual cannot be looked at as linear or exact because each person is different. this means that each part of a person is not developed on the same timeline and development may continue at any time
Multicontextual- each life is affected by their surroundings and the things that their surroundings believe and value. Our "context" is made up of the outside details of where we live, who we know, who we talk to, how we were raised, etc.
Multidisciplinary- that the individual and all the circumstances around an issue with that indivdual are often made of the different academic disciplines (biosocial, cognitive, psyhcosocial).
Plastic- this is the reminder that everything about a person can be changed at any point in life. Now this doesn't mean that things can be undone. However, like plastic life is flexible and durable. People can change and remain whole.
Multicultural- this means that the individual interacting with and made up of different races, backgrounds, and ethnic groups. This introduces the idea that all the things in our lives affect each other (Intersectionality)
Intersectionality- according to the textbook "the idea that everyone is pushed and pulled... by gender, religion, generation, nation, age, culture, ability, and ethnicity. Our many identiies interact with, and influence, each other, changing over time"
Biosocial- biology, neuroscience, medicine
Cognitive- psychology, linguisstics, and education
Psychosocial-economics,sociology, history
THE FIRST TWO YEARS - emotion and attachment are vital and must be learned in this time period. For one, it is necessary to survival and the cues learned from emotion build the foundation for thought, self-image, and independence.
The human brain is plastic. It is constantly changing. For example, the emotions we learn at an early age set us up for certain thought processes because it establishes out "working model". However, when we are placed in a new environment and are given a new working model, our thought processes are allowed to change and therefore our brains change in accordance with our newfound knowledge.
Emotion is psypsychosocial.
Cognitive development cannot be started if there is a disconnect in emotion. Without the ability to regulate emotions, a person cannot understand themselves let alone the world around them and they are less aware and more often confused
Biology encompasses the growth of the body, the brain, etc. From the ages 2-6 it is very important that children are getting the proper nutrients. This affects their physical growth, oral health, brain function, etc. Everything from diet, to vitamins, to allergies must be monitored. This is the time where overeating is the most dangerous and malnutrition is extremely possible if given the wrong foods.
From the age of 2 children are growing their cognitive function substantially. This is reliant on their exective function. Executive functioning is based on memory, inhibition, and flexibilty. All of this works together to help the child anticipate, strategize, and plan behavior based on the thoughts they are presented with.
Middle Childhood has the potential to be the healthiest years of a child's life. This is when we should be really cracking down on healthy habits that are necessary for growth. These habits include proper bedtimes, hygiene, healthy meals, vitamins, active play (indoor and outdoor), etc. This is the time where their bodies are growing rapidly and the way they treat them (based off what they are taught) truly matters.
Middle Childhood is the time where they are being taught healthy habits. This is because of physical growth but cognitive as well. Children are now at the age where they understand the reasoning behind what they are being taught/told, but they are still impressionable and looking for direction. This means they are essentially sponges picking up everything that they see. The things they learn here will stem into how they think, learn, and process. They are learning structure and deciding how they will conduct themselves.
Middle Childhood is where children are changing the sense of self that they once held to the sense of self they are determining on their own. They are now at the stage where they are making friends and comparing themselves to others. This is when self-esteem and bullying and morals and everything of the sort comes into question. Children need guidance during this time to do this in a healthy way. They will base their worth on their intelligence, their status, their bodies, etc. They are coming closer and closer to independence and will soon no longer be as susceptible to the guidance and opinions of their parents. It looks as though this is the mark for defining who they will be and who they will seek guidance and validation from.
As seen when looking into middle childhood and the changes that take place in the body and mind during these years of development, our thought processes are plastic. We learn one new thing, or a series of new things and we change our entire outlook. It just goes to show that with new information we decide different things and without that information we are limited in what we can think or understand.