An exposition is given of the relative significance of chronological age in human developmental psychology. Some theoretical concepts in life-span developmental psychology are discussed in so far as they relate to age categorization. It is concluded that knowledge of the individual's experience of age deserves greater attention and that this can be accomplished by application of the phenomenological research approach.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BaltesP.B.ReeseH.W.LipsittL.P. (1980). Life-span development psychology. Annual Review of Psychology, 31, 65–110
2.
BaltesP.B. (1987). Theoretical propositions of life-span developmental psychology — on the dynamics between growth and decline. Developmental Psychology, 23, 611–626
BurbankP.M. (1986). Psychosocial theories of aging: A critical evaluation. Advances in Nursing Science, 9, 73–86
5.
Du ToitM.K. (1991). A phenomenological explication of the human midlife experience. Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa
6.
FeathermanD.L.PetersenT. (1986). Markers of aging: Modeling the clocks that time us. Research on Aging, 8, 339–365
7.
GerdesL.C. (1988). The developing adult. (2nd ed.). Durban: Butterworths
8.
HallC.S.LindzeyG.LochlinJ.C.ManosevitzM. (1985). Introduction to theories of personality.New York: Wiley
9.
HavighurstR.J. (1973). History of developmental psychology: Socialization and personality development through the life-span. In BaltesP.B.ShaieK.W., Life-span developmental psychology (pp. 3–24). New York: Academic
HultschD.F.DeutschF. (1981). Adult development and aging.New York: McGraw-Hill
14.
JohnsonA.G. (1986). Human arrangements.New York: Harcourt Bruce Jovanovic
15.
LevinsonD.J. (1978). Seasons of a man's life.New York: Knopf
16.
McCraeR.R.CostaP.T. (1986). Personality coping and coping effectiveness in an adult sample. Journal of Psychology, 54, 385–405
17.
NeugartenB.L.DatanW. (1973). Social perspectives on the life cycle. In BaltesP.B.ShaieK.W.. Life-span developmental psychology.New York: Academic Press pp. 53–69
18.
NeugartenB.L.NeugartenD.A. (1987). The changing meaning of age. Psychology Today, 21, 29–33
19.
RippleR.E.BiehlerR.F.JaquishG.A. (1982). Human development.Dallas: Houghton Mifflin
20.
SalkindN.J. (1985). Theories of human development.New York: Wiley
21.
SeltzerM.M.TrollL.E. (1985). Expected life history. A model in non-linear time. American Behavioral Scientist, 29, 746–764
