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KATHLEEN STASSEN BERGER teaches at Bronx Community College, City University of New York, recently as the elected chair of the Social Science Department. She is also the author of The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence and The Developing Person Through Childhood.
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Table of Contents
Part I The Beginnings 1
Chapter 1 Introduction 3
Studying the Life Span: Five Characteristics 3
A Case to Study: "This Sense of Liberation" 8
In Person: My Nephew David 16
Developmental Study as a Science 18
Studying Changes over Time 23
Ethics and Science 29
Chapter 2 Theories of Development 33
What Theories Do 33
Grand Theories 34
Thinking Like a Scientist: What Is a Mother For? 40
Emergent Theories 45
In Person: My Beautiful, Hairless Babies 51
What Theories Can Contribute 52
Chapter 3 Heredity and Environment 59
The Genetic Code 59
Changing Policy: Too Many Boys? Too Many Girls? 63
Thinking Like a Scientist: The Human Genome Project 69
From Genotype to Phenotype 70
Chromosomal and Genetic Abnormalities 75
A Case to Study: What Do People Live to Do? 81
Changing Policy: Decisions and Values 86
Chapter 4 Prenatal Development and Birth 91
From Zygote to Newborn 91
Risk Reduction 97
Changing Policy: AIDS and Alcohol as Teratogens 102
The Birth Process 107
Part II The First Two Years: Infants and Toddlers 119
Chapter 5 The First Two Years: Biosocial Development 121
Body Changes 121
A Case to Study: Toni's Well-Child Visit 122
Early Brain Development 125
Thinking Like a Scientist: Plasticity and Young Orphans 129
The Senses and Motor Skills 130
In Person: the Normal Berger Daughters 135
Public Health Measures 136
Chapter 6 The First Two Years: Cognitive Development 147
Sensorimotor Intelligence 147
Thinking Like a Scientist: Object Permanence Revisited 150
Information Processing 154
Language: What Develops in Two Years? 158
Chapter 7 The First Two Years: Psychosocial Development 171
A Case to Study: Parents on Autopilot 172
Theories About Early Psychosocial Development 172
Emotional Development 178
The Development of Social Bonds 180
Conclusions in Theory and Practice 189
Part III The Play Years 195
Chapter 8 The Play Years: Biosocial Development 197
Body and Brain 197
Motor Skills and Avoidable Injuries 203
Changing Policy: Fences All Around the Pool 207
Child Maltreatment 208
A Case to Study: The Neglect of Neglect: A 2-Year-Old Boy 211
Chapter 9 The Play Years: Cognitive Development 217
How Children Think: Piaget and Vygotsky 217
Language 225
In Person: Fast Mapping: Mommy the Brat 227
Early-Childhood Education 230
Chapter 10 The Play Years: Psychosocial Development 237
Emotional Development 237
Parenting Patterns 246
Boy or Girl: So What? 253
In Person: Berger and Freud 255
Part IV The School Years 263
Chapter 11 The School Years: Biosocial Development 265
In Person: Two Children of Mexican Heritage in California 266
A Healthy Time 267
Brain Development 271
Children with Special Needs 276
A Case to Study: Billy: Dynamo or Dynamite? 276
Chapter 12 The School Years: Cognitive Development 289
Building on Piaget and Vygotsky 289
Information Processing 296
Teaching and Learning 301
Thinking Like a Scientist: How Does Class Size Affect Learning? 302
Chapter 13 The School Years: Psychosocial Development 313
The Child's Emotions and Concerns 313
The Peer Group 317
Thinking Like a Scientist: Intervention to Stop Bullying: Impossible? 322
Families and Children 323
Coping with Problems 330
Part V Adolescence 339
Chapter 14 Adolescence: Biosocial Development 341
Puberty Begins 341
Hazards to Health 350
Changing Policy: Postponing Teenage Drug Experimentation 358
Chapter 15 Adolescence: Cognitive Development 363
Intellectual Advances 363
Thinking Like a Scientist: Piaget's Balance Experiment 364
Adolescent Decision Making 372
Chapter 16 Adolescence: Psychosocial Development 385
The Self and Identity 385
Sadness and Anger 391
Family and Friends 397
In Person: Talking to My Children About Marriage and Parenthood 400
Conclusion 406
Part VI Early Adulthood 411
Chapter 17 Early Adulthood: Biosocial Development 413
Growth, Strength, and Health 413
Emotional Problems in Early Adulthood 423
A Case to Study: Julia Again: "Too Thin, As If That's Possible" 425
Chapter 18 Early Adulthood: Cognitive Development 435
Postformal Thought 436
Thinking Like a Scientist: Reducing Stereotype Threat 442
Adult Moral Reasoning 445
In Person: Faith and Tolerance 449
Cognitive Growth and Higher Education 449
In Person: A Dialectical View of Cheating 454
Chapter 19 Early Adulthood: Psychosocial Development 459
Theories of Adulthood 459
A Case to Study: Linda: "Her Major Issues Were Relationships and Career" 461
Intimacy 464
In Person: Romance and Reality: Changing Expectations 474
Generativity 476
A Case to Study: Linda: "A Much Sturdier Self" 485
Part VII Middle Adulthood 489
Chapter 20 Middle Adulthood: Biosocial Development 491
Primary and Secondary Aging 491
Measuring Health 498
Health Habits Through the Years 502
Thinking Like a Scientist: World Health and the Tragedy of the Commons 508
Ethnic Variations in Health 509
Chapter 21 Middle Adulthood: Cognitive Development 519
What Is Intelligence? 519
Thinking Like a Scientist: Case by Case 527
Selective Gains and Losses 530
In Person: An Experienced Parent 531
A Case to Study: "Men Come and Go" 539
Chapter 22 Middle Adulthood: Psychosocial Development 543
Personality Throughout Adulthood 543
Family Relationships in Midlife 549
Work in Middle Adulthood 564
Changing Policy: Income and Age 566
Part VIII Late Adulthood 573
Chapter 23 Late Adulthood: Biosocial Development 575
Prejudice and Predictions 576
Primary Aging in Late Adulthood 583
Theories of Aging 593
The Centenarians 599
Chapter 24 Late Adulthood: Cognitive Development 605
Changes in Information Processing 605
Reasons for Age-Related Changes 611
Thinking Like a Scientist: Neuroscience and Brain Activity 611
Dementia 618
New Cognitive Development in Later Life 625
Chapter 25 Late Adulthood: Psychosocial Development 633
Theories of Late Adulthood 634
A Case to Study: Mrs. Edwards, Doing Just Fine 642
Keeping Active 644
The Social Convoy 649
The Frail Elderly 656
Changing Policy: Between Fragile and Frail: Protective Buffers 660
Epilogue: Death and Dying 1
Deciding How to Die 1
Medical Professionals 2
Legal Preparations 4
Preparing for Death 7
Avoiding Despair 7
A Case to Study: "Ask My Son and My Husband" 8
Cultural Variations 9
Coping with Bereavement 12
Forms of Sorrow 12
Contemporary Challenges 14
Responses to Bereavement 15
Conclusion 16
Appendix A Supplemental Charts, Graphs, and Tables 1
Appendix B More About Research Methods 1
Appendix C Suggestions for Research Assignments 1
Glossary 1
References 1
Name Index 1
Subject Index 1
