Among the many disciplines in psychology, the study of human development is one of the complete sciences of human life span and its changes under the influence of psychological, social, and health-related factors. As stated by Kail and Cavanaugh (2019), lifespan development as an interdisciplinary study incorporates the psychological, sociological, and biological determinants to evaluate and analyze their impact on human life experiences at different stages of life. Thus, this study is inherently connected with the interaction between individual particularities of human being and their life experiences as influenced by the environment.
One of the important aspects of the study of human development is the opposition between nature and nurture. These two concepts represent biological predispositions and the influence of the environment, respectively. However, Kail and Cavanaugh (2019) argue that human life development is not dependent solely on one of these concepts but rather evolves under the influence of both. Indeed, on the one hand, one’s predisposition to cardiovascular diseases might be attributed to nature or inherited health issues (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2019). On the other hand, if the person lives in an environment where proper diet and exercise are in place, they might avoid developing cardiovascular disease.
Consequently, the life of an individual is a complex issue investigated by the study of human development. The multifaceted manifestations of the human life span imply the interplay of various factors that come from nature as well as nurture. In such a manner, the life experience of each person is unique, although there are particular stage-related patterns in development identified. These patterns are specifically studied by the human development discipline, aimed at learning how people advance throughout life.
Reference
Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2019). Human development: A life-span view (8th ed.). Cengage.