The lifespan consists of a combination of biological and social factors, and all of them directly affect the lives of people and their health. Notably, at present, life expectancy is growing, in particular, due to a decrease in the harmful effects of these factors. Various theories are describing the influence of the social, physical, and psychological environment on people’s lifespan. The purpose of this paper is to describe the most common theories and their features.
One of the standard theories is psychodynamic, according to which people are primarily under the control of their biological nature. It affects the speed of their development, their character, and, in particular, life expectancy. However, it is difficult to say whether biology plays a crucial role in human life. Thus, for example, a learning theory takes into account not only this but also the interaction of people with the outside world. Within this theory, people continually absorb, process, and retain knowledge (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2018). In particular, this ongoing work with information allows people to live a healthier and longer life. According to the cognitive-developmental theory, people go through several stages of life, providing a comprehensive description of the lifespan process. Indeed, these stages differ from each other, so it is essential to understand each of them in detail.
In my opinion, each of the theories of human lifespan development is well-developed and well-founded. However, I could align myself mostly with a cognitive-developmental theory, since it involves different stages of human life. This theory is quite illustrative and allows people to understand many of the processes that occur with them. In addition, based on this theory, people can approach the process of obtaining knowledge and treat themselves most effectively, corresponding to their development level.
References
Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2018). Human development: A lifespan view, 8 ed. Cengage Learning.