The doubling of our average life span since the turn of the 20th century is considered by many scholars to be one of the most important changes in human existence. This definitive text is the only volume to fully address, through a multidisciplinary perspective, the biological, cognitive, and psychological development that occurs from infancy through old age, and how the sociocultural and institutional factors interface with these changes. Edited by leading research scholars in the field of life-span development, the volume also includes contributions of specialists in behavioral genetics, socioemotional selectivity theory, neuroscience, ecological models, and more. It examines the dynamics of close relationships and informal ties among the elderly population, child-parent attachment relationships as a life-span phenomenon, developmental tasks across the lifespan, continuity and discontinuity in temperament and personality, the sociocultural context of cognition across the life span, and variability in approaches to social problem solving from early to later life. Given the number of recent demographic shifts, it also explores issues related to fertility, life expectancy, environmental contexts, technology, immigration, and public policy. Key Features: .: Integrates the full life span from infancy through old age in each chapter; Considers multidisciplinary perspectives that address personal relationships, cognitive development, and social, emotional, and physical health across the life span; Situates life-span development in ecological contexts (e.g., socioeconomic, neighborhood, and immigration status); Provides a concise but thorough resource for graduate seminars in life-span-related studies; Highlights future issues in all areas of life-span study.;. The doubling of our average life span since the turn of the 20th century is considered by many scholars to be one of the most important changes in human existence. This definitive text is the only volume to fully address, through a multidisciplinary perspective, the biological, cognitive, and psychological development that occurs from infancy through old age, and how the sociocultural and institutional factors interface with these changes. Edited by leading research scholars in the field of life-span development, the volume also includes contributions of specialists in behavioral genetics, socioemotional selectivity theory, neuroscience, ecological models, and more. It examines the dynamics of close relationships and informal ties among the elderly population, child-parent attachment relationships as a life-span phenomenon, developmental tasks across the lifespan, continuity and discontinuity in temperament and personality, the sociocultural context of cognition across the life span, and variability in approaches to social problem solving from early to later life. Given the number of recent demographic shifts, it also explores issues related to fertility, life expectancy, environmental contexts, technology, immigration, and public policy. Key Features: .: Integrates the full life span from infancy through old age in each chapter; Considers multidisciplinary perspectives that address personal relationships, cognitive development, and social, emotional, and physical health across the life span; Situates life-span development in ecological contexts (e.g., socioeconomic, neighborhood, and immigration status); Provides a concise but thorough resource for graduate seminars in life-span-related studies; Highlights future issues in all areas of life-span study;1. Overview of lifespan development. PART I: Theory. 2. Control and agency in development. 3. Behavioral genetics. 4. Attachment theory. 5. Life Course. 6. Selection, Optimization, and Compensation. 7. Socioemotional selectivity theory. 8. Convoy model. 9. Ecological Models. 10. Developmental trajectories: Stability and Change. PART II: Physical and Cognitive Development. 11. Early precursors of later health. 12. Brain development. 13. Language development. 14. Life narratives. 15. Problem solving. 16. Trajectories of intelligence. 17. Developmental delays and late life cognitive impairment. 18. Prenatal predictors of late life outcomes. PART III: Socioemotional Development. 19. Close relationships. 20. Peers and not so close ties. 21. Temperament and personality. 22. Emotions. 23. Coping and stress. 24. Psychopathology. 25. Loss and disruptions. PART IV: Society and Culture. 26. Demographic changes: Fertility, life expectancy, aging populations. 27. Neighborhoods and environmental contexts. 28. Social inequalities. 29. Technology and relationships. 30. Acculturation and socialization. 31. Immigration. 32. Public Policy.