The lifespan perspective emphasizes that human development is a lifelong process and it is affected by multidimensional factors, such as biological, intraindividual, social, and cultural factors.

Human development results from biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional processes, and the interaction among these three processes.

A developmental period is a time zone with a certain beginning and end based on a certain age-group. Each period includes certain characteristics.

Early childhood is the period that has been described usually as preschool time. During this period, children typically follow a certain developmental path in terms of different aspects of development. They usually tend to become self-sufficient, since they learn and start to use social cues and rules in this period.

Early adulthood is the period from 20s to late 30s.

Late adulthood is the longest period which begins in 60s and goes until death. Since this period can be the longest, there are lots of variations among individuals. For example, chronic stress can affect health at this stage.

This debate is concerned with whether human development is affected by nature (genetic makeup) or nurture (environment), and with the extent to which aspects of development are affected by nature and by nurture. According to nature part of the debate, humans’ genetic background determines a kind of biological program for each human being. In contrast with the nature part, nurture part of the debate emphasizes the importance of environmental experiences and influences on human development. From this perspective, human beings are born with tabula rasa (a blank state) and gain developmental aspects through exposure to environment across years.

Freud’s theory has been criticized since it pays great attention to sexual instintcs and since it does not mention the potential effects of culture.

Symbolic thinking of a child increases with word usage and increased mental images, and child move forward from sensoryphysical combinations to operations during this stage.

The zone of proximal development is the distance between what a person can perform individually and what that person can perform under guidence.

Cephalocaudal pattern is the pattern of development that begins at the top of the body, which is the head in our case, and gradually follows a path from top to down, which can be shoulders, arms, etc. The proximodistal pattern is the physical developmental path from the center of the body to the extremities. For example, an infant is able to gain mastery on muscles in the torso before controlling the muscles in the hands and fingers. 

Gross motor skills are involved in large muscle activities and movements. In contrast to gross motor skills, fine motor skills are involved in small muscle movements and activities, that occur in the hands and fingers.

Palmar grasp is grasping with the whole hand. In contrast, pincer grasp is grasping with the thumb and finger.

According to Piaget, in order to understand the world, children’s brain build schemes, which involve actions or mental representations that help to systematize the information. There are two types of schemes: behavioral schemes and mental schemes.

It is the coordination of senses and movements with the help of reflexive reactions; such as sucking and grasping.

Self-esteem is a feeling satisfied, being confidence with and respect to one’s own self. Self-efficacy is one’s belief in his/her own capability and ability to accomplish something. Since school concept comes to the place, self- esteem related with success, self-efficacy, self understanding and self concept are common themes that are mostly studied during socioemotional development in middle & late childhood period.

Personal fable is the feeling of uniqueness and invulnurability.

According to Marcia (1994), an adolescent solves his/her crisis based on a four status identity. Adolescents in Identity moratorium status experience a crisis that has been going on, but their commitment might be weak or they do not show any commitment.

Two important concepts of early adulthood are: gaining economic independence and taking responsibility for what has been done.

Postformal Thought is a way of thinking which consists of reflective, relativistic and contextual, provisional, realistic ways with the effect of emotions.