Kathleen Stassen Berger completed her undergraduate education at Stanford University and Radcliffe College,
earned her M.A.T. from Harvard University and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Yeshiva University. Her broad range of experience
as an educator includes directing a preschool, teaching philosophy and humanities at the United Nations International
School, teaching child and adolescent development to graduate students at Fordham University, teaching inmates
earning paralegal degrees at Sing Sing Prison, and teaching undergraduates at both Montclair State University and
Quinnipiac University. She has also been involved in education as the president of Community School Board in District
Two in Manhattan.
For over three decades, Berger has taught human development at Bronx Community College of the City University of
New York. The students Kathleen Berger teaches every year come from diverse ethnic, economic, and educational backgrounds
representing a wide range of interests and consistently honor her with the highest teaching evaluations.
Berger�s developmental texts are currently being used at nearly 700 colleges and universities in a dozen countries
and in five languages. Kathleen�s research interests include adolescent identity, sibling relationships, and bullying.
As the mother of four daughters, as well as a new grandmother, she brings to her teaching and writing ample firsthand
experience with human development.
Summary
KATHLEEN STASSEN BERGER's bestselling textbooks are un-matched for the engrossing, culturally inclusive way they communicate the essential science of human development. But that does not even begin to convey what the Berger experience is: What makes these bestselling textbooks so distinctive is the unmistakable presence of KATHLEEN STASSEN BERGER on every page, in writing that continually draws on the author's teaching and family life to demonstrate a remarkable understanding not just of the field, but of students' questions, their concerns, and their lives. The distinctive, definitive BERGER touch is evident throughout her new textbook,Invitationto the Life Span. This brief, original, 15-chapter textbook was created from page 1 to address the challenges teachers and students face when covering the entire life span in a semester (or even a quarter!). The hallmark Berger qualities are all here-the relatable presentation of research, the inclusive approach to world cultures, the study help that builds critical thinking and observational skills, the outstanding media and supplements-and all held together with Berger's skill in bringing students and the science together.
Table of Contents
Part I The Beginnings
Chapter 1 The Science of Development
Defining Development
Understanding How and Why
Including All Kinds of People
Observing Changes over Time
The Life-Span Perspective
Development Is Multidirectional
Development Is Multicontextual
Development Is Multicultural
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Mirror Neurons
Development Is Multidisciplinary
Development Is Plastic
Theories of Human Development
Psychoanalytic Theory
Behaviorism
Cognitive Theory
Systems Theories
Using the Scientific Method
Observation
The Experiment
The Survey
Studying Development over the Life Span
Cautions from Science
Correlation and Causation
Quantity and Quality
Ethics
Chapter 2 Genes and Prenatal Development
The Beginning of Life
Chromosomes and Genes
Genetic Interactions
Carriers and Genetic Expression
Genetic Problems
Chromosomal Abnormalities
Gene Disorders
Advising Prospective Parents
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Genetic Testing and Parental Choice
From Zygote to Newborn
The Germinal Period: The First Two Weeks
The Embryonic Period (from Two Through Eight Weeks)
The Fetal Period (from Nine Weeks Until Birth)
Birth
The Process of Birth
Traditional and Modern Birthing Practices
Not Waiting for Nature
Low Birthweight
Mothers, Fathers, and a Good Start
Nature, Nurture, and the Phenotype
Nearsightedness
Alcoholism
Prenatal Teratogens
Resolving Uncertainties
Part II The First Two Years
Chapter 3 Body and Brain
Body Changes
Height and Weight
Brain Development
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: The Effect of Social Deprivation on Brain
Growth
Moving and Perceiving
Motor Skills
Sensation and Perception
Surviving in Good Health
Immunization
Preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Adequate Nutrition
Infant Cognition
Sensorimotor Intelligence
Information Processing
Language Learning
Early Communication
First Words
Cultural Differences in Language Use
Acquiring Grammar
Hypotheses About Language Development
Chapter 4 Psychosocial Development
Emotional Development
Infants� Emotions
Toddlers� Emotions
Self-Awareness
A Case of Abnormal Emotional Development
Theories of Infant Psychosocial Development
Psychoanalytic Theory
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Toilet Training: How and When?
Behaviorism
Cognitive Theory
Systems Theory
The Development of Social Bonds
Goodness of Fit
Synchrony
Attachment
Social Referencing
Infant Day Care
Conclusions in Theory and in Practice
Part III Early Childhood
Chapter 5 Body and Mind
Body Changes
Growth Patterns
Nutrition
Motor Skills
Brain Development
Speed of Thought
The Prefrontal Cortex
Emotions and the Brain
Thinking During Early Childhood
Piaget: Preoperational Thought
Vygotsky: Social Learning
Children�s Theories
Language
Vocabulary
Basic Grammar
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Learning Two Languages
Early-Childhood Education
Child-Centered Programs
Teacher-Directed Programs
Intervention Programs
Injuries and Maltreatment
Accidents
Child Maltreatment
Chapter 6 Psychosocial Development
Emotional Development
Initiative Versus Guilt
Motivation
Seeking Emotional Balance
Caregivers� Influence on Emotional Regulation
Play
Peers and Parents
Cultural Differences in Play
Active Play
Challenges for Parents
Parenting Styles
Children, Parents, and the Media
Moral Development
Empathy and Antipathy
Parental Discipline
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Culture and Punishment
Becoming Boys and Girls
Sex and Gender
Theories of Gender Differences
Part IV Middle Childhood
Chapter 7 Body and Mind
A Healthy Time
Asthma
Obesity
Physical Activity
Theories About Cognition
Piaget and School-Age Children
Vygotsky and School-Age Children
Information Processing and the Brain
Brain Development
Strategy Development
Learning in School
Teaching Values
Learning Language
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Biculturalism Aids Bilingualism
The Reading Wars
The Math Wars
Other Issues in Education
Measuring the Mind
Measuring Aptitude
Measuring Achievement Within the United States
International Achievement Test Scores
Developmental Psychopathology
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Overdosing and Underdosing Children with Psychoactive Drugs
Chapter 8 Psychosocial Development
The Nature of the Child
Industry and Inferiority
Self-Concept
Resilience and Stress
Families and Children
Shared and Nonshared Environments
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: �I Always Dressed One in Blue Stuff . . .�
Family Function
Family Structure
Family Trouble
The Peer Group
The Culture of Children
Friendship
Bullies and Victims
Morality in Middle Childhood
Peers and Culture
Advances in Moral Reasoning
Part V Adolescence
Chapter 9 Body and Mind
Puberty Begins
Hormones
Influences on the Age of Puberty
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Stress and Earlier Puberty
Too Early, Too Late
Nutrition
The Transformations of Puberty
Bigger and Stronger
Sexual Maturation
Cognitive Development
Neurological Development
Thinking About Oneself
Formal Operational Thought
Intuitive, Emotional Thought
Teaching and Learning
Middle School
Electronic Technology and Cognition
Entering a New School
High School
Chapter 10 Psychosocial Development
Identity
Not Yet Achieved
Four Areas of Identity Achievement
Relationships with Elders and Peers
The Older Generation
Peer Support
Sexuality
From Asexual to Active
Romance: Straight and Gay
Sex Education
Sexual Behavior
Sadness and Anger
Depression
Anger and Aggression
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: A Feminist Looks at the Data
Drug Use and Abuse
Variations Among Adolescents
Harm from Drugs
Preventing Drug Abuse: What Works?
Part VI Adulthood
Chapter 11 Body, Mind, and Social World
Cultural and National Differences
Strong and Healthy Bodies
Sex and Reproduction
Taking Risks
Cognitive Maturity
Informed by Experience
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Reducing Stereotype Threat
Culture and Cognition
Cognitive Growth and Higher Education
Personality Patterns
Continuity and Change
Mental Health and Illness
Identity and Intimacy
Identity Achieved
Intimacy
Chapter 12 Body and Mind
The Aging Process
Senescence
The Sexual-Reproductive System
Poor Health Habits and Senescence
Drug Abuse
Overeating
Inactivity
Measuring Health
Mortality and Morbidity
Disability and Vitality
Variations in Health
Cognition in Adulthood
The Aging Brain
Research on Age and Intelligence
Components of Intelligence
Two Clusters: Fluid and Crystallized
Three Clusters: Analytic, Creative, and Practical
Nine Clusters: Cultural Variations
Selective Gains and Losses
Optimization
Expertise
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Moral Expertise and Age: Stages of Faith
Chapter 13 Psychosocial Development
Ages and Stages
Erikson�s Stages
Maslow�s Stages
The Social Clock
Personality Throughout Adulthood
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Culture and Personality
Intimacy
Friends
Family Bonds
Committed Partners
Divorce
Generativity
Caregiving
Employment
Coping with Stress
Examples and Definitions
A Cascade of Stressors
Part VII Late Adulthood
Chapter 14 Late Adulthood: Body and Mind
Ageism
Believing the Stereotypes About Old Age
Young-Old, Old-Old, and Oldest-Old
Ageism and the Aging Senses
Health and Sickness
Primary and Secondary Aging: Cardiovascular Disease
Staying Healthy
Living a Long Life
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Trying to Live Past the Maximum
Thinking in Late Adulthood
The Aging Brain
The Usual: Information Processing After Age 65
The Impaired: Dementia
The Optimal: New Cognitive Development
Chapter 15 Adulthood: Psychosocial Development
Theories of Late Adulthood
Self Theories
Stratification Theories
Activities in Late Adulthood
Work
Home, Sweet Home
Continuing Education
Religious Involvement
Political Activism
Friends and Relations
Long-Term Partnerships
Relationships with Younger Generations
A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: Grandchildren and Grandparents
Friendship
The Frail Elderly
Activities of Daily Life
Caring for the Frail Elderly
Epilogue: Death and Dying
Death and Hope
Death Throughout the Life Span
Religions and Hope
Dying and Acceptance
Attending to the Needs of the Dying
Choices and Controversies
Advance Directives
Bereavement
Normal Grief
Complicated Grief
Diversity of Reactions
Appendix A Supplemental Charts, Graphs, and Tables
Appendix B More About Research Methods
Appendix C Suggestions for Research Assignments
