It's More Complicated

Abstract

Lifespan developmental psychology extends from birth to old age. I describe my research career from studies of newborns through childhood and adolescence to adulthood. I also include reflections from my aging brain on determinants of the life course especially in regard to risk and resilience. Infant learning, toddler temperament, and parental conceptions are highlighted content areas. A number of increasingly complex concepts from transactions to a unified theory are described to capture the ingredients that form development, requiring models of growth, context, regulation, and representation. I conclude by discussing applications to infant mental health and developmental disabilities.