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Prototypical Paradigms and Questions in Life-Span Research on Development and Aging

Prototypical Paradigms and Questions in Life-Span Research on Development and Aging Abstract Model characteristics of a life-span approach to the study of psychological aging are reviewed. Focusing on a selected set of model attributes related to the tasks of describing, explaining, and modifying intraindividual and interindividual patterns of development and aging (continuity vs. discontinuity of antecedent-consequent relationships, concurrent vs. historical paradigms, time-lag relationships, treatment by history interactions, etc.), a number of questions prototypical of a life-span view of aging are derived. The primary conclusion is that a life-span view of aging redirects conventional thinking about psychological aging as a fixed decrement phenomenon toward a systematic analysis of the aging process in terms of dynamic and interactive man-environment systems and a more variable view of the aging process relative to its form and directionality. Furthermore, it facilitates the conceptualization of prevention efforts aimed at optimizing the aging process in a changing society. This content is only available as a PDF. Author notes 1 Often, written reports on a symposium suffer from sterility in that they do not communicate the spirit that characterized the live presentation. Therefore, I would like to indicate at this point that a preliminary and highly abbreviated version of the second part of this manuscript was transmitted to the participants when asked to participate in the symposium. Indeed, it may hearten those readers who are less than sympathetic to the research model view applied in the present manuscript that they have more support among my fellow symposiasts than I, as a symposium chairman, felt comfortable with during the actual symposium exchanges. To put it differently, I believe that there was enough disagreement with the position exposed here to generate fun and excitement among all of us who participated. A more extensive version of the ideas and prototypical questions contained in sections of this manuscript is part of an epiloque to Life-span developmental psychology: Personality and socialization edited by P. B. Baltes and K. W. Schaie (New York: Academic Press, 1973). © 1973 The Gerontological Society of America http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The Gerontologist Oxford University Press

Prototypical Paradigms and Questions in Life-Span Research on Development and Aging

Baltes, Paul, B.
The Gerontologist , Volume 13 (4) – Dec 1, 1973
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References (35)

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Copyright
© 1973 The Gerontological Society of America
ISSN
0016-9013
eISSN
1758-5341
DOI
10.1093/geront/13.4.458
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract Model characteristics of a life-span approach to the study of psychological aging are reviewed. Focusing on a selected set of model attributes related to the tasks of describing, explaining, and modifying intraindividual and interindividual patterns of development and aging (continuity vs. discontinuity of antecedent-consequent relationships, concurrent vs. historical paradigms, time-lag relationships, treatment by history interactions, etc.), a number of questions prototypical of a life-span view of aging are derived. The primary conclusion is that a life-span view of aging redirects conventional thinking about psychological aging as a fixed decrement phenomenon toward a systematic analysis of the aging process in terms of dynamic and interactive man-environment systems and a more variable view of the aging process relative to its form and directionality. Furthermore, it facilitates the conceptualization of prevention efforts aimed at optimizing the aging process in a changing society. This content is only available as a PDF. Author notes 1 Often, written reports on a symposium suffer from sterility in that they do not communicate the spirit that characterized the live presentation. Therefore, I would like to indicate at this point that a preliminary and highly abbreviated version of the second part of this manuscript was transmitted to the participants when asked to participate in the symposium. Indeed, it may hearten those readers who are less than sympathetic to the research model view applied in the present manuscript that they have more support among my fellow symposiasts than I, as a symposium chairman, felt comfortable with during the actual symposium exchanges. To put it differently, I believe that there was enough disagreement with the position exposed here to generate fun and excitement among all of us who participated. A more extensive version of the ideas and prototypical questions contained in sections of this manuscript is part of an epiloque to Life-span developmental psychology: Personality and socialization edited by P. B. Baltes and K. W. Schaie (New York: Academic Press, 1973). © 1973 The Gerontological Society of America

Journal

The Gerontologist – Oxford University Press

Published: Dec 1, 1973

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