Drawing from many disciplines to provide an up-to-date presentation of the key questions, topics and controversies in life span development, this book takes a chronological approach to human development. It focuses on context and culture while illustrating that the status of human development is inextricably embedded in a study of complex and changing cultures. Maintaining an open-ended perspective throughout, the volume encompasses many different and opposing views and encourages readers to develop an informed point of view. This volume presents perspectives and research methods and examines approaches to understanding human development, heredity and environment. It reviews the physical, cognitive, and language development, as well as personality development and sociocultural development in infancy, toddlerhood, early and middle childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood and older adulthood. For those interested in human physical, cognitive and sociocultural development.