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Lifespan Development, 9th edition

Published by Pearson (December 22, 2023) © 2025

  • Denise Boyd Houston Community College
  • Helen Bee Stanford University

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For courses in Lifespan Development.

An introduction to developmental science that focuses on applications and research

Lifespan Development provides a thorough overview of the discipline, geared around helping students apply their understanding of development to their own lives. Authors Denise Boyd and Helen Bee emphasize how concepts connect to research. Combined with their down-to-earth writing style, this approach helps make abstract theoretical material understandable.

The 9th Edition has been updated to reflect changing perspectives and recent research. The authors present fresh coverage of neurological milestones of adolescence, influences on interpersonal attraction and other topics.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Themed essays offer opportunities for students to explore a range of key topics in depth.
    • No Easy Answers essays reinforce the idea that there are many questions for which developmental psychologists cannot provide definitive answers.
    • Research Report essays provide detailed accounts of specific research studies.
    • Developmental Science essays explore practical applications of developmental theory and research.
  • Assessment-driven learning objectives ensure that students are learning what they should, and that they’re capable of applying what they’re learning to practical questions about human development.

New and updated features of this title

  • UPDATED: In order to present the most up-to-date information in the field of developmental science, the authors have updated key topics throughout the text. Highlights include the following topics:
    • sexual and gender diversity in Chapters 3, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16 and 18
    • short- and long-term effects of pandemic lockdowns across periods of development in Chapters 5 through 19
    • stress, immunity and health in early childhood in Chapter 7
    • pregnancy after age 40 in Chapter 15
  • UPDATED: All key terms throughout the text have been assessed and replaced as necessary with relevant contemporary terminology.

Features of Revel for the 9th Edition

  • Interactive journal prompts serve as follow-up activities to the text's No Easy Answers essays, Research Report essays and Developmental Science essays.
  • In-chapter videos bring key concepts to life. Topics range from discussions of contemporary research to individuals’ personal stories. Titles include:
    • Gender Socialization
    • The Physical Effects of Alcohol
    • How Mode of Death Influences Grieving
  • Two simulations in one, MyVirtualLife offers profound insights into development across the entire lifespan. After students parent a virtual child (by way of the included MyVirtualChild learning path), MyVirtualLife pivots to the first-person perspective of a virtual adult, providing a vivid sense of the impact of genetics, attitudes and decisions over the course of a lifetime.
  1. Basic Concepts and Methods
  2. Theories of Development
  3. Prenatal Development and Birth
  4. Physical, Sensory and Perceptual Development in Infancy
  5. Cognitive Development in Infancy
  6. Social and Personality Development in Infancy
  7. Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
  8. Social and Personality Development in Early Childhood
  9. Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
  10. Social and Personality Development in Middle Childhood
  11. Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence
  12. Social and Personality Development in Adolescence
  13. Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood
  14. Social and Personality Development in Early Adulthood
  15. Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood
  16. Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood
  17. Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood
  18. Social and Personality Development in Late Adulthood
  19. Death, Dying and Bereavement

About our authors

Denise Boyd received her doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Houston and is a professor of psychology at Houston Community College. During her years at HCC, Dr. Boyd has served in several instructional leadership positions. She has also been appointed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to working groups charged with developing psychology curricula for community colleges across the state. In addition, she is a licensed psychologist. Dr. Boyd has co-authored 5 other Pearson texts: with Samuel Wood and Ellen Green Wood, Mastering the World of Psychology and The World of Psychology; with Helen Bee, The Developing Child (13th Edition) and The Growing Child; and with Genevieve Stevens, Current Readings in Lifespan Development.

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