Human Development: A Life-Span View

Balanced coverage of the entire life span is just one thing that distinguishes HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: A LIFE-SPAN VIEW, 6TH EDITION. With its comprehensive, succinct, and applied coverage, the text has proven its ability to capture students' interest while introducing them to the issues, forces, and outcomes that make us who we are. Robert V. Kail's expertise in childhood and adolescence, combined with John C. Cavanaugh's extensive research in gerontology, result in a book with a rich description of all life-span stages and important topics. A modified chronological approach traces development in sequential order from conception through late life, while also dedicating several chapters to key topical issues. This organization also allows the book to be relatively briefer than other texts a benefit given the enormous amount of information covered in the course.

Robert V. Kail is Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. His undergraduate degree is from Ohio Wesleyan University and his Ph.D. is from the University of Michigan. Kail is editor of Child Development Perspectives and editor emeritus of Psychological Science. He received the McCandless Young Scientist Award from the American Psychological Association, was named the Distinguished Sesquicentennial Alumnus in Psychology by Ohio Wesleyan University, and is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. Kail has also written CHILDREN AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT and SCIENTIFIC WRITING FOR PSYCHOLOGY. His research focuses on cognitive development during childhood and adolescence.

John C. Cavanaugh is President and CEO of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. Cavanaugh is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Gerontological Society of America, and has served as president of the Adult Development and Aging Division (Division 20) of the APA. Cavanaugh has also written (with the late Fredda Blanchard-Fields) ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING. His research interests in gerontology concern family caregiving as well as the role of beliefs in older adults' cognitive performance.