Cover: The Developing Person Through the Life Span , 13th Edition by Kathleen Stassen Berger; Kendra Thomas

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The Developing Person Through the Life Span

Thirteenth Edition

Publication Date: October 31, 2025

Paperback ISBN: 9781319615741

Teaching students to think like developmentalists.

Kathleen Stassen Berger and new co-author Kendra Thomas tell the story of human development in an engaging, accessible narrative style – with signature personal anecdotes, engaging case studies, and findings from thousands of articles and datasets. Their new critical thinking framework...

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Discover What's Inside! Click here to review a sample chapter, Chapter 1: The Science of Human Development, from The Developing Person Through the Life Span, Thirteenth Edition.

PART 1 The Beginnings

Chapter 1 The Science of Human Development

1.1 Thinking Like a Developmentalist

1.2 Doing Science

Chapter 2 Theories

2.1 Theories of Development

2.2 What Theories Contribute

Chapter 3 The New Genetics

3.1 The Genetic Code

3.2 New Cells, New People

3.3 From Genotype to Phenotype

3.4 Chromosomal and Genetic Conditions

Chapter 4 Prenatal Development and Birth

4.1 Prenatal Development

4.2 Birth

4.3 Risks and Protections

4.4 The New Family

PART 2 The First Two Years

Chapter 5 The First Two Years: Biosocial Development

5.1 Body Changes

5.2 Perceiving and Moving

5.3 Surviving in Good Health

Chapter 6 The First Two Years: Cognitive Development

6.1 Quick Learners

6.2 Active Learners

6.3 Social Learners

Chapter 7 The First Two Years: Psychosocial Development

7.1 Emotional Development in Context

7.2 Social Bonds

7.3 Who Cares for Baby?

PART 3 Early Childhood

Chapter 8 Early Childhood: Biosocial Development

8.1 Body Changes

8.2 Brain Growth

8.3 Avoidable Injury

8.4 Child Maltreatment

Chapter 9 Early Childhood: Cognitive Development

9.1 Thinking During Early Childhood

9.2 Constructed Cognition

9.3 Language Learning

9.4 Early-Childhood Schooling

Chapter 10 Early Childhood: Psychosocial Development

10.1 Emotional Development

10.2 Play

10.3 Challenges for Caregivers

10.4 Becoming Boys and Girls: Sex and Gender

PART 4 Middle Childhood

Chapter 11 Middle Childhood: Biosocial Development

11.1 A Healthy Time

11.2 Brain Development

11.3 Children with Distinct Educational Needs

Chapter 12 Middle Childhood: Cognitive Development

12.1 Thinking

12.2 Language

12.3 Teaching and Learning

Chapter 13 Middle Childhood: Psychosocial Development

13.1 The Nature of the Child

13.2 Families During Middle Childhood

13.3 Other Children

PART 5 Adolescence

Chapter 14 Adolescence: Biosocial Development

14.1 Puberty and Hormones

14.2 Growth and Nutrition

14.3 Sexual Maturation

Chapter 15 Adolescence: Cognitive Development

15.1 Cognition and the Brain

15.2 The Brain and Mental Health

15.3 Secondary Education

Chapter 16 Adolescence: Psychosocial Development

16.1 Identity

16.2 Close Relationships

16.3 Anxiety, Depression, and Aggression

PART 6 Emerging Adulthood

Chapter 17 Emerging Adulthood: Biosocial Development

17.1 Biological Universals

17.2 Health and Sickness

17.3 Risk-Taking

Chapter 18 Emerging Adulthood: Cognitive Development

18.1 Stages and Ages

18.2 Ethics and Religion

18.3 Higher Education

Chapter 19 Emerging Adulthood: Psychosocial Development

19.1 Identity Ongoing

19.2 Social Connections

19.3 Romantic Partnership

PART 7 Adulthood

Chapter 20 Adulthood: Biosocial Development

20.1 Growing Older

20.2 Body Systems

20.3 Habits: Good and Bad

Chapter 21 Adulthood: Cognitive Development

21.1 Adult Intelligence

21.2 Cognitive Hazards

21.3 Choices in Thinking

Chapter 22 Adulthood: Psychosocial Development

22.1 Personality Development in Adulthood

22.2 Intimacy: Connecting with Others

22.3 Generativity: The Work of Adulthood

PART 8 Late Adulthood

Chapter 23 Late Adulthood: Biosocial Development

23.1 Demography and Prejudice

23.2 Systems and Choices

23.3 Theories of Aging

Chapter 24 Late Adulthood: Cognitive Development

24.1 Cognitive Processing in Adulthood

24.2 Neurocognitive Disorders

24.3 Cognitive Gains

Chapter 25 Late Adulthood: Psychosocial Development

25.1 Theories of Late Adulthood

25.2 Activity in Late Adulthood

25.3 Home and Care

Epilogue: Death, Dying, and Affirmation of Life

EP.1 Living with Death

EP.2 A Good Death

EP.3 Grief and Hope

Appendix: More About Research Methods

Glossary

References

Visual storytelling is used to explain important concepts in life-span development around the globe, making this a diverse title suitable for various student learning styles.
Contrasting Perspectives asks students to look at both sides of a controversial issue, encouraging critical thinking, including examining ones own biases.
Includes contemporary neuroscience research, broadening students' perspective on psychology and its potential applications and remaining relevant to today's students.
Highlights cultural differences and universals and their impact on the values and customs that shape individual development, embedding diversity and inclusion throughout.

A new framework for critical thinking. In the new edition, the authors introduce “Thinking Like a Developmentalist,” five principles of human development interleaved throughout the book, providing a practical, scaffolded way to encourage disciplinary thinking in the life-span course and application of developmental science in other contexts.
Reimagined presentation of the major theories. Chapter 2 is completely rewritten. The thirteenth edition presents the major perspectives of developmental science — psychodynamic, behavioural, cognitive, sociocultural, and evolutionary — as part of a dynamic, ongoing conversation. Students are encouraged to take an eclectic, flexible approach to theory, avoiding rigid categories and seeing how multiple perspectives complement each other.
Advances in science. Reflecting careful reading of thousands of articles and feedback from a panel of expert advisors, this thirteenth edition presents new research and discussions on a range of topics including: language learning, adolescent brains and mental health, and spiritual and moral development.
An authentic global perspective. Instead of comparing and contrasting cultures, this text infuses cultural variation within each topic so that the principles are broadly applicable and showcase how developmental science is built on a global perspective. Contextual differences are not positioned as cultural curiosities or exceptions but as diverse expressions of humanity.
New Skills for Success Activities. Offered in Achieve, these activities increase student preparedness, boost student success and retention, and save you precious class time. Topics include How to Read a Syllabus, Time Management, and How to Use AI Responsibly.

Kathleen Berger

Kathleen Stassen Berger transferred from Stanford University to Radcliffe, earning a B.A. and M.A.T. from Harvard University, and then an M.S. and Ph.D. from Yeshiva University, all while teaching adolescents. Her broad experience as a learner and educator includes directing a preschool, chairing philosophy at the United Nations International School, and teaching human development to graduate students at Fordham University, undergraduates at Montclair State University, aspiring professionals at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, and incarcerated individuals at Sing Sing Prison. For most of her professional career, Berger has been a professor at Bronx Community College of the City University of New York.

Berger is also the author of Invitation to the Life Span, The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, and A Topical Approach to the Developing Person Through the Life Span, as well as Grandmothering: Building Strong Ties with Every Generation. Berger’s research interests include adolescent identity, immigration, bullying, and grandparents, and she has published articles in the Wiley Encyclopedia of Psychology, Developmental Review , and Human Development, and in publications of the American Association for Higher Education and the National Education Association for Higher Education. She continues teaching and learning, not only from students and friends but also from four daughters and three grandsons.

Kendra Thomas

Kendra Thomas is an associate professor of psychology at Hope College, earning a Ph.D. from Ball State University. She has taught both undergraduate- and graduate-level human development to future nurses, teachers, and mental health professionals for 10 years. Originally from Londrina, Brazil, Thomas has long-standing research collaborations with the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Paraná as well as a South African community development organization. Through a research-practice partnership, she and colleagues have expanded the research of hope, especially in contexts of adverse family circumstances and home-visitation interventions. She is passionate about using research as a tool for building sustainable community development initiatives.

Thomas is an active researcher who has published in journals including Journal of Adolescence, Human Development, Applied Developmental Science, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, and International Journal of Behavior Development. She has also written about human development for TIME, Newsweek, Templeton Ideas, and Scientific American magazine.

She lives in Michigan with her husband, two children, and their old dog. Her hobbies include picking up random socks around the house and reading picture books at night.

Achieve for The Developing Person Through The Lifespan 13e is an online learning system backed by extensive development and research. Proven to increase student engagement and boost performance, Achieve offers:

Access to the ebook to download, read and virtually annotate for a completely flexible experience.
Course and book-specific resources including adaptive quizzing to personalise the experience for students.
A grade book, assignable assessments with targeted feedback, insights and reporting, instructor resources - all with seamless integration options.
Integrated with iClicker so that instructors and students can benefit in class and remotely from an industry leading student response system.
Dozens of dynamic, interactive mini-tutorials that teach and reinforce the course’s foundational ideas. Each of these brief activities address one or two key concepts, in a consistent format, empowering students to get to grips with the foundations outside of class.
32 new carefully curated developmental psychology videos that include closed captions and sensitive content warnings as well as assignable assessments, making them more inclusive than ever for all students
Skills for Success Activities to increase student preparedness, boost student success and retention, and save you precious class time.

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About Achieve

Achieve is our online learning system backed by extensive development and research. Proven to increase student engagement and boost performance. Achieve offers:

Access to the ebook to download, read and virtually annotate for a completely flexible experience
Course and book-specific resources including adaptive quizzing (Learning Curve) to personalise the experience for students
A grade book, assignable assessments with targeted feedback, insights and reporting, instructor resources - all with seamless integration options.

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