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Multidirectional Human Development

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In 1987 Paul Baltes created a theory based on the lifespan of human development. From his studies, he came up with six characteristics of adult development rather than child development. He was the first to focus on how a person develops throughout their lifetime rather than only the beginning. His theory states that "lifespan of human development is multidirectional and involves both gains and losses; plasticity is the rule over stability; development is influenced by historical and social contexts; and human development is multidisciplinary in nature." (pg 24) This is how his theory is relevant in my life.
Life is multidirectional in the sense that as a person develops, some things get worse and some get better. Things will change in a person's life at any given moment. A loss can change things just as much as a gain can. Throughout my high school years, I noticed a change in my mother. She used to be my …show more content…

Plasticity is the ability to be molded or change while still holding a specific durability. Plastic does not refer to the hard bowl you put your leftovers in instead, it's referring to that bowl's ability to be molded into a new shape with the right effort without breaking. It is possible for an old dog to learn new tricks. I work at an electronic cigarette store, selling better alternatives to cancer sticks. I have to convince people who have been smoking one to three packs a day for up to fifty years to stop. I have seen people give up, but I have also watched people change. I have listened to their stories about how they never thought they could smoke their last cigarette by choice. I hear about how much better they feel, how good things smell and taste now that they have their life back. I get to help people learn to better themselves by kicking a bad habit. On a daily basis, I witness first hand how plastic a person's development really

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