Lecture Series of the Project Group "Language Dynamics Across the Life Span"

Individual Differences in Lifespan Development: From Long-Term Tranjectories to Short-Term Dynamics

Prof. Gizem Hülür (Universität Zürich)

Human development unfolds over different time scales. In this talk, I will focus on developmental processes taking place at different levels of analysis, from differences between generations that manifest across decades, to macro-longitudinal developments that take place across several years, and micro-longitudinal processes observed in daily life. Taking a closer look at cognitive and psychosocial function across the lifespan with a focus on old age, I will address (a) how these functions have changed in recent decades and how aging today differs from aging in previous generations, (b) which changes individuals experience when growing old and getting closer to death, and (c) how these changes are related to day-to-day experiences of older adults. I will highlight open questions for future inquiry and implications for healthy aging.