Psychology

What is lifespan development According to Meyer and Rutter (2003), lifespan development is an organized, logical, and intra-individual change which satisfies expected age-related progressions, vital in the emotional and psychological functioning of an individual. There are generally four stages of lifespan development childhood and adolescence, early, middle, and late adulthood. According to Meyer (2001), each stage has a distinct and symbolic character of living. Transition between stages requires basic changes in the structure, form, and function of an individuals life. Each stage is characterized by a set of tasks, defined by physiology and societal conventions. Humans have a unique lifespan development. It involves psychological, physiological (natural), and societal changes. As the person ages, heshe becomes more and more acquianted with conventions and symbols  necessary tools for adapting to societal and psychological conditions.

In the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, lifespan development is reversed. Benjamin, the lead character, is born old (late adulthood). As time progresses, he becomes younger and younger. At the age of 71, he matures into a child and dies. There are two important points which need to be examined. First, old age and infant age is similar in function. The old Benjamin is weak and feeble, comparable to the young Benjamin who is losing his senses. Second, aging is presented as the medium for maturity  the channel to which the individual realizes his worth to the society. This second axiom is theoretically illogical because aging is almost always a biological process. Indeed, in the movie, while lifespan development is reversed, the nature of aging remains a valid fact.