Some Implications of Life Span Developmental Psychology for Adult Education and Learning

Many adult educators do not consider developmental psychology relevant to adult education because the bulk of developmental theory offers little for practical application. This paper describes a different perspective of adult psychology—life span developmental psychology—which holds great promise for educators in understanding better adult learning. We attempt to make explicit and to strengthen connections between developmental theory and adult education practice and describe three research traditions in adult development that can inform adult education. These include psychometric studies tracking gains and losses in intellectual functioning over the life span, studies of everyday cognition and adaptive competence, and theoretical descriptions of post-formal styles of adult cognition. We integrate these diverse perspectives on intellectual development and derive several implications for adult education. Evidence from life span developmental psychology leads us to conclude that the most effective adult learning occurs when instruction matches real-life applications within learners’ social contexts.