From love, parenthood, life crises, fulfilment, funerals, friendships, retirement, birth and death, these experiences are just a glimpse at the various developmental stages covered by this illuminating textbook of the stages during adulthood that contain some of the most pivotal and formative years of our entire lives. What, then, are their psychological consequences, and how can intangible experiences such as these be reliably described, explained and understood in psychological research? In this unique text, author Oliver Robinson authoritatively and fluently guides the reader through the interdependent areas of our cognitive, psychological, social, cultural and moral lives that constitute this fascinating area in psychology. This book delivers an interdisciplinary understanding of the changes that occur across the human life span as well as the psychological research tools needed to measure them. Providing an empirical analysis, this text considers models for understanding behaviour and development, methods of collecting data and study design.

This is invaluable reading for students studying human development, gerontology or an applied social science. Academically rigorous and elegantly written, it is the perfect guide to classic and current research in adult development. The first of its kind in the UK market, this accessible and fascinating book is essential reading for those interested in fully understanding adulthood and ageing.