Continuity–Discontinuity Issue

How may development be described or explained across the lifespan? If the attributes of a person are described or explained in the same ways across different points in life, then continuity exists. If descriptions or explanations of a person’s attributes vary across the course of life, then discontinuity exists. There is a need, however, for greater specification and clarification of the continuity–discontinuity issue. This entry describes [Page 457]the concept of continuity–discontinuity and provides examples of continuity–discontinuity across the lifespan.

In seeking to systematically represent the changes a person goes through across time, that is, in trying to describe within-person change, one may ask if the behavior, cognitions, or emotions being described take the same form across time. Simply, do the behaviors, cognitions, or emotions look the ...