Psy 300 - Life Span Development and Personality Paper

Psy 300

Life Span Development And Personality Paper

The objective of this paper is to discuss briefly how the study of human development emerged as a discipline over the centuries, and to compare and contrast the strengths and limitations of the major research methodologies utilized within developmental psychology. This paper will focus on the life span development and personality of Diana, Princess of Wales. Diana Frances Spencer was born into British aristocracy by her parents Frances Shand Kydd and John Spencer (Lord Althorp) on July 1, 1961. Her parents separated in 1967 and Diana and her siblings remained living with their father. Upon the death of her paternal grandfather, Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer in 1975, Diana's father became the 8th Earl Spencer. She became Lady Diana Spencer and the family moved to the family's sixteenth-century ancestral home of Althorp (Wikipedia Contributors, 2007).

After becoming Lady Diana Spencer, at age of 20, she married the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles who was 13 years older than her. The ceremony was one of the century’s greatest royal weddings and she became HRH the Princess of Wales. The following year she became mother of Prince William and two years later she became mother to son Prince Harry. In December 1992, Diana and Charles separated and divorced in 1996. In July 1997 she was in a tragic fatal automobile accident.

Impacts on Her Life

Childhood is the development in one’s life between infancy and adolescence. Diana was born into a family of privilege and royal descent where money was not an issue. She was home schooled until the age of nine. She was a quiet and reserved child living a happy life until her parents divorced when she was eight. Shortly thereafter she became visibly depressed.

Adolescence is a period in one’s life in which major physiological, cognitive, and behavioral changes take place. Actually the age may vary but generally occurs somewhere between the ages of 12 through 18. This is a critical stage where a child attempts to become independent, wants to establish their identity and there are noticeable changes in their behavior. Several changes occurred in Diana’s life during these phase. Because of her grandfather’s death, she gained the title of Lady. She also began attending boarding school of which was a bit difficult for her along with the fact that she academically struggled, became lonely and homesick.

Adult development was again a difficult stage in the life of Lady Diana. She became engaged and later married Prince Charles thus becoming known to the world as HRH the Princess of Wales. Out of the marriage were born two children. From the onset of the engagement, she became a target for the media and was considered the most photographed woman in history and was always in the public eye.