What are the changes we see over the life-span? How can we explain them? And how do we account for individual differences? This volume continues to examine these questions and to report advances in empirical research within life-span development increasing its interdisciplinary nature. The relationships between individual development, social context, and historical change are salient issues discussed in this volume, as are nonnormative and atypical events contributing to life-span change.

This serial publication continues to review life-span research and theory in the behavioral and social sciences, particularly work done by psychologists and sociologists conducting programmatic research on current problems and refining theoretical positions. Each volume introduces excellent peer-reviewed empirical research into the field of life-span development while presenting interdisciplinary viewpoints on the topic. Often challenging accepted theories, this series is of great interest to developmental, personality, and social psychologists.

Originally published in 1986, the central topic of this book is the analysis and application of control-related beliefs and behaviours for theory and practice in the psychology of aging. The volume was written for two specific interrelated purposes aimed at cross-fertilization between the psychology of control and the field of gerontology. The first purpose was to summarise available research and theory on the psychology of control for researchers and professionals interested in gerontology at the time. The second was to enrich the field of the psychology of control.