Book excerpt: This well-focused abridgment of the critically acclaimed APA Dictionary of Psychology is specifically tailored for scholars and students who focus on the field of developmental psychology. The basic lexicon of development across the lifespan is illuminated in thousands of entries and hundreds of cross-references representing four basic categories: Theories (e.g., psychoanalytic, normative development, testing, learning, Piagetian stages) Biosocial (e.g., heredity/genetics, physical/sexual maturation) Cognitive (e.g., learning, memory, and neurology) Psychosocial (e.g., family, community, education, employment) Moreover, a significant number of revised and entirely new entries will offer fresh perspectives on the multidimensional and multidirectional aspects and the plasticity of change across human life and in human behaviour.