Missing links: the case for a social psychology of the life course.

The major purpose of this discussion is to demonstrate that the knowledge base has suffered as a result of insufficient cross-fertilization of social-psychological and life course/aging perspectives. The central focus of the article is identification of research issues of interest to life course and aging scholars that would be enriched by increased attention to social-psychological principles and, conversely, identification of social-psychological research topics that would be advanced by increased attention to life course and aging issues.