The Handbook of Lifespan Communication is the foundational scholarly text that offers readers a state of the art view of the varied and rich areas of lifespan communication research. The fundamental assumptions of lifespan communication are that the very nature of human communication is developmental, and, to truly understand communication, change across time must be incorporated into existing theory and research. Beginning with chapters on lifespan communication theory and methodologies, chapters are then organized into the various phases of life: early childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood, middle adulthood, and older adulthood. Top scholars across several disciplines have contributed to chapters within their domains of expertise, highlighting significant horizons that will guide researchers for years to come.

Jon F. Nussbaum (PhD, Purdue University) is Professor of Communication Arts & Sciences and Human Development & Family Studies at Penn State University. He is the past president of the International Communication Association and former editor of the Journal of Communication. He is co-author of Communication and Intimacy in Older Adulthood (2009) and co-editor of The Routledge Handbook of Health Communication (2011).