Lene Arnett Jensen is the originator of the “cultural-developmental” theoretical approach to research on human psychology. This approach encompasses what is universal and what is culturally distinctive about human development. Unlike one-size-fits-all psychological theories of the 20th century, the cultural-developmental approach provides a flexible way to think about psychological development in today’s global world. In Moral Development in a Global World: Research from a Cultural-Developmental Perspective, for example, Dr. Jensen argues that humans are born with a shared moral heritage and that, as we develop from childhood into adulthood, we branch off in increasingly diverse directions shaped by culture. This results in both novelty and contention (Cambridge University Press, 2015). The Oxford Handbook of Human Development and Culture: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, edited by Dr. Jensen, provides an overview of theory and research on human development, with more than 40 chapters drawing together findings from cultures around the world (Oxford University Press,  2016). In The Oxford Handbook of Moral Development: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, more than 90 leading authors deliver an international, up-to-date, and comprehensive tour of the field (Oxford University Press, 2020). Dr. Jensen also authors college textbooks on child, adolescent, and lifespan development (with J. J. Arnett, all published by Pearson). Her most recent textbooks are Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach, 7e (2024), Child Development: A Cultural Approach, 3e (2020), Human Development: A Cultural Approach, 3e (2019) and Child Development Worldwide: A Cultural Approach, 1e (2018). Dr. Jensen is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Psychology at Clark University.

More Info at Bio