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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PS 221"
COURSE NAME: "Child Development"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2017
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Elaine Luti
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: PS 101
OFFICE HOURS: before and after class and by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Follows the development of the child through adolescence, with emphasis on the complexity and continuity of psychological development. The course will emphasize the interaction and interdependence of the various systems: biological, genetic, and environmental, as well as the interaction and the interdependence of cognitive and social factors in the various stages of development, from the prenatal period through adolescence. Particular attention will be placed on attachment theory, the development of the self, and possible pathological outcomes of faulty development.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This course will follow development from birth through adolescence, with emphasis on the developing child in his intersubjective contexts, the interrelationship between different aspects of development (cognitive, physical, interpersonal and emotional and social), and childhood as the foundation of the adult personality.  Particular attention will be given to infant research and the implications of the findings of intersubjective infant researchers on later emerging characteristics of the child, and on attachment theory through all phases of child development. 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The student will learn to read professional writing in child development, think about the implications of the findings of researchers in the area and understand the child in the contexts of his physical and mental development, his intersubjective relationships and his social and cultural environment.  The emphasis is on understanding rather than on information. 
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Child Development its nature and courseDeHart Sroufe CooperMcGraw Hillisbn any edition of this text I recommend buying a used copy,and if you are in the US, to buy it used there where it will be much cheaper. It is NOT essential to get the latest edition. Since new it is very expensive, i recommend used (try amazon.com, amazon.co.uk or amazon.it and find the cheapest used copy) and you can share a copy with another student.    
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
2 short essays (1 to 2 pages) to be assigned. These are specifically important as preparation for the type of work required on the exams. Exam questions will be very similar to homework assignments. They should be rewritten is unsatisfactory. 10%
midterm exam during a 75 minute class periodThe exam will consist of essay questions only, which will emphasize understanding over knowledge. Open book25%
group project based on a reading assigned in classseveral articles will be offered to choose from. Students will choose the article and work on it in a group to present their conclusions to the class15 %
child observation essay (2 - 5 pages)The student will observe a child or group of children (at a park, outside a school, in a bus or train or plane, at a restaurant) or use an experience of the past with children (for example camp counselor, teaching assistant, babysitter) and will describe some aspect of the intersubjective relationships observed and relate them to the theory as presented in class readings15%
homework will be assigned in class and on the myjcu websiteStudents are responsible for finding out what the homework is. If they are absent they still need to ask and to check the myjcu online to see if any homework was assigned. all homework and the midterm should be redone if unsatisfactory 
final exam 2 and a half hoursThis will be an open book essay question final exam emphasizing understanding and application of the material taught in the course. If the grade of the final is higher than that of the midterm, the final exam grade will replace the midterm grade in calculating the grade given for the entire course35%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
A Because this course is not about knowledge of facts or even knowledge of the course material, but is about understanding, thinking about and applying the material presented in the course, these will be the criteria for an A. With open-book and open-note exams, it hardly makes sense to give much credit to knowledge as such, since it will be readily available to you. But the understanding of the material - an understanding that shows that you’ve thought about it, can come up with examples or show its application and implications for the field and perhaps outside of the specific field - is the mark of an excellent paper or exam. You will, hopefully, form your own opinions of this material and by no means are you required to agree with the professor. In fact, very often some of the best work students do comes from a critical analysis of the material and positions taken by the professor. However, your critical analysis must necessarily show your understanding of what it is you’re criticizing, as well as clear and reasoned arguments for your opinion. Ideally it should try to anticipate the criticism of the professor’s point of view and answer these potential criticisms. If you agree with the material, then you should be able to show that you’ve thought about it, come up with further examples, considered the implications and thought of possible objections and the answers to them. A paper or exam that shows the above qualities will be given an A
B To receive a B you’ll show good knowledge of the course material and arguments presented, will have some examples of the material but while some will be original, they will be primarily the examples given in class, and you’ll show some sense of the implications but these, too, will be primarily limited to the implications mentioned in the course. Your arguments will be well presented and thought out, but these won’t go very far beyond the actual material of the course.
C To receive a C you’ll show knowledge of the material insofar as it can be found in the readings and lecture notes, but it will often not be complete, and will not show much personal elaboration of the material. Examples and applications of the material will be limited and there will be some concepts that you haven’t clearly understood.
D You’ll receive a D when there’s some indication that you didn’t fully read or understand the material or follow the class lectures and discussions. There will be gaps in what you’ve been able to find in the readings and class notes. You won’t have understood some concepts.
F To fail the course with an F it will be apparent that you haven’t read or understood a large part of the material and can’t find it among your notes or readings, that you haven’t done some of the reading or followed in class and have no understanding of the material that is in the paper or essay beyond relaying some facts.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

 

The student is presumed to be a responsible adult who will attend class and get the notes for classes missed. Therefore there will be no official penalties for absences. However it will be extremely difficult to pass the course without attending class and class material will be drawn on for exams.In the case of group projects, the responsibility of the student is to the other group members, and participation in the group will be part of the grade. 
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

unit

reading

topic

1

Class notes, “blackboard”

Theory. What is theory – tells us what is relevant to observe – prerequisite for empirical research – why psychology different from other fields of study – subjectivity vs “objectivity” – impossibility of “objective” psychology – introspection, subjectivity and intersubjectivity – importance of experience -

2

Text ch 2,

Contexts of development – all elements of development take place in a context, from genetics to emotional development

3

Text ch 3, pgs 98 – 114,

Pregnancy and birth. Psychological aspects of pregnancy and the development of an idea of the coming baby – critical periods – teratogens – maternal care and nutrition – childbirth and its problems – lack of medical care and  over-medicalization – prematurity

4

Text ch 4,

Stern Interpersonal life ch3 Emergent Self: pgs: 37-53,61-68; Forms of Vitality ch 1; “Blackboard” 04 notes.

Beebe & L.Origins of Attachment ch 2

Film in class from Mother-Infant Picture Book;:facial mirroring

Infant capacities. Competencies, reflexes, instincts & preferences of infant- how they lead to attachment (motor skills, face perception, preferences for human face and interaction) – Stern: what does baby know, what kind of self present at 1 month – amodal perception – vitality affects or forms of vitality – Representations of Interactions Generalized- Beebe: pre-symbolic representations of interactions; comtingencies; agency; object permanence; regulation; cross-modal perception; prediction of future cognitive and emotional qualities from quality of interaction in 1st 6 months

5

Text ch 5; Stern interpersonal World of the Infant: ch 5 sense of core self;

Beebe & L infant research & adult treatment ch 5 “Patterns of early interactive regulation”

Infant cognitive development, sense of self & invariants – Piagetian theory: assimilation and accommodation; infant cognitive development acc to Piaget, memory, beginnings of organized sense of self, invariants

6

Text ch 6;

R. Karen: Becoming Attached:

 ch 13 Minnesota..;

 ch 14 Mother Father...;

 ch 15 structures of mind;

Beebe & L:Mother-infant interaction picture book ch 4 and film in class

Infant social and emotional development, attachment First half year – innate social preadaptation, attunement and sensitive care, the smile. Second half year; emotional development, stranger response, attachment, patterns of attachment, temperament.  Importance of early care, sensitive periods. Working models of attachment.   Regulation: self regulation and interactive regulation. 

7

Chapter 7;

Daniel Stern Interpersonal world of the Infant:  ch 8 “Sense of a verbal self”

Toddlers language and thought.  Components of language.  tasks in language learning, social use of language.  Environmentalist vs Nativist theories,  non-linguistic symbolic representation, pretend play, gestures.  Sense of a verbal self: language as a way of "being with";  Language as a double-edged sword- what we gain and what we lose with language.

8

Text Chapter 8;

Beebe & L The Origins of Attachment. ch 1 "The Origins of Relatedness”

Toddler social and emotional development.  Socialization from outside and inside.  Other developments.  Parent-toddler relationship.   Roots of personality.   Parental abuse and neglect.  Attachment patterns.

9

Text ch 9

Early childhood Cognitive development.  Preschool thought.  Quantitative tasks, number, other conceptual tools.  social cognition: child's theory of mind, egocentrism. Vygotsky and social aspects of cognition

10

Text ch 10

Early childhood Social and emotional development.  Developing self: self-understanding, self constancy, self esteem.  Sexual identity, social development, peers, social competence.  Emotional development.  Play.  Parent's role- styles of parenting, identification

11

Text ch 11

Middle childhood- cognitive development.  Conservation, classification.  Social interaction and cognitive development.  Intelligence.

12

Text ch 12

Middle childhood: Social and emotional development  The self.  emergence of psychological self.  The self objects.  social self, sexual identity.  Peers.  emotional development.  contexts of development.

13

Text ch 13

Adolescence: physical and cognitive development.  Psychological implications of  biological changes.  Puberty- hormonal activity, secondary sex characteristics, impact of pubertal change on body image and social relationships.  Neurological changes.  Cognitive changes: formal operations.  Social cognition.

14

Text ch 14

Adolescence: Social and emotional development.  Identity.  Development of self.  peer relationships.  sexual activity.  family relationships

15

Text Chapter 15:

Stern:Interpers world ch 9 the observed infant;

Bowlby, Separation: Anxious attachment and the phobias of childhood;

Miller: “The drama of the gifted child”

Mate': Scattered: ch 8, 9 & 10

Pathological development.  Risks, protective factors.  Defining and assessing health and pathology.  Biological, environmental and developmental perspectives.  Some types of disorders