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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "PS 320"
COURSE NAME: "Developmental Psychology"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2022
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Paola Castelli
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 8:30 AM 9:45 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: PS 210
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course provides a general introduction to the science of developmental psychology and its applications. A number of questions will be addressed, including: What develops and when; The contribution of nature and nurture to developmental change; Mechanisms of change; The role of the child and the larger sociocultural context in shaping development; Continuity and discontinuity in development; Methods used to address the above topics; Application of developmental research to everyday issues.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Discussion will focus on the theories, methods, and empirical research findings in areas such as motor, perceptual, cognitive, social, and emotional development. We will also examine the relevance of developmental research for issues such as media violence, child abuse, juvenile crime, parenting practice, education. We will address how developmental science can inform public policy decisions.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Understand the principles of physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development. Describe key concepts and overarching themes using basic psychological terminology.
- Identify implications (and applications) of developmental psychology research to everyday life
- Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of developmental research methods.
- Interpret and evaluate research in developmental psychology, including quantitative data (e.g., statistics, graphs, tables)
- Demonstrate effective writing and presentation skills within appropriate constraints (e.g., time/page limit, audience).
- Demonstrate information literacy in psychology by accurately summarizing and presenting information from psychological sources
- Demonstrate awareness of the ethical issues associated with conducting research on vulnerable populations (e.g., minors)
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| How Children Develop (6th edition | Siegler, R., Saffran, J., Eisenberg, N., De Loache, J., Gershoff, E | Worth Publisher | 9781319184568 | | | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Exams | There will be TWO midterms during the course of the semester, plus a FINAL exam during finals week. (Thus you will have THREE exams total). The midterms will be non-cumulative exams (each covering approximately 1/2 of the course material). However, the concepts will build on one another during the course of the semester, so to do well on midterm 2, you may need to keep yourself refreshed on topics covered in midterm 1. The FINAL (during finals week), will be cumulative, that is, it will cover anything that has been discussed/assigned throughout the course
| 60 |
| Homework Assignments | Students will be required to present and lead a class discussion on a topic to be chosen with the instructor | 40 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
Attendance is not mandatory, but it is STRONGLY recommended. Some material - such as in-depth description of studies, examples, exercises, etc. – will only be presented in class. Please try not to arrive late and/or leave early. Should you arrive late, or need to leave early, please sit in the back of the class, to avoid disrupting class.
There are more assessment opportunities than you need even to receive the highest grade, thus, failing an assignment or even skipping one (sometimes more) will not have any significant consequence. You will also be given (limited) opportunities for revisions, or late submissions. No permission needed or excuses necessary. In light of this policy, no additional make-up will be allowed.
If you are absent on the day where a summary or an exam is administered, that will simply be your dropped score. You CANNOT be absent on the day of your presentation.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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