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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "PS 320 -1"
COURSE NAME: "Developmental Psychology"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2025
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Renata Di Lorenzo
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: PS 210 with a grade of C- or above
OFFICE HOURS:
by appointment
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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 explore the significance of developmental research in relation to topics such as adversity and developmental disorders.
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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 | Siegler, R., Saffran, J., Eisenberg, N., De Loache, J., Gershoff, E | Worth | 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. 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. | 60 |
| Group assignment | Students will work in groups to select an everyday issue and examine how developmental psychology research may help explain, understand, and address that specific issue. More details about the assignment will be available on Moodle. The group will present their project to the class during finals week. | 20 |
| Essay | Each student will complete an individual essay on a topic addressed in class, or on a closely related theme. | 20 |
-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 STRONGLY recommended.
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed.
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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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