Description
A survey of current theory on development from conception to death. Topics include physical growth and maturation, cognitive and personality development, concerns of adolescence and young adulthood, and the special challenges of middle and late adulthood in our society.
Course Learning Outcomes
- Analyze cognitive, emotional, and social development during infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood
- Contrast the strengths and limitations of common research methods: systematic observations, self reports, case study and ethnography
- Identify the strengths and limitations of general and developmental research designs: correlational, experimental, longitudinal, cross-sectional and sequential
- Evaluate the lifespan perspective in reference to the basic issues of development: continuous v. discontinuous, contexts, nature v. nurture, gender and culture
- Differentiate among the stances of major theories on basic issues in human development: psychoanalytic, behaviorism and social learning, cognitive-developmental, information processing, ethology, sociocultural, ecologic systems, and lifespan perspective
- Discuss the lifespan perspective: development is lifelong, multidimensional and multidirectional, highly plastic and affected by multiple interacting forces
Prerequisites
Semester
Fall/Spring