PSY 250
Lifespan Development
Fall 2009
1:00-1:50 p.m., Mon - Wed - Fri
Text: Kail, R., and Cavanaugh, J. Human Development: A Lifespan View. (4th ed.) Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning Inc., 2007.
Course Outline:
Part I: Introduction; Infancy, toddlerhood, the preschool years (Text Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5)
Wed. 09/02 The emic-etic distinction; paradigms; schools of thought
Fri. 09/04 Personality diversity as an explanatory framework
Mon. 09/07 Labor Day - No Class
Wed. 09/09 The problem of historical embeddedness
Fri. 09/11 Data types; testable hypotheses; research designs
Mon. 09/14 Age as a variable; cross-sectional vs. longitudinal designs
Wed. 09/16 In-class practice exercise
Fri. 09/18 Genetics
Mon. 09/21 Genetics, cont'd
Wed. 09/23 Heredity-environment interaction
Fri. 09/25 Prenatal development
Mon. 09/28 Gender markers; teratology
Wed. 09/30 A social history of birth
Fri. 10/02 A social history of birth, cont'd
Mon. 10/05 The notion of stage theories
Wed. 10/07 Stage theories of development: Piaget and Erikson (I)
Fri. 10/09 Attachment theory
Mon. 10/12 Attachment and temperament
Wed. 10/14 Microculture and macroculture
Fri. 10/16 Anaclitic identification
Mon. 10/19 UNIT EXAM #1
Part II: Childhood and adolescence (Text Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9)
Wed. 10/21 Piaget (II) and Erikson (II)
Fri. 10/23 Parenting styles and the family milieu; Reaction Journal #1 DUE
Mon. 10/26 Social systems theory
Wed. 10/28 Birth order
Fri. 10/30 Objectivism and constructivism
Mon. 11/02 Patterns of friendship and peer interaction
Wed. 11/04 Moral development (Kohlberg)
Fri. 11/06 Kohlberg cont'd; delay of gratification and metacognition
Mon. 11/09 UNIT EXAM #2
Part III: Adulthood (Text Chapters 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
Wed. 11/11 A taxonomy of theories
Fri. 11/13 A taxonomy of theories; Piaget and Erikson (III)
Mon. 11/16 Bridges and Levinson; Jaffe; Reaction Journal #2 due
Wed. 11/18 Spiritual development in adulthood
Fri. 11/20 Theories of meaning
Mon. 11/23 Adult relationship satisfaction (Teman)
Wed. 11/25 Theories of epistemic development (Belenky)
Fri. 11/27 NO CLASS -- Thanksgiving break
Mon. 11/30 The aging process
Wed. 12/02 Theories of retirement: Atchley, Hornstein and Wapner
Fri. 12/04 Elderhood and society
Mon. 12/07 Thanatology: An overview
Wed. 12/09 Stages of the dying process: Pattison
Fri. 12/11 The NDE phenomenon
Mon.12/14 UNIT EXAM #3; Reaction Journal #3 due
FINAL EXAM -- TBD
Earning your grade:
Two unit exams (highest 2 of 3) ......................... 80 possible points
If you complete all three unit exams, your lowest exam grade will be dropped.
Reaction Journal .............................................. 40 possible points
Comprehensive final exam ................................ 80 possible points
Students may bring one 4" x 6" index card to the final exam ONLY (NOT to the unit exams) on which any desired notes or other information may be written. The final exam is required of all students without exception. Students who fail to complete the final exam will receive an automatic semester grade of F, regardless of prior performance in other course components. (Exception: a documented emergency will be handled by means of a grade of Incomplete. See the general syllabus information for more.)
TOTAL............................................................ 200 possible points