PSYC A130: Life Span Developmental Psychology
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Committee Approval Date | 10/07/2020 |
| Top Code | 200100 - Psychology, General |
| Units | 3 Total Units |
| Hours | 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 0 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S),
|
| Associate Arts Local General Education (GE) |
|
| Associate Science Local General Education (GE) |
|
| California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) |
|
| Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) |
|
| California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth) |
|
Course Description
Psychological study of human development across the lifespan from prenatal development through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and dying. Theories and research of physical, cognitive, personality, and social development are examined, as well as attention to developmental problems. Institutions impacting each stage of development also addressed. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC. C-ID: PSY 180.C-ID: PSY 180.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Students will be able to critically evaluate theoretical perspectives, research, and applications in lifespan development.
Course Objectives
- 1. Differentiate the theoretical approaches to human development.
- 2. Explain how research on life-span development is conducted.
- 3. Identify what genes are and how they influence human development.
- 4. Distinguish the course of prenatal development and note potential hazards.
- 5. Explain how motor skills develop.
- 6. Analyze attachment and its development.
- 7. Differentiate the key processes and four stages in Piagets theory.
- 8. Define the characteristics of mental retardation, giftedness, and creativity.
- 9. Define language and describe its rule systems and course of development.
- 10. Identify cognitive changes in adulthood.
- 11. Distinguish the key aspects of identity development.
- 12. Explain how sexuality develops across the life span.
- 13. Define the family life cycle and family processes that influence child development.
- 14. Classify styles of parenting and note how parenting affects the development of children.
- 15. Evaluate the influence of peer relations in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
- 16. Explain cognitive changes in adulthood.
- 17. Analyze the role of career development, work, and retirement in adult development.
- 18. Evaluate different possible attitudes toward ones own death and the death of others.
- 19. Identify ways to cope with the death of another person.
Lecture Content
Introduction to life span development Methods to study human development (longitudinal, cross sectional, sequential, correlational, experimental, survey, and case study methods addressed) Theoretical approaches used to address human development (psychoanalytical, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, and evolutionary addressed) Influences of heredity: Genes, chromosomes, DNA Environmental influences Prenatal development and childbirth Periods of prenatal development Critical periods in prenatal development Influences for healthy prenatal development Stages and approaches to childbirth, including settings and institutional choices for childbirth experience Infancy and toddlerhood The developing brain Physical and motor development Sensory and perceptual development Cognitive development, including Piagets stage theory Language development: Progression and different theories of language acquisition Personality and social development, including Eriksons and Freuds stage theories Different types of attachment The family system, as an institution influencing early development Early childhood Physical development Motor skills development Cognitive development, including Piagets stage theory and the work of Vygotsky Language development: Progression, different theories of language acquisition Play and cognitive development Peers, play, and development of social competence Family dynamics Child care and preschool, as institutions influencing early childhood development Middle childhood Physical and motor development Cognitive development, including Piagets stage theory, t he work of Vygotsky, and types of intelligence School environment, as an institution influencing learning and the development of competent learners Children with special needs (visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech impairment, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, dyslexia, bilingualism, gifted and talented) Personality and social development, including theories of Freud and Erikson Peer relationships and building friendships Self concept: Social, academic, emotional, and physical The family system, as an institution influencing middle childhood development Adolescence Physical and sexual maturation, including timing of puberty, and eating disorders Cognitive development, including Piagets stage theory School environment, as an institution influencing the development of competent learners Threats to adolescent well-being: Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sexually transmitted diseases, depression, suicide The family system, as an institution influencing adolescent behavior Psychological and social development, including Eriksons stage theory and Marcias approach to identity development Peer relationships during adolescence Young adulthood Fitness, health, nutrition, and stress Sex and sexuality Cognitive development, including Perrys and Schaies approaches to post-formal thinking College as an institution affecting young adulthood Self, family, and work Forming close relationships: Intimacy, liking, and loving Choosing a partner Transition to parenthood Work: Choosing and embarking on a career Middle adulthood Perceptions and realities of midlife Physical transit ions: Gradual change in the bodys capabilities Sexuality in the middle adulthood years Disease, health habits, and influences of stress Cognitive skills in middle adulthood The family system, as an institution influencing middle adulthood: Relationships with adult children, aging parents, becoming a grandparent Marriage, divorce and remarriage Personality development, including views of Erikson, Valliant, Gould, and Levinson Older adulthood Physical and cognitive changes of aging Health problems in older people: Physical and psychological disorders Personality development and successful aging, addressing work of Erikson, Peck, Levinson, and Neugarten Retirement and status change Older adulthood, as influenced by the institutions of U.S. social policies Widows and widowers Caring for older adults, specialized living environments and institutions Death and dying Leading causes of death across the lifespan Coping with terminal illness, including hospice care Stages of adjustment to death Rituals and customs of grieving
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
- DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
- DE Online Lecture (02X)
Instructional Techniques
Lecture, explanation, and application of topics, concepts, and terms. Demonstration of various approaches to problem solving. Instructor and peer feedback to small discussion assignments. Written feedback to student papers and tests. Use of white board, power point, videos, DVDs, and educational website access. Review sheets to target main concepts of the class for test preparation. Online or hybrid courses: Instructors will use live and/or pre-recorded online audio and/or video resources (e.g. Canvas, ConferZoom, Big Blue Button, Powerpoint) for lectures and labs. Students will have access to lecture slides on Canvas. Instructors will also communicate with students using announcements, chat rooms, and email. Online office hours will be held weekly and the syllabus and schedule will be posted daily throughout the entire semester. Engagement with students: Discussions will be uploaded on Discussion boards where students can interact with other classmates and the instructor. Instructors will provide timely feedback to students on assignments and papers using the comment tool on Canvas. Exams will take place online and instructors will provide feedback after exams are graded.
Reading Assignments
2 hours per week reading from assigned textbook and supplementary materials
Writing Assignments
2 hours per week writing paper analyzing topics in lifespan development Students will use critical thinking skills to write summary and reaction papers to interview assignments that target various age groups studied in the class. Students will use critical thinking skills to answer essay test questions. Students will use critical thinking skills to read current research articles pertaining to the field of life-span development, and they will analyze the main ideas and note their personal reactions to the new information presented in the articles.
Out-of-class Assignments
2 hours per week completing out-of-class homework assignments
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
Five examinations including objective and essay questions. Participation in small-group, in-class discussions and evaluation of ideas that evolve from the group discussions. Use of critical thinking skills to write summary and reaction papers to interview assignments that target age groups covered in the class. Evaluation of writing assignments that summarize and react to published research in life span development.
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Students will use critical thinking skills to write summary and reaction papers to interview assignments that target various age groups studied in the class. Students will use critical thinking skills to answer essay test questions. Students will use critical thinking skills to read current research articles pertaining to the field of life-span development, and they will analyze the main ideas and note their personal reactions to the new information presented in the articles.
Eligible Disciplines
Psychology: Masters degree in psychology OR bachelors degree in psychology AND masters degree in counseling, sociology, statistics, neuroscience, or social work OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.
Textbooks Resources
1. Required Berk, Laura. Development through the Lifespan, 7 ed. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2018 2. Required Craig, G. Dunn, W.. Understanding Human Development, 4 ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall Publishers, 2019 3. Required Feldman, R.. Development Across the Life Span, 9 ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice-Hall Publishers, 2020 Rationale: - 4. Required Santrock, John. Life-Span Development, 17 ed. New York: McGraw Hill Publisher, 2019
Other Resources
1. Rathus, Spencer. HDEV. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 2012, latest. Print