Academic Catalogs

PSYC G116: Child Growth and Development

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date 11/03/2020
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), 
  • Pass/No Pass (B)
Local General Education (GE)
  • GWC Soc, Pol, Econ (GD)
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)
  • Cal-GETC 4 Social & Behavioral Sciences (4)
  • Cal-GETC 4G Interdiscipline Study (4G)
  • Cal-GETC 4I Psychology (4I)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
  • IGETC 4 Social&Behavioral Sci (4)
  • IGETC 4G Interdiscipline Study (4G)
  • IGETC 4I Psychology (4I)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)
  • CSU D7 Interdisciplinary Study (D7)
  • CSU D9 Psychology (D9)
  • CSU E1 Lifelong Understanding (E1)

Course Description

Formerly: PSYC G150 – Child Psychology. This course examines human development from conception through adolescence. Topics include family, culture, parenting, abuse, gender, language development, and education. This course emphasizes an understanding of the cognitive, social, and emotional development of children. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC. C-ID: CDEV 100. C-ID: CDEV 100.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Course Outcomes
  2. Compare and contrast various theoretical frameworks that relate to the study of human development.
  3. Summarize how culture, family, economic, educational, interpersonal, and biological factors affect children's development.
  4. Describe the cognitive, social, emotional, physical and language development of children

Course Objectives

  • 1. Describe the techniques and methods used by developmental psychologists to study human development.
  • 2. Compare and contrast the different psychological theories and perspectives of developmental psychology.
  • 3. Describe major developmental milestones for children from conception through adolescence in the areas of cognitive, physical, psychosocial, emotional, and langauge development.
  • 4. Explain the impact of culture, family, socioeconomic status, and other important sociocultural factors, on development from conception through adolescence.
  • 5. Differentiate characteristics of typical and atypical development.
  • 6. Apply the major theoretical perspectives of developmental psychology to different real-life examples.

Lecture Content

Developmental perspectives and theoretical frameworks of development Cognitive, sociocultural, emotional, psychosocial, biological, humanistic Research methods in developmental psychology Observation, surveys, interviews Ethics and validity of each method Documentation and analysis Beginning of development Genetics and heredity Conception and prenatal development Social and cultural influences on birth The newborn Biology and behavior Brain development Interaction of nature and nurture Physical growth and development Cognitive development Piagets theory Sociocultural theories Factors affecting cognitive development Social and emotional development Attachment styles Temperament and personality Eriksons psychosocial theory Self-esteem and identity development Understanding and regulating emotions Peer relationships Language development Theories of language learning Bilingual develoment Education Theories of intelligence Aquisition of academic skills Special needs and risk factors Theoretical comparisons and classroom applications Family and caregivers Parenting styles Effects of family structure Abuse and neglect Types and causes of various types of abuse Impact of abuse on development Preventing abuse Moral development Theories of moral development Factors in prosocial and antisocial behavior Gender and sexual development Theories of gender development Emer ging and adolescent sexuality Biological, social, family, and cultural factors Contemporary social issues impacting development Current political, cultural, economic contexts that affect childrens development Importance of culture and societal impacts on all aspects of development

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Lecture (02)
  • DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
  • DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

1. Lecture and discussion regarding reading materials and contermporary research. 2. Reflective student essays, applying the theories and research to real-life. 3. In-class group work, to apply, discuss, and explore psychological concepts. 4. Writing assignments evaluating additional materials and contemporary events

Reading Assignments

1. Readings assigned from the textbook. 2. Additional articles and handouts assigned by the instructor.

Writing Assignments

1. Analytical essays, applying the psychological concepts to concrete examples. 2. Reflective writing assignments, applying the psychological theories to real-life examples. 3. Essay questions on exams. 4. In class writing assignments, individually and in group work.

Out-of-class Assignments

1. Instructor may assign activities which ask students to apply psychological theories and research to their own lives. 2. Reflective writing assignments, analyzing the real-life impact of these assignments.

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

1. Students will compare and contrast the social, psychological, and biological factors that shape human development from conception through adolescence, and will demonstrate this through writings, exams, and discussions. 2. Analytical papers, demonstrating critical analysis of concepts and theories. 3. Discussions and in-class activities involving complex application of psychological theories. 4. Essay questions on exams, requiring the ability to compare and contract different theories and research. 5. Objective questions on exams, requiring the application of theories and research to different scenarios.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

1. Analytical papers, demonstrating critical analysis of concepts and theories. 2. Discussions and in-class activities involving complex application of psychological theories. 3. Essay quesitons on exams, requiring the ability to compare and contrast different theories and research.

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, L.. Child Development, 10th ed. Pearson, 2018 2. Required Kail, R.. Children and their development, 7th ed. Pearson, 2015 3. Required Seigler, R.S., Saffran, J., Eisenberg, N., Gershoff, E.. How Children Develop, 6th ed. Macmillan, 2020 4. Required Rathus, S.A.. Childhood: Voyages in development, 6th ed. 2017: Cengage, 2017 5. Required Santrock, J.. Child Development: An Introduction, 15th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2021

Other Resources

1. Instructor prepared materials.