PSYC 2314: Lifespan Growth & Development

COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (CSLOs)

1. Define the major questions addressed by developmental science and the methods that developmental psychologists use to answer them.

2. Explain the biosocial, cognitive and psychological influences throughout the lifespan as an ongoing set of processes, involving both continuity and change.

3. Describe the different developmental perspectives of the major theories of development (i.e. cognitive, learning, humanistic and psychodynamic).

4. Describe changes in the nervous, endocrine, reproductive, sensory, cardiovascular, skeletal, muscular, and immune systems that occur from conception through late adulthood.

5. Describe the stages of the developing person at different periods of the life span from birth to death.

6. Discuss the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that affect the development process of the individual.

7. Identify factors of responsible personal behavior with regard to issues such as sexual activity, substance abuse, marriage and parenting.

8. Identify examples of some of the cultural and ethnic differences that influence development throughout the lifespan.

9. Discuss the various causes or reasons for disturbances in the developmental process.

TOPICS, TERMS, AND CONCEPTS BY CSLO

Required Topics: Must be included in reading assignments, lectures, or both

Required Key Terms and Concepts: Must be included in assessments; must be included in reading assignments and/or lectures

Recommended Topics: May be included in reading assignments, lectures, and assessments

CSLO 1

Define the major questions addressed by developmental science and the methods that developmental psychologists use to answer them.

Required Topics

Required Key Terms and Concepts

Recommended Topics

Major issues in the study of development

1. Developmental psychology

2. Lifespan perspective

3. Nature/nurture debate

4. Behavioral genetics

5. heritability

1. Developmental psychology as a subfield of psychology

2. Other subfields relevant to the study of development

3. Approaches of other social/behavioral sciences to   studying development

4. Careers in developmental science

Research methods

1. Cohort effects

2. Longitudinal design

3. Cross-sectional design

4. Cross-cultural design

5. Research ethics

 

1. Basic research

2. Applied research

3. APA Code of Ethics

4. Institutional review boards

5. Peer review

6. Methods of studying development used in other social/behavioral sciences

7. Correlation

8. Experiment

9. Naturalistic observation

10. Case study

CSLO 2

Explain the biosocial, cognitive and psychological influences throughout the lifespan as an ongoing set of processes, involving both continuity and change.

Required Topics

Required Key Terms and Concepts

Recommended Topics

Theories with/without stages

1. Continuity versus discontinuity

2. Maturation

3. Learning

4. Development

 

1. Epigenetic systems theory

2. Types of change

Risk and protective factors

1. Resilience

1. Biological risk/protective factors

2. Age-recommended risk/protective factors

3. Trauma, poverty, family structure and other external influences on development

4. Violence in schools and neighborhoods

5. Violence in the home/family

CSLO 3

Describe the different developmental perspectives of the major theories of development (i.e. cognitive, learning, humanistic and psychodynamic).

Required Topics

Required Key Terms and Concepts

Recommended Topics

Piaget

1. Cognitive-developmental perspective

2. Schema

3. Assimilation

4. Accommodation

5. Equilibration

6. Sensorimotor stage

7. Object permanence

8. Preoperational stage

9. Egocentrism

10. Symbolic function

11. Concrete operational stage

12. Conservation

13. reversibility

14. Formal operational stage

15. Hypothetico-deductive thinking

1. How the cognitive-developmental perspective defines stages

2. Adolescent egocentrism

3. Piaget’s stages of moral development

Freud

1. Psychoanalytic perspective

2. Oral stage

3. Anal stage

4. Phallic stage

5. Latency stage

6. Genital stage

1. How the psychoanalytic perspective defines stages

2. Preconscious, conscious, unconscious

3. Id, ego superego

4. Oedipal/Elektra complex

5. Psychoanalytic approach to moral development

6. Psychodynamic therapy

Erikson

1. Psychosocial perspective

2. Trust v mistrust

3. Autonomy v shame/doubt

4. Initiative v guilt

5. Industry v inferiority

6. Identity v role confusion

7. Intimacy v isolation

8. Generativity v stagnation

9. Ego integrity v despair

10. Identity crisis

1. How the psychosocial perspective defines stages

2. Relationship between psychoanalytic and psychosocial theory

3. Marcia’s theory of identity development

4. Ethnic identity development

5. Career development

 

Kohlberg

1. Cognitive-developmental perspective

2. Preconventional level

3. Conventional level

4. Postconventional level

1. Gilligan’s ethic of care

2. Cross-cultural differences in moral reasoning

3. Gender differences in moral reasoning

Bronfenbrenner

1. Ecological systems approach

1. Contexts of development

Vygotsky

1. Sociocultural perspective

2. Zone of proximal development

3. scaffolding

1. Relationship between sociocultural and cognitive-developmental theory

2. Cooperative learning

Information processing theory

1. Cognitive perspective

2. Working memory

3. Metacognition

4. Selective attention

1. Relationship between cognitive-developmental and cognitive theory

2. Neo-Piagetian theory

Maslow

1. Humanistic perspective

2. Hierarchy of needs

3. Self-esteem

1. Unconditional positive regard

2. Person-centered therapy

Evolutionary psychology

1. Natural selection

1. Developmental universals

2. Cross-cultural differences

3. Individual differences

Operant conditioning

1. Behavioral perspective

1. Child discipline

2. Behavior modification

3. Disadvantages of punishment

Classical conditioning

1. Behavioral perspective

1. Fear conditioning

2. Abuse

Observational learning

1. Social-cognitive perspective

2. Reciprocal determination

3. Modeling

4. Self-efficacy

1. Media influences

Intelligence

1. Intelligence test

2. IQ

1. History of IQ testing

2. Individual differences

3. Group differences

4. Sternberg

5. Gardner

Language development

1. Nativist theory

2. Language acquisition device

3. Behaviorist theory

4. Bilingualism

5. English language learners

1. Infant-directed speech

2. Cognitive theory

3. Interactionist theory

Gender development

1. Gender roles

2. Kohlberg’s stages of gender role development

3. Gender schema theory

4. Social-cognitive gender role theory

5. Gender differences

 

Social-emotional development

1. Thomas & Chess temperament theory

2. Infant temperament dimensions

3. Attachment

4. Strange situation test

5. Attachment styles

6. Theories of empathy development

7. Personality

1. Big Five

2. Attachment in adult relationships

3. Parental responsiveness

4. Temperament and attachment

CSLO 4

Describe changes in the nervous, endocrine, reproductive, sensory, cardiovascular, skeletal, muscular, and immune systems that occur from conception through late adulthood.

Required Topics

Required Key Terms and Concepts

Recommended Topics

Prenatal development and birth

1. Gametes

2. Genes

3. Chromosomes

4. SRY gene

5. Dominant/recessive genes

6. Sex-linked characteristics

7. Conception

8. Zygote

9. Monozygotic twins

10. Dizygotic twins

11. Prenatal sex development

12. Intersex

13. Germinal stage

14. Embryonic stage

15. Fetal stage

16. Teratogens

17. Stages of labor

18. Oxytocin

1. Contraception

2. Genetic disorders

3. Chromosomal disorders

4. Genetic counseling

5. Effects of teratogens

6. Effects of maternal physical and mental health

7. Environmental hazards

8. Miscarriage

9. Anesthesia

10. Natural childbirth

 

Neonatal development

1. Low birth weight

2. Very low birth weight

3. Small for date

4. Infant mortality

1. Group differences in low birth weight and infant mortality

Neurological development

1. Reflexes

2. Prefrontal cortex

3. Executive skills

 

Motor development

1. Norms

2. Fine motor skills

3. Gross motor skills

1. Dynamic systems theory

Puberty

1. Menarche

2. Spermarche

3. Primary sex characteristics

4. Secondary sex characteristics

5. Secular trend

6. Estrogen

7. Progesterone

8. Testosterone

9. Pituitary gland

1. Timing of puberty

2. Body image

Menopause

1. Hormone replacement therapy

2. Osteoporosis

3. Presbyopia

4. Presbycusis

 

Physical aging

1. Primary aging

2. Secondary aging

3. Cardiovascular disease

4. Activities of daily living

5. Gerontology

6. Senescence

1. Life expectancy

2. Theories of aging

3. Successful aging

4. Ageism

5. Group differences in adult health

Dementia

1. Alzheimer’s disease

 

CSLO 5

Describe the stages of the developing person at different periods of the life span from birth to death.

Required Topics

Required Key Terms and Concepts

Recommended Topics

Periods of development

1. Infancy

2. Early childhood

3. Middle childhood

4. Adolescence

5. Emerging adulthood

6. Early adulthood

7. Middle adulthood

8. Late adulthood

 

 

Infancy

See other CSLOs

1. Child care arrangements

Early childhood

See other CSLOs

1. Aggression

2. Early childhood education

3. Prosocial behavior

Middle childhood

See other CSLOs

1. Friendship

2. Social networks

3. Popular, rejected, neglected social status

4. Bullying

5. Schooling

Adolescence

See other CSLOs

1. Adolescence as a period of “storm and stress”

2. Crowds and cliques

3. Intimate relationships

4. Adolescent employment

5. Dropping out of high school

Emerging adulthood

See other CSLOs

1. College attendance

Early adulthood

See other CSLOs

1. Career development

Middle adulthood

See other CSLOs

1. Midlife crisis

2. Sandwich generation

3. Unemployment

Late adulthood

See other CSLOs

1. Fluid intelligence

2. Crystalized intelligence

3. Retirement

4. Primary aging

5. Secondary aging

6. Wisdom

Physical health concerns of each period of development

See other CSLOs

1. Infant mortality

2. Sudden infant death syndrome

3. Well infant/child care

4. Immunizations

5. Obesity

6. Cardiovascular disease

7. Nutrition

8. Exercise

9. Health care needs and concerns

10. Health habits

Mental health concerns of each period of development

See other CSLOs

1. Autistic spectrum disorders

2. Intellectual disabilities

3. Attention deficit disorder

4. Oppositional defiant disorder

5. Specific learning disabilities

6. Conduct disorder

7. Eating disorders

8. Personality disorders

9. Depressive disorders

10. Anxiety disorders

11. Bipolar disorders

12. Schizophrenia

13. Dementia

14. Cognitive impairment

Death and dying

1. Hospice care

2. Palliative care

3. Kubler-Ross stages of dying

4. Bowlby’s theory of grief

5. Freud’s theory of grief

6. Stage theories of grief

1. Caregiver burden

2. Respite care

3. Advanced directives

4. Assisted suicide

5. Euthanasia

6. Widowhood

7. Grief and the immune system

CSLO 6

Discuss the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that affect the development process of the individual.

Concepts

Key Terms

Additional Topics

Cross-cultural differences in schooling

1. Culture

1. Cross-cultural differences in achievement

2. Homeschooling

Cross-cultural differences in parenting

 

 

Religious coping

 

1. Religious beliefs

2. Religious behavior

3. Social support and religion

CSLO 7

Identify factors of responsible personal behavior with regard to issues such as sexual activity, substance abuse, marriage and parenting.

Concepts

Key Terms

Additional Topics

Sexual activity

1. Safe sex

2. Sex education

3. contraception

1. Adolescent parenting

2. Risky behavior

3. Historical trends in sexual behavior

Substance abuse

1. Psychological dependence

2. Physical dependence

3. Addiction

1. Substance abuse treatment

2. Risky behavior

3. Historical trends in substance abuse

4. Adolescent substance abuse

5. Effects of various substances of abuse

Intimate relationships

1. Marriage

2. Relationship satisfaction

3. Sexual orientation

4. Cohabitation

5. Divorce

1. Relationship counseling

2. Sexual orientation group differences in relationships

Parenting

1. Parenting style

2. Authoritarian

3. Authoritative

4. Permissive-indulgent

5. Permissive-neglecting

1. Grandparenting

2. Adolescent parenting

CSLO 8

Identify examples of some of the cultural and ethnic differences that influence development throughout the lifespan.

Concepts

Key Terms

Additional Topics

Individualism versus collectivism

1. Individualism

2. collectivism

 

Standardized testing

1. Stereotype threat

 

Family structure

1. Multigenerational household

 

Parenting styles

1. Authoritarian

2. Authoritative

3. Permissive-indulgent

4. Permissive-neglecting

 

Racism, prejudice, and discrimination

1. Racism

2. Prejudice

3. discrimination

1. Segregation

2. Tokenism

3. Immigration/emigration experience

4. Culture shock

 

Gender issues

1. Gender roles

2. Sexism

1. Gender equity in the workplace

Ageism

1. Social clock

 

CSLO 9

Discuss the various causes or reasons for disturbances in the developmental process.

Concepts

Key Terms

Additional Topics

Criteria for classifying behavior as abnormal

1. Developmentally appropriate behavior

 

1. DSM-5

2. Special education

3. Biomedical treatments

4. Psychotherapy

5. Intellectual disabilities

6. Autistic spectrum disorders

7. Attention deficit disorder

8. Oppositional defiant disorder

9. Specific learning disabilities

10. Conduct disorder

11. Eating disorders

12. Personality disorders

13. Depressive disorders

14. Suicide

15. Anxiety disorders

16. Bipolar disorders

17. Schizophrenia

18. Dementia

19. Cognitive impairment