Developmental Psychology
Fall, 1999
MWF 10a.m.
Dr. Suzanne Gaskins
Office: S-307F
Office Hours: MWF: 9-10 A.M. ---- W: 11 a.m.-12 noon
Phone: 794-6509
E-mail: S-Gaskins@neiu.edu
This course will look at a number of psychological theories about development from birth to death. The first half of the course will look at cognitive development, the second half of the course will look at
social development. We will see that psychologists do not agree on how
development occurs in humans. We will examine what each theory says about
development and about the nature of humans, whether existing evidence supports
the theory, and the implications of the theory for optimizing development.
Texts: Miller, Patricia H. Theories of Developmental Psychology. New
York: W.H.Freeman, 1993. Available for sale at bookstore.
Diessner, Rhett. Sources: Notable Selections in Human Development. Guilford,
CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill,1997. Available for sale at bookstore.
Course Reading Packet. Available for sale at bookstore and on 2-hour
reserve at library.
Course Requirements: Your grade will be based on Study Questions (15%),
Assignments (30%), Exams (40%), Class Participation (1O%), and Real-World
Applications (5%).
Study Questions: There will be 14 sets of study questions handed out,
covering each topic of the course. These study questions will cover the
most important material. You will be expected to submit hand-written answers
to the study questions on the dates assigned. No more than 4 sets of questions
may be turned in late for credit, and no questions will be accepted for
credit after the exam covering the material. Each set of study questions
will be worth 1 point, for a total of 14 points. You will earn an extra
point if at least 13 sets of study questions are turned in.
Assignments: There will be 5 assignments (3-5 pages double-spaced) throughout
the course. Each is worth 5 points. In addition, you must demonstrate successfully
that you can write a paper in APA style (worth 5 points). The assignments
will be worth a total of 30 points. Late assignments will have 1 point
deducted from the grade, unless an extension has been given BEFORE the
due date.
Exams: There will be 4 in-class exams. Each will be worth 10 points,
for a total of 40 points. MAKE-UP EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN ONLY UNDER EXTREME
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE THE EXAM. YOU MUST CONTACT
ME AT LEAST THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE THE EXAM TO REQUEST A MAKE-UP EXAM.
Class participation: This class is part lecture, part discussion and
in-class activities. Regular attendance and active participation in discussions
are expected. Class participation is worth 10 points, earned by participating
during in-class activities.
Real world applications: Twice during the semester you will be expected
to make a short presentation to the class relating something from the course
to something in the real world, whether it is taken from your own experience,
from news, or from other media sources (e.g., cartoons, tv show, etc).
You will be expected to turn in a one-page discussion of yourtopic as well.
Each presentation is worth 2.5 points, for a total of 5 points.
PART I: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Date Topic Reading Study Questions
Aug 30 Introduction
Sept 1 Theory and Methods Miller 1-27
Sept 3 Nature and Nurture Sources 73-84, 107-112
Sept 6 LABOR DAY--NO CLASS
Sept 8 Nature and Nurture (con't) #1 due
Sept 10 Piaget Miller 29-77
Sept 13 Piaget--Infancy Sources 8-14, 113-122, Packet (Mandler)
Assignment #1 Handed Out
Sept 15 Piaget--Pre-Operational Sources 145-150, #2 due
Packet (Hughes & Grieves)
Sept 17 Piaget--Concrete Operations Sources 206-211 Packet (Ngiti)
Sept 20 Piaget--Formal Operations Sources 244-247 #3 due
Packet (Tschirgi)
Sept 22 Assignment #1 Due
Sept 24 In Class Exam #1
Sept 27 Vygotsky Miller 369-423
Sept 29 Vygotsky (con't) Sources 151-155 #4 due
Packet (Wood, Bruner, & Ross) Assignment #2 Handed Out
Oct 1 Context in Develop. Packet (Bronfenbrenner)
Oct 4 Vygotsky vs. Piaget Packet (Piaget, Vygotsky) #5 due
Oct 6 Assignment #2 Due
Oct 8 Info Processing Miller 233-289 Assignment #3 Handed Out
Oct 11 IP (con't) Sources 43-54 #6 due
Packet (Chi & Koeske)
Oct 13 Adult IP Sources 279-285, 286-293
Oct 15 Adult IP (con't) Sources 331-337, 346-353 #7 due
Oct 18 Adult IP (con't)
Oct 20 Assignment #3 Due
Oct 22 In Class Exam #2
Oct 25 Real World ApplicationsPart II: Social Development
Oct 27 Freud Miller 107-15
Oct 29 Freud (con't) Sources 3-7, 35-42
Nov 1 Freudian Research Readings (Bettleheim, Harlow) #8 due
Nov 3 Erikson Miller 154-177 Assignment #4 Handed Out
Nov 5 Erikson (con't) Sources 15-24, 248-259 #9 due
Nov 8 Ethology Miller 291-326
Nov 10 Attachment Sources 123-131, 132-142 #10 due
Nov 12 Assignment #4 Due
Nov 15 Social Learning Miller 177-220
Sources 193-201, 202-205
Nov 17 Soc. Learning (con't) Miller 221-231 #11 due
Sources 171-178
Nov 19 In-Class Exam # 3
Nov 22 Moral Development Sources 221-225, 25-34
Nov 24 Moral Dev. (con't) Sources 226-231, 65-72 #12 due
Nov 26 HAPPY THANKSGIVING--NO CLASS
Nov 29 Adult Social Dev. Sources 294-304, 321-328 Assignment #5 Handed Out
Dec 1 Ad. Soc. Dev. (con't) Sources 314-320, 269-278 #13 due
(Readings: Peck)
Dec 3 Old Age (Readings: Rodin, Erikson)
Dec 6 Dying Sources 354-361 #14 due
(Readings: Stegelman & Shaffer)
Dec 8 Assignment #5 Due
Dec 10 In-Class Exam #4
Dec 13 Real World Applications