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Developmental Psychology Module Handbook 2013/2014

UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX
SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY
Developmental Psychology
2nd Year
C8546
15 Credits
Spring Term2014
Module Convenor: Dr Rebecca Graber
NOTE: Most of the questions you need answers to about this module are in this
document. Please read it fully and carefully before your first lecture.
NOTE: This document concerns the structure and content of the module. If you have
questions about procedures, please consult the School of Psychology Administration
Office or via [email protected].
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Developmental Psychology Module Handbook 2013/2014
MODULE STRUCTURE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
This module provides students with a basic grounding in developmental psychology from birth
through adolescence. Examples of topics that may be covered include: communication in
infancy; attachment; temperament; theories of cognitive development; social cognition;
gender development; adolescent development; language acquisition.
MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the module, a successful student should be able to:
1. Understand key developmental psychology theory.
2. Critique empirical studies concerning child development.
3. Analyse literature to evaluate developmental theory and practice.
PRE-REQUISITES
The prerequisite for this module is Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence (C8813).
MODULE CONTACT INFORMATION
The key contact for this module is the module convenor, Dr. Rebecca Graber.
Name: Role: Email: Phone: Office:
Dr Anna Lecturer Anna.Franklin 01273 Pevensey 1
Franklin @ sussex.ac.uk 678885 Room 2b8
Dr Rebecca Module R.Graber@ 01273 Pevensey 2
Graber Convenor sussex.ac.uk 876661 Room 4b4
Dr Dave Lecturer Davidl @ 01273 Pevensey 2
Leavens sussex.ac.uk 678526 Room: 4b3
Dr Alison Lecturer Alisonp @ 01273 Pevensey 1
Pike sussex.ac.uk 877288 Room 2b25
Dr Darya
Gaysina
Lecturer D.Gaysina@
sussex.ac.uk
01273
877975
Pevensey 1
Room 2c8
Dr Dave
Smalley
Lecturer Davidsm@
Sussex.ac.uk
OFFICE HOURS
Your module convenor will hold office hours each week. The other instructors will also hold
regular office hours. Look online for when these will be. You are welcome to come discuss
ANYTHING module related. You may also email to make an appointment for a specific time.
STUDY DIRECT
You are encouraged to access module materials and use the module forum in Study Direct.
This is the best way to share ideas amongst your fellow students and ask questions about
the module. Please use Study Direct to ask questions about the module than email. It will
aid others if, in your forum postings and emails, you also explain what you have already
tried to do in order to answer your question (e.g., looked in the lecture notes). Please do use
email if you have a personal issue to discuss with one of the instructors (e.g., disability,
mitigating circumstances, etc). If you email a lecturer or tutor, please specify which class
you are in (many instructors are teaching more than one module at a time). The module
convenor will answer questions posted on Study Direct within 48 hours (excluding
weekends) for most of the module, with more frequent answers leading up to the
coursework deadline and exams.
Essential readings in addition to the textbook are available to download on Study Direct.
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Developmental Psychology Module Handbook 2013/2014
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Opportunities for teaching and learning on this module include:
1. Lectures 23 1hr lectures weeks 1-12
2. Seminars 6 1hr seminars weeks 2,5,6,7,9 and 10
3. Independent study
Please see your timetable in Sussex Direct for details of when and where your lectures,
seminars and practicals will be held.
Lectures
There will be 23 1-hour lectures on this module, 2 each week except week 8, when the
coursework essay is due and there is one lecture only. The lectures will be presented by
eight members of faculty: Anna Franklin, Rebecca Graber, Dave Leavens, Dave Smalley,
Darya Gaysina, Gordon Harold, Jessica Horst and Alison Pike. To avoid disruption to the
majority, please try to arrive at least 5 minutes before the start time of the lecture (see lecture
attendance etiquette in Psychology programme handbook).
Lectures allow you to learn about the material from an expert and should supplement your
independent study. Lectures allow you to review the material you have already read
BEFORE each lecture. The lectures aim to illustrate the nature of developmental
psychology as a science and to present a critical approach to understanding and evaluating
research. Lectures will generally go beyond the essential reading by providing additional
background, a review of key concepts and issues and sometimes by using multi-media
tools (e.g., video) to help you to learn about and understand the material. Some of the
content from the lectures will only be available to you during the lecture, therefore, you are
expected to attend each lecture.
Seminars
There will be 6 1-hour seminars (see your module timetable). Each hour of seminar will cover
a different topic. You are expected to attend each seminar.
Like lectures, seminars will go beyond the essential reading. During your seminars you may
be expected to critically evaluate research and brainstorm on possible developmental
experimental designs. The skills you learn from these seminars should help you later conduct
research on your own during your third yeareven if your project is not in the developmental
area!
Independent Study
The difference between studying at university and study you may have done previously is that
at university the emphasis is on you finding out things for yourself. Not everything you will
need or want to know will be covered in the classroom. You need to become familiar with the
material you are guided towards, but you also need to learn to manipulate that material:
apply it to new domains, compare and contrast across topics, synthesise it, evaluate it,
consider its relevance to issues of interest to you, supplement it, etc. This can only be done
by being interested and working hard because you want to. Thus, study because you want to
learn and stop when you have answers to your own satisfaction for the questions you care
about. Finally, note that independent study is study you engage in outside of formal contact
hours with faculty and tutors, but it does not have to be solitary.
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It is CRUCIAL for you to understand that formal examination on this module will be
based on material covered in the lectures and seminars and your essential reading.
Lectures and seminars will NOT attempt to cover all such material. That is, formal contact
hours are NOT intended to provide an alternative to you learning the material in your
essential readings. Any attempt to rely solely on learning material presented in lectures
and seminars will severely restrict your ability to do well during formal assessment of this
module. Lectures and seminars are intended to fulfil functions other than repeating or
prcising material covered in the essential readings.
BOOKS AND READINGS
Readings for this class include a textbook and articles/chapters available via the module
website. You will need to download (and print) the readings from the module website or find
the material in the library.
Textbook (same as the textbook used in Child and Adolescent Development):
Siegler R., DeLoache, J. & Eisenberg, N. (2011). How Children Develop, 3
rd
Edition. New
York: Worth Publishers.
Essential Readings (PDFs of all essential readings are on the module website,
or are E-books available via the University of Sussex library catalogue): A full
list is available at the end of this handbook.
Recommended Readings (available at the library or via the library website):
Berk, L. E. (2006). Child Development. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Smith P. K., Cowie H., & Blades M. (2007). Understanding Childrens Development, 4th
Edition. Oxford, England: Blackwell.
ASSESSMENT
This module is assessed by means of:
Weighting for Total
Mark
Coursework Essay 30%
Final Exam 70%
40 multiple choice
questions
Weighing on
Exam
40%
2 essays 60% (30% each)
100%
COURSEWORK ESSAYS
The assessment criteria for assessed essays are displayed on the school web pages.
Appropriately completing and submitting formally assessed work is your responsibility.
Definitive guidelines on this are provided in the 'Handbook for Candidates' available on the
web or via school offices. If you are in any doubt about the rules concerning submissions
check with the school office.
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Developmental Psychology Module Handbook 2013/2014
Essay Topics (choose 1):
1. REFLEXES
COMPARE AND CONTRAST ONE "ADAPTIVE" AND ONE "VESTIGIAL" NEWBORN REFLEX AND DESCRIBE
THEIR PLAUSIBLE SURVIVAL FUNCTIONS FOR EITHER MODERN HUMANS OR OUR PRIMATE
ANCESTORS.
MOST RELEVANT LECTURE: NEWBORNS & REFLEXES, WEEK 2
DIRECT QUESTIONS TO: DAVE LEAVENS
Recommended readings to start with:
BERK, L. E. (2006). CHILD DEVELOPMENT. BOSTON: ALLYN & BACON (CHAPTER 4: INFANCY: EARLY
LEARNING, MOTOR SKILLS, AND PERCEPTUAL CAPACITIES)
BREMNER, J. G. (1988). INFANCY. HOVE: BLACKWELL (CHAPTER 2: PHYSICAL AND MOTOR
DEVELOPMENT BEFORE AND AFTER BIRTH, PP. 23-51).
OSOFSKY, J. D. (1987). HANDBOOK ON INFANT DEVELOPMENT. NEW YORK: WILEY (CHAPTER BY
BRAZELTON: NEONATAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT SCALE)
2. BEHAVIOURAL GENETICS
WHAT DO TWIN AND ADOPTION STUDIES TELL US ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF GENERAL COGNITIVE
ABILITY?
MOST RELEVANT LECTURES: BEHAVIOURAL GENETICS, WEEKS 3 & 4.
DIRECT QUESTIONS TO: DARYA GAYSINA
RECOMMENDED READINGS TO START WITH:
PLOMIN, R., DEFRIES, J. C., KNOPIK, V. S., & NEIDERHISER, J. M. (2013). BEHAVIORAL GENETICS,
6TH ED. NEW YORK: WORTH PUBLISHERS. CHAPTER 12: GENERAL COGNITIVE ABILITY.
PLOMIN, R., FULKER, D. W., CORLEY, R., & DEFRIES, J. C. (1997). NATURE, NURTURE, AND
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT FROM 1 TO 16 YEARS: A PARENT-OFFSPRING ADOPTION STUDY.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 8, 442-447.
HAWORTH, C.M., WRIGHT, M.J., LUCIANO, M., MARTIN, M.G., DE GEUS, E.J., ET AL. (2010). THE
HERITABILITY OF GENERAL COGNITIVE ABILITY INCREASES LINEARLY FROM CHILDHOOD TO YOUNG
ADULTHOOD. MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY, 15(11), 1112-1120.
3. INFANTFACEPERCEPTION
IT HAS BEEN CLAIMED THAT EXPERIENCE PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FACE
PROCESSING (KELLY, QUINN, SLATER, LEE, GE & PASCALIS, 2007, P. 1084). TO WHAT EXTENT IS
EXPERIENCE NECESSARY FOR FACE PROCESSING? SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT WITH EMPIRICAL
EVIDENCE.
MOST RELEVANT LECTURES: INFANT PERCEPTION, WEEK 5.
DIRECT QUESTIONS TO: ANNA FRANKLIN
RECOMMENDED READINGS TO START WITH:
KELLY, D.J., QUINN, P.C., SLATER, A.M., LEE, K., GE, L. & PASCALIS, O. (2007). THE OTHER-RACE
EFFECT DEVELOPS DURING INFANCY: EVIDENCE OF PERCEPTUAL NARROWING. PSYCHOLOGICAL
SCIENCE, 18, 1084-1089.
LEGRAND, R., MONDLOCH, C.J., MAURER, D. & BRENT, H.P. (2001). EARLY VISUAL EXPERIENCE
AND FACE PROCESSING. NATURE, 410, 890.
SUGITA, Y. (2009). INNATE FACE PROCESSING. CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROBIOLOGY, 19, 39-44.
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Developmental Psychology Module Handbook 2013/2014
Submission Deadlines
Details of this are shown on your Syllabus in Sussex Direct. Submission deadlines are shown
on your timetable. Two copies of your essay must be submitted to the Psychology School
office before the deadline. See Study Direct for the deadline.
If your essay is submitted up to 24 hours late, there will be a penalty of 5%. If submitted more
than 24 hours and up to one week late there will be a penalty of 10%.
In line with University regulations, every effort will be made to ensure that one marked copy of
each essay is returned with feedback within 15 working days of the relevant submission
deadline. You will be informed by the school office when work is ready to collect.
Late Penalties
Penalties for late submission are shown on the Student Life Centre website
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/studentlifecentre/mitigation
Plagiarism
Up to date information on the University regulations concerning plagiarism and collusion can
be found on the Academic Office website
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/academicoffice/resources/misconduct
EXAMINATION
Examination details and timetables are displayed on the exam notice board on the Pevensey
1 upper mezzanine and on the UG office web pages
STUDENT EVALUATION
All modules at Sussex are fully audited. You will be asked to complete an anonymous student
evaluation form near the end of the term. The module convenor may also ask you to complete
anonymous feedback forms via the module webpage on Study Direct. You may also comment on
the module at any time, either to convenors or tutors, and you may do this directly or via some
intermediary (e.g. a student representative). Module Evaluation summaries from the previous year
are available on the school web pages. Reactions and responses to such student feedback will be
reported back to students via student representatives (who attend school meetings). Your
feedback is important and taken very seriously.
THE MODULE SCHEDULE IS ON THE NEXT PAGE.
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Developmental Psychology Module Handbook 2013/2014
MODULE SCHEDULE
L =Lecture Reading:
Wk: S =Seminar Topic: With: T =textbook, SD =study direct,
E =e-book
1 L
Introduction &
Developmental Methods
Rebecca
Siegler et al. (Ch 1)
1 L Prenatal Development
Dave L
Siegler et al., pp. 41-70 (Ch2)
T
2 L Newborns & Reflexes*
Siegler et al., pp.70-81 (Ch2)
T
Siegler et al. pp. 190-192 +
Box 5.3 (p. 194) (Ch5)
T
2 L Intersubjectivity
Siegler et al. pp. 161-162 (Ch4)
T
Messer & Collins, 1999
SD
2 S Critical Thinking Your AT Hamlin et al., 2007
SD
3 L Intentional Communication Dave L
Lock, 2001
SD
Butterworth, 2001
SD
3 L
Behavioural Genetics 1, 2 & 3* Darya &
Gordon
Siegler et al. (Ch3)
T
Plomin et al., 2013 (Ch 4,6,7,8,9)
SD
4 L
4 L
5 L
Temperament 1 & 2 Ali
Rothbart, 2011 (Ch2,4,8,&10)
E
5 L
5 S Temperament in Context Your AT DeVries, 1984 SD
6 L
Infant Perception, 1 & 2* Anna
Siegler et al., pp. 175-190 (Ch5)
T
6 L
6 S Infant eye-tracking Your AT
7 L
Categorisation, 1 & 2 Anna
Siegler et al. pp. 259-266 (Ch7)
T
7 L
7 S
Designing your own study on
Perceptual and Cognitive
Development
Your AT
8 L Motor Development Jessica Siegler et al. pp. 192-199 (Ch5)
T
*!* Essays DUE *!*
9 L
Language Acquisition, 1 & 2 Dave S
Siegler et al. Ch6
T
9 L
9 S Language Acquisition Your AT
10 L
Moral and Affective
Development/ToM
Rebecca
Siegler et al. Ch14
T
Siegler et al. pp. 267-271 (Ch7)
T
10
L
10 S Moral & Affective Development Your AT TBC
11 L
Gender Development 1 & 2 Ali
Siegler et al. Ch15
T
11 L
12 L Adolescence Ali Hagell, 2012 (Ch5)
E
12 L
Revision Q & A
(questions & answers)
Rebecca
et al.,
* indicates there is a coursework essay topic related to this lecture topic
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Developmental Psychology Module Handbook 2013/2014
REFERENCES FOR ESSENTIAL READINGS (BEYOND THE TEXTBOOK):
Berk, L.E. (2006). Child Development, Chapter 4 pp. 126-169. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Butterworth, G. (2001). Joint visual attention in infancy. In J. G. Bremner & A. Fogel (Eds.),
Blackwell handbook of infant development (pp. 213 240). Oxford, England: Blackwell.
Caspi, A., Henry, B., McGee, R.O., Moffitt, T.E., & Silva, P.A. (1995). Temperamental origins of
child and adolescent behavior problems: From age three to fifteen. Child Development,
66(1), 5-68.
DeVries, M. W. (1984). Temperament and infant mortality among the Masai of East Africa.
The American Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 1189-1194.
Hagell, A. (2012). Changing Adolescence: Social Trends and Mental Health.
Hamlin, J. K., Wynn, K. & Bloom, P. (2007). Social evaluation in preverbal infants. Nature.
450(7169), 557-559.
Leiser, D. & Halachmi, R.B. (2006). Childrens understanding of market forces. Journal of
Economic Psychology, 27, 6-19.
Lock, A. (2001). Preverbal communication. In J. G. Bremner & A. Fogel (Eds.), Blackwell
handbook of infant development (pp. 379403). Oxford, England: Blackwell.
McHale, S.M., Crouter, A.C., & Whiteman, S.D. (2003). The family contexts of gender
development in childhood and adolescence. Social Development, 12, 125-148.
Messer, D., & Collins, G. (1999). Early interaction and cognitive skills: Implications for the
acquisition of culture. In A. Lock & C. R. Peters (Eds.), Handbook of human symbolic
evolution (pp. 432-468). Hove, U.K.: Blackwell Publishers.
Plomin, R., DeFries, J. C., Knopik, V. S., & Neiderhiser, J. M. (2013). Behavioral Genetics, 6th
Ed. New York: Worth Publishers.
Rothbart, M. K. (2011). Becoming Who We Are: Temperament and Personality in
Development. New York: The Guilford Press.
Samuelson, L.K., Horst, J.S. (2007). Dynamic Noun Generalization: Moment-to-Moment
Interactions Shape Childrens Naming Biases. Infancy, 11(1), 97-110.
Siegler, R., DeLoache, J. & Eisenberg, N. (2006). How Children Develop, 2
nd
Edition.
Chapter 2, pp. 70-81, Chapter 6, pp. 212-236, Chapter 8, pp. 325-329. New York: Worth
Publishers.
Steinberg, L. (2001). We know some things: Parent-adolescent relationships in retrospect
and prospect. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 11, 1-19.
Stevens, M., Golombok, S. & Beveridge, M. (2002). Does father absence influence childrens
gender development? Findings from a general population study of preschool children.
Study Team, ALSPAC2 Parenting: Science and Practice. 2(1), 47-60.
Thompson, D.R. & Siegler, R.S. (2000). Buy low, sell high: The development of an informal
theory of economics. Child Development, 71(3), 660-677.
Wachs, T.D. & Bates, J.E. (2001). Temperament. In G. Bremner & A. Fogel (Eds.) Blackwell
Handbook of Infant Development. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, pp. 465-501.