03079 - Developmental Psychology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the scientific method and research designs in developmental psychology.

2. Differentiate key concepts and theories within developmental psychology with particular attention to the following fields: motor, communication, language, cognition, emotion and relational skills.

3. Know the phases of psychological development from the first years of life up to adolescence.

4. Illustrate differences among physical, psychological, and social frames of development.

5. Identify the basic psychological needs for developing well-being in infants, children and adolescents.

6. Recognize the complex interactions between risk and protective factors during development.

7. Develop theoretical and methodological competencies to build positive dyadic and group relationships.

8. Know observational tools and methodologies in educational settings.

9. Demonstrate skills in developing educational projects.

10. Use bibliographic sources to update the professional knowledge.

Course contents

Main theoretical approaches:

• Piaget
• Vygotskij
• Bruner

Methods:

• Research designs in Developmental Psychology
• Observational tecniques

Developmental domains:

• Communication and language
• Emotional and affective development
• Self-consciouness

Different contexts:

• Family
• School and peers
• Culture and new technology

Readings/Bibliography

1. Santrock J. W. (2017). Psicologia dello Sviluppo (terza ediz.). Milano: McGraw-Hill. Chapters: 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15

Teaching methods

The lectures will be supplemented by group discussion and short video.

Assessment methods

ATTENTION, PLEASE!

Due to the Coronavirus emergency, and until normal teaching will be restored, the exams will consist of an online oral exam through Microsoft Teams.

The exam will consist of four questions, and the final mark will be expressed in thirtieths. Each answer will be evaluated with a score from 0 to a maximum of 7.5 points.

For the evaluation of the answers, the following criteria will be considered: 1) completeness of the answers; 2) congruence of the answers; 3) personal reworking skills.

To take the oral exam online you will need an active video camera, a working microphone and a document to show.

To take the exam, registration through AlmaEsami is required. Those who fail to register for technical problems by the scheduled date are required to promptly communicate (before the official closing of the registration lists) the problem to the teaching office.

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The exam consists of four open questions requiring written answers (90 minutes). The maximum score for the exam is 30 with honors and 18/30 is the minimum score to pass the exam.

For each question a maximum score of 7.5 point will be attributed following these criteria: 1) completeness of responses; 2) consistency of the responses; 3) the ability of personal reflection; 4) appropriate lexicon and morphosyntax.

Students have to enroll in the exam on Almaesami website.

If the student did not pass the exam, he/she can enroll in the next.

Teaching tools

The lectures will be supported by the use of Power Point and of the videoprojector. The videoprojector will also be used to show short videos in the classroom related to the topics of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Consuelo Mameli

See the website of Maria Cristina Matteucci