03079 - Developmental Psychology

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Cesena
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Psychological sciences and techniques (cod. 8774)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students are expected:
a) to know the main theories and methodologies of research; 
b) to identify the main phases of life span and the contextual conditions for their acquisition; 
c) to know the main techniques of research and for gathering data about human development.

Course contents

The course will take place during the second semester (from February to May 2019) at the Cesena Campus of the School of Psychology and Education (address: p.za A. Moro, 90 Cesena, FC).

The course will address the main themes of human development, outlining the basic theoretical and methodological aspects based on classical and contemporary perspectives. Particular attention will be devoted to some key concepts related to continuity and discontinuity of development, methodologidcal issues, and the interplay between biological determinants and social influences.  During the course,research techniques used to study developmental processes will be presented. In this way, students will understand what doing research in developmental psychology means, and the solutions adopted by scholars to overcome potential criticisms. 

In detail, the course will address the following basic topics in typical and atypical human development: 
- historical and methodological foundations of developmental psychology 

- genetic factors and contextual factors in the development 

- pre-natal development 

- physical, motor, and perceptual development 

- cognitive development  

- language development   

- socio-emotional and moral development

Further, the course will deepen the methodological and ethical foundation of psychological assessment in the first years of life. I will also present some of the most commonly used tools for the  direct and indirect assessment of cognitive, emotional, ans social development in early childhood.

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory readings for the final examination:

  • Santrock, J. W. (2013). Child Development. McGraw-Hill. ONLY chapters from 1 to 11.
  • Bonichini, S., Axia, G. (2007). L'assessment psicologico nella prima infanzia. Carocci. ONLY chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 18.
Foregnier students (e.g., Erasmus exchange programs) may use the opriginal version of the textbook by antrock to prepare their exam, and should contact me to take agreements concerning the text by Bonichini and Axia. Foregner students also have the possibility to take their exam in English or in French.
Contents discussed during the course will make the object of final evaluation regardless of their inclusion in the course textbooks. Seminars held by invited researchers during the course will be part of the final assessment.

Teaching methods

The course will be held in the form of in-presence lectures.
During the lectures examples of behavior of children will be presented  and  tools used to gather data in field and experimental research will be shown. 

Assessment methods

The final evaluation aims to verify the achievement of the course's objectives: a) acquisition of knowledge about the main theories and methodologies of research;  b) being able to identify the main phases of life span and the contextual conditions for their acquisition;  c) acquisition of knowledge about the the main techniques of research and for gathering data about human development.
The final evaluation aims to verify the achievement of the course's objectives: a) knowing the main theories and methodologies of research; 
b) identifying the main phases of life span and the contextual conditions for their acquisition; 
c) knowing the main techniques of research and for gathering data about human development.

The final evaluation, lasting two hours , will take place in written mode  and will be divided into two parts
- 1st part on fundamental knowledge  consisting of closed questions  (multiple choice); 
- 2nd part for deepening knowledge consisting of open questions

WARNING : The test is passed if and only if a sufficiency score is achieved in both sections: The final grade is obtained by summing up the marks obtained at the first and second section.

Teaching tools

During the lectures, slides and video clips on wide screen will be projected and discussed. The slides will be available to students on the University's web platform AMSCampus (specific directions will be given during class and also made available by email). 

Office hours

See the website of Carlo Tomasetto