UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT Fall, 2015 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: CHILDHOOD

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
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Fall, 2015
Psychological Science 150
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: CHILDHOOD
Billings Lecture Hall
M/W/F 9:40– 10:30 am
3 credits
Instructors
Annie Murray-Close, Ph.D.
Office: Dewey 210A (to the right of the psych 001 office)
Phone: 656-4142
Office Hours: Fridays, 1-2pm and by appointment
Nicole Lafko Breslend, M.A.
Office: Dewey 235
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1-2 pm and by appointment
Graduate TAs
Sarah Stanger
Office: Dewey 235
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 11:30am-12:30pm
Holly Weldon
Office: Dewey 235
Office Hours: Thursdays, 12-1pm
Undergraduate TA
Hayley Pomerantz
Office: Dewey 235
Office hours: Mondays, 10:45-11:45am
Contacting Us and Who You Should Contact
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All email correspondence regarding this course should be sent to:
[email protected]
Use your UVM e-mail account so we can reply (if needed) with confidential information
about your work in the class.
In most cases, you will get a reply within 1-2 business days as e-mail is checked
frequently (note that emails sent over the weekend may take longer for a response).
The course email will not be checked after 7 pm the night before an exam. If you have
questions about material that will be covered on the exam that were not answered in
office hours or during the course review session, you must send them prior to 7 pm the
night before the exam.
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For the most prompt response, send to the class account instead of to individual TAs or to
the instructors.
If the message is intended specifically for a specific recipient (e.g., Prof. Murray-Close),
then note that in the e-mail.
For specific questions about course material, questions about how your work was graded, or for
help improving your performance in the course and developing study skills, you should first
meet with the TAs. If you continue to have questions or you would like to go over material
again after meeting with the TAs, Profs. Murray-Close and Lafko Breslend are happy to meet
with you as well. We are also available to meet if you have special circumstances that you
would like to discuss (e.g., regarding extensions for exams), if you want to talk about courses or
careers in psychology, or you would just like to meet and talk more about the class.
Course Overview
This survey course is intended to provide an introduction to theory and research in
developmental psychology. The first goal of this course is to address both historical and
contemporary theoretical perspectives regarding the study of children and their development. A
second goal of this course is to introduce students to some central topics that are addressed in
developmental psychology, including: the biological foundations of development; how parenting
practices relate to children’s adjustment; how children's personalities might be formed and
change over time; how children acquire, remember, and process information; the etiology of
various forms of behavioral and emotional problems; as well as the significance of children’s
peer relationships. A third goal of this course is to address the methods that researchers have
adopted in their assessment of child development. We will address the following questions: how
do researchers measure the constructs they have identified as important in children’s
development? What are some limitations of current research, and how might researchers address
them with future studies? A final goal of this course is to learn how to navigate a large
enrollment course and become proficient at taking multiple choice examinations.
Class Format
The format of the course will include lectures, small group discussions, and active learning
activities. Questions, comments, and active class participation are encouraged. We expect
students to come to class with the readings for the assigned day completed, to listen attentively
and respectfully, and to contribute to in-class activities and discussions.
Course Requirements
The requirements of the course will assess both your mastery of the course material (lectures,
readings, and activities) and your ability to integrate the material by making connections between
different topics that we have discussed.
Exams (All 4 exams will be in class and closed book; 85 points each).
There will be four exams (the fourth exam is the non-cumulative final). Each exam will consist
of multiple-choice and your choice of one short essay question. The four exams will each count
85 points and will not be cumulative. Exams will include information from class that is not in
the readings. Each exam will begin promptly at the start of the class period.
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Please note that make-up exams will be administered only in the case of valid, documented
emergencies (e.g., illness for which you can provide a doctor’s note, car accident) and MUST be
accompanied by official written documentation from a medical or similar professional. If you do
not have this documentation, you will not be permitted to take a makeup exam. Please note that
circumstances such as sleeping through your alarm, traveling to a family wedding, vacation
plans, early leave for semester breaks, or similar events do not constitute valid or acceptable
excuses for missing an exam in this course. Please do not expect to receive permission to make
up an exam if you lack the required written documentation described above.
In-Class Activities (60 points). Individual and small group activities will be assigned
periodically and will be completed during class time. Assignments are not limited to but may
include brief writing assignments done at the start of class to reflect on the assigned readings for
the day, mini-reports done during the middle of class based on group work or lecture, or
comments and questions on the day’s topic turned in at the end of class. Attendance for the
entire class period is required to receive credit for the ICA on that day. Please note that if you
arrive late to class, you may miss the ICA for the day. These in-class activities will be collected
for credit randomly throughout the term. There will be a total of 8 ICAs throughout the semester;
all of these will be graded out of a possible ten-points each. Your lowest two ICA grades will be
dropped. In-class activities are closed-book, and must be completed individually unless the
opportunity to collaborate with classmates is explicitly stated. ICAs are NOT attendance points –
ICAs will be graded based on the quality of your answers. To earn high scores on ICAs, you
should complete assigned readings before class and take notes during lecture and class
discussions.
ICAs missed due to missing class cannot be ‘made up’, regardless of circumstances. If you are
absent from lecture on the day we have an ICA (whether or not the absence is excused) or arrive
late/leave early and miss an ICA, you will receive a zero for that day’s activity. Please note that
contacting us ahead of time to let us know that you will be absent or late to class, while
appreciated, does not allow you to make up a missed class activity; there are simply too many
students in the course to make exceptions. We understand that students may occasionally miss
lecture for unavoidable reasons; thus we will take care not to hold ICAs during religious holidays
(students need to provide a list of any anticipated religious holiday absences within the first two
weeks of classes) and we will additionally allow students to drop their two lowest ICA scores.
Please note that representing another student’s work as your own, or completing work for
another student, regardless of circumstances or type of assignment, constitutes academic
dishonesty and will be treated as such. In a class of this size, there is sometimes temptation for
classmates to ‘cover for’ one another to ensure credit for missed class activities. Students often
do not realize that the act of completing and submitting work for another student under any
circumstances constitutes a serious academic transgression. Regardless of the nature or point
value of the assignment, all students involved will be considered guilty of academic collusion
and will receive equal penalty for this behavior--potentially resulting in course failure. Please
refer to UVM’s Code of Academic Integrity on-line at
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf for policies on collusion and other
forms of academic misconduct.
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Summary of Course Requirements
Course Requirement
Exams (4 @ 85 pts)
In-Class Activities
TOTAL
Possible Points
340
60
400
Percentage of Course Grade
85% (each counts 21.25%)
15%
100%
Optional Course Activities
At the end of each week, review questions will be posted to BlackBoard in a quiz format. These
questions will reflect the material covered in class that week and will be in a format similar to
what you will experience on the exams. These “quizzes” are OPTIONAL and are NOT graded.
However, they are meant to serve as a way to help you review course material and prepare for
the exams and are recommended. You can find these “quizzes” located on Blackboard under
“Course Materials.”
Textbooks and Readings
The following book is required for this course and is available through the UVM bookstore.
Siegler, R., Deloache, J., Eisenberg, N., & Saffran, J. (2014). How Children Develop, 4th Ed.
New York: Worth Publishers. ($193.35 through the UVM Bookstore)
You can also choose to purchase the e-book (for $84.99; six months of access) rather than the
hard copy of the text at:
http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpad/siegler4e/1658779
Click the "Purchase Access" to purchase the e-book. Once logged in, click on “e-book” at the top
of the page to access the e-book.
In addition, some articles are required for this course. These articles, referenced at the end of the
syllabus, are available through Blackboard. Additional articles may be handed out during the
course of the semester to supplement this reading list.
Class Website
Familiarize yourself with the Psys150 Blackboard site, and check frequently for announcements.
Class lecture notes will be posted on Blackboard at least 24 hours in advance of the class. It is
your responsibility to print copies of the notes if you wish to have them. We highly recommend
that you print out the Blackboard notes before coming to class. Please note that the notes posted
to Blackboard are meant to serve as an outline of the material covered in class. We strongly
encourage you to attend class and take more extensive notes on the material covered as exams
will require greater detail than that provided on the posted notes. Assignment scores will also be
posted on Blackboard.
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Course Schedule and Readings
Note. S denotes Siegler, Deloache, Eisenberg, & Saffran (2014).
WEEK DATE TOPIC
READINGS (To be
completed before class)
1
8/31
Introduction to the Course
2
3
4
5
6
7
9/2
Themes of Development
S: pp. 1-22
9/4
Research Methods
S: pp. 22-36
9/7
LABOR DAY: NO CLASS
9/9
Prenatal Development
S: pp. 39-56
9/11
S: pp. 56-81
9/14
Prenatal Development (continued) & the
Newborn
Biology and Behavior
9/16
Biology and Behavior (continued)
S: pp. 86-106
9/18
Theories of Cognitive Development I
S: pp. 130-144
9/21
Theories of Cognitive Development II
S: pp. 145-167
9/23
Catch up and review
9/25
Exam 1
9/28
Infancy I: Perceptual and Motor
Development
S: pp. 172-205
9/30
Infancy II: Learning and Cognition
S: pp. 205-212
10/2
Language Development
S: pp. 216-231
10/5
Language Development (continued)
S: pp. 231-255
10/7
Conceptual Development
S: pp. 260-294
10/9
Intelligence and Intellectual Development
S: pp. 298-322
10/12
Intelligence and Intellectual Development
(continued)
Catch up and Review
S: pp. 322-336
Doskoch (2005)
10/14
S: pp. 106-126
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11
12
13
14
15
10/16
Exam 2
10/19
Theories of Social Development I
S: pp. 340-366
10/21
Theories of Social Development II
10/23
Emotional Development
S: pp. 366-379
Arnett (2000)
S: pp. 384-402; 416-422
10/26
Temperament
S: pp. 402-416
10/28
Attachment
S: pp. 426-439
10/30
The Self
S: pp. 439-464
11/2
Parenting and Family Influences
S: pp. 468-482
11/4
S: pp. 482-506
11/6
Parenting and Family Influences
(continued)
Catch up and Review
11/9
Exam 3
11/11
Peer Relationships I
11/13
Peer Relationships II
11/16
Moral Development
S: pp. 554-577
11/18
Aggression
S: pp. 577-590
11/20
Gender Development
S: pp. 594-633
11/23
THANKSGIVING RECESS
11/25
THANKSGIVING RECESS
11/27
THANKSGIVING RECESS
11/30
Gender Development (continued)
12/2
Media and Child Development
11/4
Media and Child Development
12/7
Conclusions
S: pp. 510-548
Anderson & Bushman
(2001)
Fisch et al. (1999)
Graf et al. (2009)
S: Ch. 16
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12/9
Catch up and Review
12/11
Exam 4, Friday, December 11th 1:30- 3
pm in Billings Lecture Hall
Course Expectations and Responsibilities
You are responsible for knowing and following the course policies listed below.
1. Prerequisite: This course is designed for intermediate undergraduate students in
psychological science and related fields who have completed General Psychology (Psys001).
Please see Professor Murray-Close or Instructor Lafko Breslend if you have not taken this
prerequisite but you believe you have a sufficient background in psychological science to be
prepared for this course.
2. Attendance: Please come to each class ready to engage in the day’s lesson. This includes
having the assigned reading completed and lecture handouts from Blackboard printed (if you
desire to have the handouts to aid in note taking). We understand that sometimes circumstances
beyond your control may prevent you from attending class. If you must miss class, it is your
responsibility to find out what you have missed from another student. Exams will include
information from class that is not in the readings.
3. Special Accommodations: Students with special needs that affect their ability to participate
fully in class, to meet all course requirements, or that require special exam administration should
contact Accommodation, Consultation, Counseling & Educational Support Services
(ACCESS; A170 Living/Learning Center; phone: 656-7753; http://www.uvm.edu/access/) and
the instructors within the first two weeks of class. We will provide reasonable accommodations
for documented disabilities in accordance with college policies. NOTE: Students who take
exams at ACCESS must take the exam on the same day that the exam is scheduled in class
unless given written permission by the instructors to take the exam on another day.
4. Course Grades: Letter grades will be based on the following percentages of the possible
points.
To earn a(n):
Receive:
Definition:
A
93% or better of possible points Achievement that is outstanding
A90% or better of possible points relative to the level necessary to meet
B+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
87% or better of possible points
83% or better of possible points
80% or better of possible points
77% or better of possible points
73% or better of possible points
70% or better of possible points
67% or better of possible points
63% or better of possible points
course requirements.
Achievement that is significantly
above that necessary to meet course
requirements.
Achievement that meets course
requirements in every respect.
Achievement that is worthy of credit
even though it fails to meet fully the
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DF
60% or better of possible points course requirements.
59% or below of possible points Work was either complete but at a
level of achievement that is not
worthy of credit or not completed.
5. Extra Credit: There will not be opportunities for extra credit in this course. Grades are
assigned to reflect the mastery of relevant course material. If you are concerned about your
grade, come and talk the TAs or the instructors. We can work to help you understand and apply
the topics of this class.
6. Grade Concerns: If you have concerns regarding your grade at any point, please see the TAs
to help address ways to improve your mastery of the course material. The sooner you contact
them regarding concerns, the more they can do for you. We will not be able to accommodate
students who contact us at the end of the semester with concerns about their grade. We also
encourage students to visit the Learning Co-op (Living/Learning Center, 244 Commons) for help
with writing, study skills, and exam-taking skills. Please call the Co-op (656-4075) or visit their
web site http://www.uvm.edu/learnco/?Page=sat/satindex.html for additional information.
7. Grade Disputes: If a student disagrees with a grade received on an assignment, challenges to
the grade must be made in writing, using the Grade Dispute Form posted on Blackboard under
Course Materials. The student must turn in the original assignment and a completed Grade
Dispute Form (including his or her reasons for the dispute) to the instructors within one week of
the return of the assignment. Challenges to grades will not be accepted more than one week
following return of the assignment. Challenges will be considered carefully, and students will be
provided with a written response for adjusting or not adjusting the grade. Course grades will not
be changed after final grades for the semester are submitted except in cases of documented errors
in recording grades or in computation of total course points.
8. Returned Assignments: Hold on to all graded assignments after they have been returned
until the end of the semester. They will help you keep track of how you are doing in the course
and will serve as your record of your grade. In the case that a grade is missing for an assignment
that you turned in and that was returned to you, you will need to produce a copy of the graded
assignment.
9. Make-Up Exams: The instructors will grant make-up exams at our discretion for extenuating
circumstances only. In the rare case that you feel you need a make-up exam, please discuss this
with us as soon as you anticipate a problem. Absence from examinations can be excused only in
cases of serious and unavoidable causes, such as confining illness. More specifically, make-up
exams may be given only if the student notifies us prior to the scheduled time of the exam and
then provides some form of documentation from a professional (e.g., physician, psychologist,
etc.) explaining why the exam had to be missed (again, decisions will be made at our discretion).
Please note that you must attempt to contact us by email in advance of the exam. Make-ups for
exams may be entirely essay exams and will be scheduled at our convenience.
10. Academic Misconduct: The University of Vermont requires academic honesty from all
students, and academic misconduct will not be tolerated. Academic misconduct includes
cheating on assignments or exams, plagiarizing (misrepresenting someone else’s work as your
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own), submitting the same or similar papers for more than one course without the permission of
all instructors involved, submitting work on which you have collaborated with other students
except in cases when this is specifically encouraged or required, or sabotaging another student’s
work or access to necessary class resources. Please remember that plagiarism occurs whenever
you present another person’s ideas as your own. In written assignments, students must NOT
duplicate passages of more than five words from another source without quotation marks AND
proper attribution. If you paraphrase someone else’s words, you do not use quotation marks, but
you still need to give the reference. See the following resource for additional information on
plagiarism: http://www.uvm.edu/~agri99/plagiarism.html. Please avoid problems by
understanding what behaviors constitute academic misconduct and asking the instructors for any
clarification. You are responsible for knowing and understanding the UVM Code of Academic
Integrity, available on-line at http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf. If a
student engages in academic misconduct, the case will be forwarded to the Center for Student
Ethics & Standards and may involve sanctions such as receiving a zero on the assignment or
failing the course.
11. Religious Holidays: Students have the right to practice the religion of their choice. Each
semester students should submit in writing to their instructors by the end of the second week of
classes their documented religious holiday schedule for the semester. Faculty must permit
students who miss work for the purpose of religious observance to make up this work.
12. UVM Department of Psychology Code of Classroom Conduct: Faculty and students will
at all times conduct themselves in a manner that serves to maintain, promote, and enhance the
high-quality academic experience befitting the University of Vermont. The essential
characteristic of this policy is respect.
Student responsibilities
 Students are expected to attend every class, arriving promptly and remaining alert and
involved until dismissed by the instructor.
 Students are expected to come having not only read and completed assignments but also
having thought about them, and be prepared to engage in discussion and pose meaningful
questions.
 During class, students will refrain from using laptop computers or other web-enabled
devices. While the use of laptops, tablets and smartphones in the classroom has potential
benefit, the Department of Psychological Science does not allow the use of these devices
in classrooms for courses that enroll 100 or more students. This policy may be waived at
an individual faculty member’s discretion.
Faculty and student responsibilities
 Faculty and students will promote academic discourse and the free exchange of ideas by
listening with civil attention to all individuals.
 Faculty and students will treat all members of the learning community with respect and
will not discriminate on the basis of characteristics that include race, color, religion,
national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or gender
identity or expression.
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Mutual respect extends to turning off cell phones or other web-enabled devices prior to
the beginning of class, refraining from leaving the room in the middle of class, and, when
authorized, using laptops for course-related activities only.
Course Chapters and Articles
These readings will be available online on Blackboard.
Anderson, C.A. & Bushman, B.J. (2001). Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior,
aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: A meta-analytic
review of the scientific literature. Psychological Science, 12, 353-361.
Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the
twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469-480.
Doskoch, P. (2005). The winning edge. Psychology Today (Nov/Dec), 41-52.
Fisch, S., Truglio, R., & Cole, C. (1999). The impact of Sesame Street on preschool children: A review
and synthesis of 30 years’ research. Media Psychology, 1, 165-190.
Graf, D. L., Pratt, L. V., Hester, C. N., & and Short, K. R. (2009). Playing active video games increases
energy expenditure in children. Pediatrics, 124, 534-540.
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