PSYC–2314 Human Growth & Development

Spring 2020

Rev. E. Megan Baldwin, M.Ed., M.Div.

97475-002   MW 10:30 - 11:50    Room 01213.00

During the first week of the semester I will provide you with a link to the website designed for this course. PLEASE NOTE: I rely more heavily on the course website than I do on BlackBoard for some class functions. You will always receive redundant updates, e-mail, and announcements in order to make sure that you get everything that you need. Make a habit of checking your ACC e-mail on a daily basis.

OFFICE: Room 01107.03 (in Student Services area) HAYS CAMPUS

OFFICE HOURS: M/T/W/H  7:30a.m. to 8:00a.m

                             Friday 12:00p.m. and by appointment 

Hays Student Services: As I am also an advisor in Student Services I am generally available there as well; if you look for me there, be sure the Front Office Staff knows that you are a student currently enrolled in my class.

During peak periods (registration) it may be extremely difficult to see me if you are there on classroom business outside of posted office hours.

Please note: For privacy reasons I do not return phone messages on evenings or weekends. Urgent or time sensitive information can be conveyed through e-mail.

TEXTBOOK INFORMATION:

PSYC-2314 

Human Development

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/lifespandevelopment2/

IMPORTANT:

In spite of what you may have heard about my classes you CANNOT pass this class without the textbook. Most online reviews about my classes and teaching styles are based on the ways I teach Introduction to Psychology in the classroom.

Enrolling in Human Growth & Development is a completely different experience. It is designed for the independent, highly motivated, well organized student who is willing to participate.

There will be three class debates during the semester. Participation is required. Debate teams and topics will be posted on a website dedicated to this class.

NOTE: I rely much more heavily on the class website than I do on BlackBoard. I use BlackBoard for posting grades, and sending announcements or e-mail. There will also be duplicate posting of the course syllabus, a link to the course website, and a link to the course textbook.

TESTING:

There will be four 100-point exams taken in the classroom. Re-testing is NOT an option. HOWEVER, students may individually elect to submit a written assignment to replace a low test score. Students must take/attempt all four regularly scheduled exams in order to be eligible.

Details about the written assignment will be provided and discussed in class.

Study guides will be provided at the beginning of each unit (or as soon as they are available).

ACC e-mail: kirbey@austincc.edu

Exercise good judgment with respect to the use of e-mail.  Be sure to include "PSYC 2314 CLASS" somewhere in the subject heading.  Emergency situations and the conveyance of  time-sensitive information constitute the most appropriate uses of e-mail. Assignments must be submitted via ACC e-mail ONLY as an attached Word Document.

I will not respond to any e-mail sent from a

non-ACC e-mail account.

 ~ * ~ TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:

Students are far more likely to learn what instructors want them to know when they tell their students what that is. This philosophy has been borrowed directly from one of my graduate instructors at the University of Texas.  If it's good enough for graduate school at UT, it's good enough for ACC.

~ * ~ WITHDRAWALS:

 Make sure you understand the possible consequences of dropping any class (mandated developmental courses, Financial Aid implications, completion ratios, Three-Peat policy, probation or suspension).

The decision to drop this course rests squarely on the

shoulders of the student. Students have until  

~ APRIL 27th  ~ to make this decision.

If at any point you are unsure of your status in this class please let me help you clarify your position. While I am inclined to respect the decisions of below-average students who want to finish the term, do bear in mind that once the drop date has passed you are committed to a performance grade.

~ * ~ REINSTATEMENTS:

While college policy does allow previously withdrawn students to be reinstated, this instructor requires an incredibly compelling motive to do so.  Since students bear the sole responsibility for withdrawal, I generally regard that action as definitive and resolute.

~ * ~ INCOMPLETES:

A temporary grade of "I" may be granted at the instructor's discretion under the following conditions:

a) the drop date has already passed;

b) the student's request is based upon a disabling condition or circumstance which would prevent further attendance;

c) documentation of said condition or circumstance is made available; and

d) the student has already completed three of the four exams.

CELL PHONE POLICY: Yes, I have a no-use policy. However, students

currently enrolled in classroom sections can earn 10 points during the

semester for NOT using their cell phones in class.  Right now everyone

has 10 points. Whenever ANY student uses their cell phone in class ALL

class members lose one point. That being said, it’s a good idea to turn

them off and put them away as soon as you enter the classroom. If you

have children in daycare you may leave your cell phone face down on

your desk set to vibrate only. Cell phones may be used to audio tape

                     lectures and reviews. Please inform me in advance.

  TARDY POLICY:

While attendance is not required in the strictest sense of the

word I do have a tardy policy. Students entering 5 (five)

minutes or more past the scheduled start of class will lose 3

(three) points from their cumulative point total. It is

disruptive and discourteous to other students and the

instructor. There will be a document on a

clipboard that late students must sign upon arrival.

Due to the whims of reality, all students have one "free"

tardy. If I am ever late, all students in attendance will receive

3 (three) points that are added to their total.

Additionally, I reserve the right to waive the tardy penalty

in instances of severe weather. Students must decide for themselves

whether or not to drive to campus on days that it's raining

                 puppies and kitties. Common sense has to rule the day.

~ * ~ Students With Disabilities:

Each ACC campus offers additional support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities.  Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Student Accessiblity Services (SAS) on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their lasses. Students are encouraged to register at least three weeks  before the start of the semester. 

The syllabus represents a contract between the students and

instructor. Students will be required to sign a syllabus roster

as an acknowledgement that you have printed out a copy of the

course syllabus and that the policies stated are understood.

Administrative Rule

Student Standards of Conduct & Disciplinary Process

Acceptable standards of conduct include behavior that:

• Reflects the highest level of honesty and integrity

• Is civil, courteous, and respectful of all members of the campus

community, their property, and the property of the college

• Encourages responsibility and prohibits the unlawful use of alcohol,

illicit drugs, other substances, and weapons

• Promotes mutual respect, equality, and safety of its members and

opposes those acts that harass, intimidate, or haze its members.

By enrolling at ACC, students agree to abide by the college’s Student

Standards of Conduct. These standards also establish disciplinary

procedures for students accused of violating those standards. The

Student Standards of Conduct and Disciplinary Process are published

in the ACC catalog, the Administrative Rules and Student Handbook.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

If a student does not sign the syllabus roster but then

goes on to complete the first scheduled exam I will interpret

that as an indication that the student has printed out a copy

of the course syllabus and that the stated policies are

understood, ESPECIALLY policies concerning the

implications of dropping ANY COURSE.

YOUR FINAL GRADE will be determined by the total number

of points earned during the semester which correspond to

the following letter grades:

400 - 360 = A

359 - 320 = B

319 - 280 = C

279 - 240 = D

239 and below : (

This space provides a place for you to track your progress:

Exam #1 __________ (xx/100)     

Exam #2 __________ (xx/100)     

Exam #3 __________ (xx/100)    

Exam #4 __________ (xx/100)

OPTIONAL PAPER:

The last day to drop this course with a "W" as opposed to a performance grade is APRIL 27th. 

PSYC 2314 Prerequisites:  The learning objectives for this course are based on ACC’s requirement that students enrolled will have successfully completed Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 2301) with a grade of "C" or better.

This list is currently being revised and is not the final list.

The final list will be shorter.

Introductory Objectives 

• Identify reasons for taking a lifespan development course and which topics they want to be emphasized.

• Identify and briefly describe Bronfenbrenner’s ecological categories of contextual influence.

• Explain and discuss the nature-nurture controversy.

• List the basic steps of the scientific method.

• Differentiate and provide examples of longitudinal and cross-sectional research methodology.

• Define and give examples of correlation (positive, negative, and zero).

Theory Objectives 

• Define developmental theory and explain how developmental theories are used to understand human behavior and development.

• Distinguish between grand and emergent theories.

• Discuss the major focus of psychoanalytic theory and explain Freud’s views.

• Present examples of Freudian theory in practice.

• Contrast Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development with Freud’s theory.

• Discuss the focus of cognitive theories and explain Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.

• Discuss the basic ideas of Vygotsky and evaluate the sociocultural perspective on development, especially as it relates to Bandura's social learning theory.

• Explain the significance of scaffolding and the zone of proximal development in promoting cognitive growth.

• Outline the basic ideas of epigenetic systems theory.

Heredity and Environment Objectives 

• Describe the process of conception and the first few hours of development.

• Describe the process for mapping the karyotype.

• Identify the mechanisms of heredity and explain how sex is determined.

• Distinguish between monozygotic and dizygotic twins.

• Differentiate the genotype from phenotype.

• Identify environmental variables that affect genetic inheritance.

• Outline and give examples of the most common chromosomal abnormalities.

• Identify common genetic disorders.

• Describe situations in which couples may wish to seek genetic testing/counseling.

• Identify tests used in prenatal diagnosis and describe their purposes.

• Describe the Human Genome Project.

• Identify the value of stem cells.

• Outline the latest research on mirror neurons and their relationship to observational learning.

Prenatal Development and Birth Objectives 

• Describe significant developments that occur during the fertilization, zygotic, embryo, and fetal periods.

• Outline causes of infertility.

• Discuss rates and characteristics of ectopic pregnancy. 

• Identify the most common causes of congenital malformations, define teratology, and discuss factors that determine if a taratogen will be harmful.

• Outline protective steps that may moderate the risk of teratogenic exposure.

• Describe the birth process and how the newborn’s condition is assessed at birth.

• Discuss low birth-weight, preterm, and small for gestational age infants, and discuss the possible causes, challenges, and consequences of these conditions.

• Discuss the advantages of prepared childbirth for the baby and the family.

• Explain the concept of parent-infant bonding and the current view of most developmental psychologists on bonding in humans.

• Identify factors associated with postpartum depression.

First 2 Years: Biosocial Development 

• Describe overall growth during the first two years.

• Describe infant body proportions and compare to those of an adult.

• Identify risk factors and possible explanations for sudden infant death syndrome.

• Outline how the brain changes (matures) during infancy.

• Characterize the basic reflexes of the newborn and distinguish between fine and gross motor skills.

• Demonstrate how habituation is used in research on infant perception.

• Describe the extent and development of the infant’s perceptual abilities (especially vision, hearing, taste, and smell).

• Discuss the role of sensory experience in brain development.

• Discuss the benefits and potential side-effects of immunization.

• Outline the benefits and challenges of breast-feeding.

• Discuss the nutritional needs of infants and results of malnutrition in the first years.

First 2 Years: Cognitive Development 

• Identify and describe the six stages (Piaget) of sensorimotor intelligence.

• Review recent research findings regarding object permanence.

• Describe language development during infancy.

• Contrast the theories of Skinner and Chomsky regarding early language development.

First 2 Years:  Psychosocial Development 

• Identify eight facial expressions associated with corresponding internal feelings.

• Discuss Greenspan’s ideas regarding psychological interventions possible during infancy and early childhood.

• Discuss the evolution of emotion including the effects of cognitive development during the first two years of life.

• Explain the origins and development of temperament as an interaction of nature and nurture.

• Outline the findings of the New York Longitudinal Study as it relates to temperament.

• Identify and discuss the stability of the Big 5 personality traits.

Early Childhood:  Biosocial Development  

• Outline normal physical growth from the ages of 2 to 6.

• Describe changes in eating habits during the preschool years.

• Discuss brain maturation during this developmental period.

• Discuss the significance of drawing during the play years.

• Outline the evolution of playground development and its relationship to “injury control.”

• Debate whether male-female distinctions in play patterns are gender differences or cultural influences.

• Identify categories of child maltreatment and discuss factors that contribute to it.

Early Childhood:  Cognitive Development 

• Explore preschoolers’ understanding of number concepts via examination of the Test of Early Math Ability – Second Edition (TEMA-2).

• Discuss the development of reading readiness skills via examination of the Test of Early Reading Ability – Second Edition (TERA-2).

• Review Piaget’s characterization of the stage of preoperational thought.

• Review Piaget’s principles of conservation.

• Contrast Vygotsky’s views on cognitive development with those of Piaget.

• Outline the sequence by which vocabulary and grammar develops.

• Debate the value of a preschool education (eg., Montessori schools, Head Start) for a child vs. remaining home with a primary caretaker.

Early Childhood:  Psychosocial Development 

• Discuss the emergence of self from the perspective of various developmental theorists.

• Examine social awareness during the play years.

• Define and give examples of different types of play.

• Compare and contrast patterns of parenting and their effect on children.

• Discuss types of aggression in preschool children.

• Discuss the development of gender awareness.

Ideas for Effective Child Discipline

• Review research on styles of parenting and that regarding biological inheritance of personality traits.

• Outline and give examples of basic prerequisites for discipline.

• Outline and give examples of effective discipline techniques.

• Discuss positive and negative reinforcement schedules.

• Discuss principles associated with use of  flooding, modeling, reality therapy, time-out, and home token economies.

Middle Childhood:  Biosocial Development  

• Describe normal physical growth and development during middle childhood.

• Identify the major causes of childhood obesity.

• Discuss the problems of obese children in middle childhood and outline the best approaches for treating obesity.

• Describe the development of motor skills during the school years and discuss reasons for limited abilities in some areas.

• Discuss the symptoms and possible causes of learning disabilities.

• Outline the process for assessing a child for learning disabilities.

• Describe the symptoms and possible causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD).

• Discuss the types of treatment available for ADHD and outline how stimulant and antidepressant medication work.

• Discuss potential accommodations for educating children with special needs.

Middle Childhood:  Cognitive Development 

• Discuss the information processing perspective on cognitive development during the school years, focusing on children’s advances in selective attention, memory skills, and processing capacity.

• Identify and discuss the logical operations of concrete operational thought (Piaget).

• Discuss the concept of metacognition.

• Describe language development during the school years. 

• Debate the academic and social challenges facing children whose primary language is different from the standard language used at school.

• Debate the best approaches to bilingual education.

• Debate variations of schooling that have recently been promoted.

Middle Childhood:  Psychosocial Development 

• Discuss the importance of peer groups.

• Discuss the ways in which children’s friendship circles and social problem solving skills change during the school years.

• Identify groups of unpopular children and discuss the etiology of the peer group rejection and what can be done about it.

• Debate the modification of American family structure and the impact it has had on children (i.e., single parent homes, step-parent relations, blended families, the role of grandparents).

• Discuss use of the SPPI for assessing distress.

• Outline Kohlberg’s stage theory of moral development and discuss criticisms of it.

Adolescence:  Biosocial Development

• Outline the biological events of puberty.

• Identify factors that influence the onset of puberty.

• Describe physical growth during adolescence in both males and females.

• Outline nutritional needs and problems of adolescents.

• Discuss the adolescent’s preoccupation with body image and the problems that sometimes arise.

• Discuss adjustment problems encountered by boys and girls who develop earlier or later than their peers.

Adolescence:  Cognitive Development 

• Discuss evidence of formal operational thinking during adolescence.

• Discuss adolescent egocentrism including fantasies and fables.

• Debate whether the typical secondary school meets the cognitive needs of adolescents.

• Discuss the impact of ego- and task-involvement learning on the typical adolescent and debate how schools can be organized to more effectively meet adolescents’ cognitive needs.

• Explain how adolescent thinking contributes to the high incidence of adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease.

• Debate sex education and whether or not high schools should have daycare centers.

Adolescence:  Psychosocial Development 

• Describe Erikson’s view of the development of identity during adolescence.

• Contrast the views of Erikson with those of other developmental theorists, especially Spranger and Hall.

• Discuss the problems of identity formation encountered by adolescents.

• Describe and give examples of adolescent identity statuses.

• Discuss parental influence on identity formation, including the effect of parent-child conflict and factors that affect its frequency and severity.

• Discuss delinquency among adolescents, significance for later development, and best approaches for prevention and treatment.

• Outline the adolescent suicide problem including:  prevalence, contributing factors, warning signs, and intervention methods.

Emerging Adulthood – Cognitive Development 

• List and describe the stages of cognition proposed by K. Warner Schaie.

• Identify the main characteristics of postformal thought and tell how it differs from formal operational thought.

• Define dialectical thought and give examples of its usefulness.

• Outline the six stages of faith described by James Fowler.

• Discuss the relationship between cognitive growth and higher education.

• Discuss how life events may trigger new patterns of thinking and result in cognitive growth.

Adulthood:  Biosocial  

• Identify typical physical changes that occur during middle.

• Describe the relationship between lifestyle factors and health.

• Discuss historical changes in the psychological impact of menopause.

Adulthood:  Cognitive + Psychosocial Development

• Define, outline, and give examples of how expertise is a primary attribute during middle adulthood.

• Discuss the concept of the mid-life crisis and evaluate research evidence concerning its occurrence.

• Discuss the impact of gender, SES, vocation, and culture on the experience of the mid-life crisis.

• Discuss the relationship between middle-aged adults and the younger and older generations.

• Debate career related problems that may occur during mid-life, who is most likely to experience them, and how they can be prevented.

• Describe clusters of personality traits designated the “big five” and discuss reasons for their relative stability during adulthood.

• Discuss the impact of stressors on development during middle adulthood and ways of coping with stressors.

Late Adulthood:  Biosocial Development 

• Discuss factors that contribute to agism in our society.

• Differentiate between optimal, normal, and impaired aging. 

• Discuss theories of aging including the wear-and-tear and genetic approaches. 

• Explain what the Hayflick limit is and how it supports the idea of a genetic clock.

Late Adulthood – Cognitive Development 

• Summarize research findings regarding changes in the sensitivity of the sensory register and the capacity of working memory during late adulthood.

• Summarize research findings regarding changes in the older adult’s ability to access the knowledge base and to use control processes efficiently.

• Suggest factors, other than the aging process itself that might contribute to age-related declines in cognitive functioning.

• Define dementia and describe its stages.

• Identify the two most common forms of dementia and discuss the differences between them.

Death and Dying 

• Describe some cultural variations in how death is viewed and treated.

• Discuss the development of the field of thanatology.

• Outline the emotions associated with Kubler-Ross’s stages of dying.

• Discuss age-related differences in the conceptualization of death.

• Debate measures an individual and his or her family can take to ensure that the person dies a “good death.”

• Discuss the hospice environment. 

• Describe the functions of mourning and list the stages of the mourning process.

• Discuss the ways in which the emotional impact of an unexpected death might differ from that of an expected death.

CAMPUS CARRY

The Austin Community College District concealed handgun policy ensures compliance with Section 411.2031 of the Texas Government Code (also known as the Campus Carry Law), while maintaining ACC’s commitment to provide a safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Beginning August 1, 2017, individuals who are licensed to carry (LTC) may do so on campus premises except in locations and at activities prohibited by state or federal law, or the college’s concealed handgun policy.

It is the responsibility of license holders to conceal their handguns at all times.

Persons who see a handgun on campus are asked to contact the ACC Police Department by dialing 222 from a campus phone or 512-223-7999.

Refer to the concealed handgun policy online at austincc.edu/campuscarry.