Syllabus & Course Information

Last updated 3/11/02

CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR UPDATES

Most recent changes (to the syllabus) are printed in red.

Course Title: Psychology 0310: Developmental Psychology

Professor: Dr. Jennifer Ganger

Office: 456 Langley Hall

Office Ph: 412-624-3064

Email:

Of Hrs: Tuesdays 2:45-4:15, Wednesdays 9:30-10:45, and by appointment

TA: Kathryn Russell

Office: 651 LRDC

Office Ph: 412-624-7074

Email:

Of Hrs: TBA

Course Text: Child Development (5th Edition) by Laura Berk (Allyn & Bacon, publisher). The accompanying Study Guide is also suggested. It will be a good guide to studying for exams and many of our homework questions are drawn from it.

Course Website: The website will be used for posting HW assignments, HW grades, exam grades, slides from Professor Ganger's lectures, practice exams, HW solutions, exam solutions, and final grades.

Our course website is at You will need to register there the first time you visit, and login on each subsequent visit. To do this you will need an access code. When you buy the book and Study Guide together in the bookstore, they will come packaged with an access code. If you do not have an access code, please see Professor Ganger as soon as possible to arrange to buy one separately (they cost $10-$12). You will also need the course ID#: ganger83675.

Grading:

Your lowest exam score (of 5) will be dropped.

The remaining four exams (100 pts each) count for 80% of your grade.

Ten homework assignments (10 pts each) count for the other 20%.

Extra credit: up to 10 points (see below for details).

Exams:

There are no make-up exams and no early exams. Exams will cover all textbook readings and lectures. Exams will be multiple choice.

Homeworks:

Homework assignments have 3 to 10 questions. Only one of these questions will be graded. Your entire homework score (10 points) will depend on that one question. You will not know in advance which question will be graded.

Homework assignments are given approximately every week, due on Friday, as indicated on the syllabus. Homework questions will be posted on the website under Assignments. Some will come from your Study Guide.. You may submit the answers in writing to our TA or via email to our TA. If you submit them in writing, you will receive your HW back with your grade. If you submit it via email, you will not receive a printed copy. You can check your score on Course Compass either way.

Extra Credit/Circus Day (added to the syllabus 2/14/02)

There is one extra credit opportunity, in conjunction with Circus Day on the last of class. The most a student can earn for this extra credit is 10 points. For Circus Day, I ask students to bring in children they know well (their own children, relatives, friends, etc.). Those students, as well as other students in the class who do not have access to children themselves, may use these children in an extra credit demonstration of something we have learned in class this semester. If you bring in a child, you must allow other students to use that child in a demonstration. If the child is uncomfortable interacting with strangers, the other student can instruct the student who brought the child in to follow an explicit set of instructions to carry out the demonstration. If you are not willing to let others use your child in a demonstration, do not bring him or her in. About one week before Circus Day, I will ask for an estimate of how many children are going to be brought in and what their ages are so that others may plan demonstrations.

In order to do the extra credit, you must tell Dr. Ganger 2 days in advance (i.e., by Wed., Apr 17) which child you plan to use and what your planned demonstration is. It is wise to have a back-up demonstration with a different child in case your child becomes sick or is unable to come in for any reason. If there are more proposed demonstrations than time allows, priority will be given to students who have grades at the borderline between two letters.

Demonstrations should be short (1-3 minutes). The demonstrations should consist of (1) an introduction directed to the class, explaining what you intend to do and why; (2) the actual demonstration, in which you coax the child into doing something or answering some question; and (3) an explanation of what happened in the demonstration. If the demonstration does not work out the way you planned, you should address that failure in your explanation. The amount of points you receive will be determined by

  • The quality of your introduction and explanation, and
  • The amount of preparation you did. (For example, if any props or scripts are needed for the demonstration, these should be carefully prepared in advance.)

It does not matter if the child does not do exactly what you expected, as long as your explanation of what happens is appropriate.

Section 1

INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

and

THE FOUNDATIONS OF DEVELOPMENT

Date

/ Reading /

Lecture topic

/ Assignments & Exams

Mon, Jan 7

/ Ch 1, pp. 3-10
Ch 2, pp.43-44 / Administrative remarks;
Introduction to Developmental Psychology
Wed, Jan 9 / Ch 3, pp. 71-82; / Genetic foundations of development;
Fri, Jan 11 / Genetics, continued / HW 1 Due

Mon, Jan 14

/ Ch 3 pp. 118-123 / Behavior genetics
Wed, Jan 16 / Ch 3, pp. 88-95 / Prenatal Development
Fri, Jan 18 / Prenatal Development, continued / HW 2 Due

Mon, Jan 21

/ NO CLASS
MLK, Jr. Day
Wed, Jan 23 / Ch 3, pp. 95-103 / Teratogens
Fri, Jan 25 / Ch 3, pp. 111-117;
Ch 4, pp. 128-130; 137 / Teratogens continued; Prematurity
Reflexes and demo / HW 3 Due

Mon, Jan 28

/ Prematurity, continued
Wed, Jan 30 / EXAM I / Exam on chapters 1-4 (see pages above) and lectures through Jan 28

Section 2

COGNITIVE AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Date

/ Reading /

Lecture topic

/ Assignments & Exams
Fri, Feb 1 / Ch. 3 108; Ch. 4: p. 137;
Ch. 4: pp. 130-136;
Ch. 1: pp. 18-21; 24-25;
Ch 2: pp. 55-56 / Newborn assessment
States of arousal: Crying / (NO HW)

Mon, Feb 4

/ Ch 4: 138-144 / Crying, continued
Learning capacities
Wed, Feb 6 / Ch 4, pp.144-150;
Ch 5, pp. 177-178;
Ch 1, pp. 30-31 / Learning capacities, continued
Motor development
Fri, Feb 8 / Ch 4, pp. 150-154; / Motor development, continued
Sensory development; / HW 4 due

Mon, Feb 11

/ Ch 4, pp. 154-167 / Visual development;
Wed, Feb 13 / Ch. 5, pp. 173-177; 184-185;
Ch 5, pp. 186-194; 200-201; 206-208 / Physical development,
Brain development
Fri, Feb 15 / Brain development, continued / HW 5 Due
Mon, Feb 18 / Ch 6 pp. 221-227 / Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
Wed, Feb 20 / Ch 6, pp. 221-227; 235-240 / Piaget continued / (Practice exam available)
Fri, Feb 22 / Ch 6, pp. 240-248 / Piaget, continued
DEMO IN CLASS: TIM (23 months) & SAM (9 months) / HW 6 Due

Sun, Feb 24, 4pm

/ REVIEW SESSION
A224 Langley Hall

Mon, Feb 25

/ EXAM II / Exam on Chapters 4-6 (see pages above)

Section 3

PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Date

/ Reading /

Lecture topic

/ Assignments & Exams
Wed, Feb 27 / Ch 6, pp. 248; 249-259; 201-206 / Piaget, continued;
Fri, Mar 1 / Ch. 6, pp. / Responses to Piaget / NO HW
March 4,6,8 / SPRING BREAK
(NO CLASSES) / (NO HW)

Mon, Mar 11

/ More responses to Piaget;
Wed, Mar 13 / Ch 7 (pp. 271-278);
Ch 7 (281-end)
Ch 7 (281-end) / More information processing approaches to cognitive development: Case, Siegler, and others
Fri, Mar 15 / Ch 8 (pp. 313-342) / Intelligence: Measurement and Individual differences / HW 7 due
Mon, Mar 18 / Ch 9 (pp. 357-370; 372-385) / Language Development
Wed, Mar 20 / Ch 9 (pp. 357-370; 372-385) / Language Development
Fri, Mar 22 / Ch 10 (to p. 412) / Emotional Development:
Emotions and Emotional regulation & Temperament
PRACTICE TEST POSTED / HW 8 Due

Mon, Mar 25

/ Ch 10 (pp. 412-420) / Emotional Development:
Temperament
Wed, Mar 27 / EXAM III / Exam on chapters 6-10 (see pages above)

Date

/ Reading /

Lecture topic

/ Assignments & Exams
Fri, Mar 29 / Ch 10 (pp. 421-432) / Emotional Development:
Attachment / NO HW

Mon, Apr 1

/ Ch 10 (pp. 421-432) / Emotional Development:
Attachment
Wed, Apr 3 / Ch. 11 (pages TBA) / Self and Social Understanding
Fri, Apr 5 / Ch. 11 (pages TBA) / Self and Social Understanding / HW 9 Due

Mon, Apr 8

/ Ch. 11 (pages TBA) / Self and Social Understanding
Wed, Apr 10 / Ch 1 & 2 / Review of Theories and Methodology in Developmental Psychology
Fri, Apr 12 / Ch 1 & 2 / Review of Theories and Methodology in Developmental Psychology / HW 10 Due

Mon, Apr 15

/ Leftovers
Wed, Apr 17 / Leftovers
Fri, Apr 19 (last day of classes) / Circus Day / Demonstrations for extra credit
Apr 26 (Fri)
Time: 10-11:50 / EXAM IV & FINAL EXAM