Course Description

Psychology 4220 is an upper division undergraduate course covering research and theory concerning the psychological development of the maturing human. This course will cover physical, cognitive, and social/emotional development from conception through adolescence. This class will emphasize the scientific and theoretical basis of developmental psychology, but will also show the relevance of the topics covered to Areal life@ issues (such as parenting and public policy concerns). Lecture sessions will primarily involve presentation and discussion of course material, while lab sessions will primarily emphasize activities and projects designed to enhance learning and application of the course material. It is hoped that you will leave this class not simply with a list of facts of the Awhat@ and Awhen@ of developmental psychology, but an understanding of the Ahow@ and Awhy@ of the processes underlying development, and an appreciation for the role that research in developmental psychology plays in our everyday lives. Students who have taken CHFD 2950-2950L, Introduction to Child Development, may find that some of the course material will overlap. This course is designed to be more in-depth, with a greater emphasis on the research basis of developmental psychology.

Prerequisites

Students must have completed (and passed) PSYC 2980 prior to taking this course. PSYC 2990 may be taken as a co-requisite with one upper division psychology 4-hour lab course, such as this one. Students who have not completed 2980 and 2990 (or are not currently enrolled in 2990) will be withdrawn from the class by the instructor, according to departmental policy.
 

Required Textbook

Siegler, R., DeLoache, J., & Eisenberg, N. (2002). How Children Develop. Worth Publishers.
Book website (with student activities and study aids): http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/siegler
 

There are 400 points available in the course. 300 are from exams, and 100 from lab activities. Grading is based on the number of points earned in the course: 360 points and above is an A, 320 - 359 points is a B, 280 - 319 points is a C, 240 - 279 points is a D, and below 240 points is an F. Borderline grades are not automatically rounded up. Decisions about Acurving@ are made on a case-by-case basis at the end of the semester. The factors I will take into consideration in assigning a grade in borderline cases include attendance, quality of class participation, and whether assignments have been turned in on time.

Exams are closed-book, mixed-format (short-answer, short essay, multiple-choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank) examinations based on the material covered in the preceding section of the course (including textbook, lectures, films, and material presented during the lab). They will emphasize the material in the preceding section of the course (although some cumulative information may be included). The third exam will be given during the final exam period. Each exam is worth 100 points, so 300 points are possible on exams. The exams are on Feb. 7, March 14, and during the scheduled final exam period (which is Monday, May 5 from 8-11 a.m.). Makeup exams are not given. Students who are participating in a university-sponsored activity which requires them to miss an exam time may be allowed to take the exam early; such situations require written verification, two weeks' notice, and approval of Dr. Frick. Any student who misses an exam will be given a cumulative, all-essay test worth 100 points during the final exam period (in addition to the regularly scheduled exam given during that time).
 

A separate lab syllabus will be given in lab. This will describe all lab activities and assignments.
 

Students with disabilities should see me as soon as possible, and provide a letter from the UGA Disability Services Office describing what special accommodations you might require. I will be happy to work with you in any way you need.

A grade of "incomplete" is not an option except in extremely rare circumstances, and must be approved by the instructor. It is not an option if you are failing the course (see the Undergraduate Bulletin).

A student may withdraw from the class prior to the midpoint of the semester, but you are only guaranteed a grade of "W" if you are passing the course (see the Undergraduate Bulletin).

Attendance and preparation for class are expected. You are responsible for all class content and announcements whether you are present or not. It is important that you complete reading assignments before coming to class because lectures, discussions, and activities assume you are already familiar with the material. I may give unannounced pop quizzes if I feel students are not completing the readings prior to coming to class. Attendance will be taken on a random basis throughout the semester. The UGA Academic Affairs policy on attendance is available online. Poor attendance will greatly reduce your likelihood of a borderline grade being "bumped" up, and it may result in your grade being lowered (in cases of students who miss more than 10% of class or lab meetings).

It is expected that students will read the textbook thoroughly. There is not time in lecture to cover everything discussed in the book; lectures will be used to highlight important topics and go into more depth on difficult concepts, as well as having discussions, watching video clips, etc. Lectures will also cover some material not covered directly in the book. The exams will have questions from material only covered in the textbook and not in lecture, and vice versa.

Professional behavior is expected, including demonstrating courtesy and respect for the instructor and for other students during class and lab. This includes turning off cell phones, not reading the newspaper during class, etc. This class will touch on some potentially controversial topics (e.g., fetal life, the origins of sexual orientation) and it is expected that all students will show respect for the opinions and views of others that may be expressed in class. Professional behavior also includes adhering to the UGA rules for academic honesty (available on-line). Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated; such actions could result in receiving a grade of "F" for the course or even being expelled from the University.
 

Tentative Lecture and Exam Schedule (subject to change if necessary)
Week	Date	Topic	Assignment or Reading
	F Jan 9	go over syllabus
1	Jan 13-17	Introduction, History and Methods	Chapters 1
2	Jan 22-24	Prenatal, Birth, Newborn	Chapter 2 *no class Monday 20th (MLK bday)
3	Jan 27-31	Genetics, Brain, and Physical Dev.	Chapter 3
4	Feb 3-7	continue, review and EXAM 1	EXAM 1, Fri Feb 7 Chapters 1-3
5	Feb 10-14	Theories of Cognitive Development	Chapter 4
6	Feb 17-21	Infancy: Perception, Motor Development, Learning and Cognition	Chapter 5
7	Feb 24-28	Language and Symbol Use	Chapter 6
8	Mar 3-7	Intelligence and Academic Achievement	Chapter 8 (*note: skip chap. 7)
9	Mar 10-14	continue, review and EXAM 2	EXAM 2, Friday March 14 Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 8
10	(Mar 17-21)	(no class, spring break)
11	Mar 24-28	Theories of Social Development	Chapter 9
12	Mar 31 - April 4	Emotional Development	Chapter 10
13	April 7-11	Attachment	Chapter 11
14	April 14-18	The Family	Chapter 12
15	April 21-23	Peer Relationships	Chapter 13 *no class Friday April 25 (conference)*
16	April 28-30	Moral Development and Conclusions	Chapter 14-15 (portions of each chapter)
	**Thurs, May 1	review for final (optional)
	Monday May 5	Final Exam (EXAM 3) 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.	EXAM 3, Monday May 5 Chapters 9-15

**Note: the University will meet on a Monday schedule on Thursday, May 1. In other words, all classes that you attend on Monday, you should plan to attend on Thursday May 1. We will use this class period to review for the final and attendance is optional.