General Psych Specifics

1. Psych 125Human DevelopmentChristopher GadeOffice: 1031-GOffice hours: Tu 12-1:30 and by apt.Email: gadecj@gmail.comClass: T 1:30-4:20 Room 2210

2. General Psych Specifics • Required Text: A Topical Approach to Life-Span Development (2010), John W. Santrock, 5th Ed • Website for Course Postings: http://napavalley.edu/people/cgade (“NVC - Developmental - Fall 2010” link on the left hand corner) • Alternative Website of Use: http://www.learner.org (supplementary informative videos on topics covered in this class)

3. Syllabus • Your grade is based on: • 3 exams (no cumulative final) • 3 written projects • 1 final project • Other responsibilities: • Attend classes • Arrive on time • Pay attention in class • Keep up with the readings

4. Grading Breakdown Final grades will be calculated on the basis of 300 points distributed as follows: • RequirementPoints% of grade • Exam 16020% of your grade • Exam 2 6020% of your grade • Exam 3 6020% of your grade • Project 1 25 8.3% of your grade • Project 2 25 8.3% of your grade • Project 3 25 8.3% of your grade • Final Project 45 15% of your grade • Final grades will be based on a standard 100% scale: A=90%-100%, B=80%-90%, C=70%-80%, D=60%-70%, F<60%

5. Why Take this Course? • To understand, explain, and predict human development. • To appreciate that human development entails more than mere learning and physical growth. • Enjoyment: There’s a 99% chance that your taking this class indicates that you like kids, the whole class is full of videos and discussions about why they do the weird and cute things that they do. • To apply what you learned in this class to your future profession or possible parenthood.

6. What Will This Class Entail? • Information on both the text and other topic related information found in each section. • Several videos that bring to life several of the most groundbreaking developmental experiments and theories. • A hands-on opportunity to participate and/or witness several of the most entertaining and interesting psychological studies and topics of our time.

7. How to Thrive in this Class • Check the course website and syllabus in advance of every class to see what readings are related to the topic that will be discussed during that day, and when the assignments are due. • Do the readings! • The weekly slides will be posted prior to the day before every class. Print them out! • We have slides, but you’ll need to know what they are addressing in order to be successful in this course, so come to class attentive and ready to take notes in order to understand what’s on the slides.

8. Admittance into the Class • This class is extremely full. There are no more spots available online, but I’m going to do my best to get all of you in. Admittance will be based on classroom space and who drops the course. I will attempt to do a manual admittance of students next week. • I will try to get as many students as I can into the class, please be patient and on top of things if you’re not in the class.

9. Now Its Your Turn • On a 3 x 5 card, please write your: • Name • Best contact email • Area/focus of study at NVC • Intended use for this class • Expected grade in the class • Additional information that you’d like to convey to me

11. Introduction • What we’ll cover in this section of class • How and why we study lifespan development • The areas of psychology that are addressed in development • The theories of how we develop • Research methodology in development

12. Activity • List your top six most memorable events of your life thus far. • Details • Age • Why it was memorable

13. How does this relate to lifespan? • “Different, but the same” • Each of our lives follow very different scripts • These scripts might seem completely unrelated, but when we look closer, we see consistencies in the big events, and more importantly, the changes that occur • Let’s revisit those events that you listed

14. Assumptions of a lifespan development course • Lifespan development might be better defined as lifespan change, why? • We assume that development is lifelong • We assume that development occurs in a number of different facets of our lives • We assume that development is multidirectional (growth and decline)

15. One additional assumption of lifespan development psychologists • Development is contextual • Normative age-generated influences – influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group • Normative history-generated influences – influences that are common to people of a particular generation because of circumstances • Normative culture-generated influences – influences that are common to people of a particular culture • Nonnormative life-events – unusual occurrences that have a major impact on an individual’s life

16. Reviewing the Introduction • What we’ll cover in this section of class • How and why we study lifespan development • The areas of psychology that are addressed in development • The theories and debates of how we develop • Research methodology in development

17. Areas of Study in Development • Biological Processes – changes of a physical nature • Cognitive processes – changes in thought, intelligence, processing, and language • Socioemotional processing – changes in emotions, personality, and relationships • A combination of the three

18. Applied Areas That Address Development • Health and well-being • Parenting and education • Individual differences • Culture • Gender • Ethnicity • SES

19. How we’ll examine topics in this course

20. A Note on “Age” • In this class, age can have many definitions: • Chronological age • Biological age • Cognitive age • Social age

22. Reviewing the Introduction • What we’ll cover in this section of class • How and why we study lifespan development • The areas of psychology that are addressed in development • The theories and debates of how we develop • Research methodology in development

23. We all change, but why? • We’ve all probably seen a younger sibling, cousin, neighbor, or other relation somehow “develop” as they age. They might change their way of thinking or suddenly be able to do something that they could never do. Psychologists study these changes through a number of different lenses, each giving us different insight into possible causes for the changes that we perceive.

24. Theoretical Approaches to Development • Psychoanalytic approach – attempt to explain development through unconscious and emotional changes • Cognitive approach – attempt to explain development through changes in thoughts and perceptions of the world • Behavioral and social-cognitive approach – attempt to explain development through experiences and social factors that influence change • Ethological approach – attempt to explain development through changes in biology

25. Debates within these fields of development… • Stability versus change • Persistence of characteristics • Potential for change • Nature versus nurture

26. Reviewing the Introduction • What we’ll cover in this section of class • How and why we study lifespan development • The areas of psychology that are addressed in development • The theories and debates of how we develop • Research methodology in development

27. How do we study people? • Case studies • Observational studies • Tests • Surveys and interviews • Physiological measures

28. What do we look for? • Correlations or changes • Differences

29. Where do we look for it? • Cross-sectional approach – a research strategy in which individuals of different ages are compared at one time • Longitudinal approach – a research strategy in which the same individuals are studied over a period of time, usually several years or more • cohort effects – changes in individuals due to an experience or event that occurs specifically within that group of individuals

30. That’s it for today… • Don’t forget to read chapter 1 if you haven’t already, and chapter 2 by next week. • We’ll be spending a lot of time on videos and dense topics, so please print off the slides and read the chapters before you come to class next week.