Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychology is interested in discovering the psychological processes of development. This is also the study of progressive psychological changes that occur in human beings as they age. Originally concerned with infants and children, and later other periods of great change such as adolescence and early life aging, it now encompasses the entire life span of an individual. This ever growing field examines change across a broad range of topics including: motor skills and other psycho-physiological processes, problem solving abilities, conceptual understanding, acquisition of language, moral understanding, and identify formation. 

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Theoretical approaches and key concepts
   • Lifelong growth, nature/nurture theories ...psychodynamic, behavioural, social cognitive, cognitive, lifespan
      
2. Early childhood
   • Cognitive & social development in the first 6 years
   • Genetics, personality, cognition, recognition, memory, social relationships;
      
3. Middle childhood
   • Cognitive, moral & social development in the school years
   • Motor skills, cognitive and language development, relationships with family and peers, moral development
      
4. Challenges of middle childhood
   • School and learning, sense of self, achievement, peer pressure, family breakup, grief and trauma
      
5. Adolescence
   • Cognitive, moral and social development
   • Cognitive development, moral development, identity, relationships with family and peers;
      
6. Challenges of adolescence
   • Sexuality, peer groups, identity vs role confusion, trauma, depression, values and meaning
      
7. Adulthood
   • Cognitive and psychosocial development in early and middle adulthood
   • Sexuality, parenthood. work and achievement, moral reasoning, gender roles, cultural perspectives, adult thinking
      
8. Challenges of adulthood
   • Marriage and divorce, grief, depression, parenting, dealing with change
      
9. Late adulthood
   • Cognitive and psychosocial changes in the elderly
   • Intelligence, learning and age, physiological influences, cognitive abilities, personality changes, relationships
      
10. Challenges of late adulthood
    • Loss, mourning, depression and elderly suicide, aging brain ... dementia etc, integrity vs despair, loss of independence.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

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