Syllabus & Course Information
Last updated 3/11/02
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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: jganger@pitt.edu
����������� 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: kcr9@pitt.edu
����������� 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 www.coursecompass.com.� 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.
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
It does not matter if the child does not do exactly what you expected, as long as your explanation of what happens is appropriate.
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 |
|
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) |
|
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 |
|
|