Introduction to development psychology

Teacher(s)

Loop Laurie; Roskam Isabelle;

Language

French

Main themes

-  The fundamental concepts of developmental psychology, factors of development and epistemology
-  Development approaches: evolutionist, environmentalist and interactionist approach; development models; stages of human development
     - The three main areas of development

• Physical development (motor and sensory): senses, reflexes, axes of motor development, stages of motor development 

• Cognitive development: the development of intelligenve (constructivist and socio-constructivist theory), moral development, language development

• Social development: attachment theory, emotional development, identity and the concept of self 

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	At the end of this course, the student must be able to: Master and understand the main theoretical frameworks of developmental psychology as well as the key concepts and methodological approaches of the different domains of development: neuronal, sensori-motor, cognitive, communicative, affective, social and emotional Differentiate developmental stages, mechanisms and developmental  factors according to the three domains Identify the links between the three domains in each stage of life  Interpret the developmental significance of the behaviors at different ages in a particular situation by applying the relevant concepts and approches of the domains

Content

After an introduction to the important concepts and methods of developmental psychology, the major theories of development will be presented. Next, the three main areas of development will be studied: physical, cognitive and social. The stages of development in these three major domains will be presented, in an attempt to answer the "WHEN" question, i.e. "at what point in their development are individuals capable of? The developmental factors that enable individuals to move from one stage to the next, and to acquire new skills, will also be discussed, in order to answer the question of "HOW? The links between the three main areas of development will be highlighted.

Teaching methods

Ex catedra lectures in large auditoriums; personal readings; role-playing and interactive moments; video clips during the course.

Evaluation methods

The assessment is carried out using a Questions with Multiple Answers consisting of 10 questions with 4 answer options. 1 to 4 correct answers are expected for each question. Each question answered correctly is worth 1 point. No answer, partial or incorrect answers are worth 0 points.

Online resources

Moodle site

Bibliography

 

Teaching materials

• Berger, K.S. et al. (2012). Psychologie du Développement. Bruxelles: de Boeck; Berger, K.S. (2023). The Developing Person Through the Life Span (12th ed). McMillan Learning.

Faculty or entity

EPSY