Aims

- to familiarise the students with the complexity of the psychological approach of human development : change and continuity, kinds of explanatory factors and their interaction, complementarity or gap between a) the major classical theoretical systems, b) the data from empirical research, mainly recent ones, and c) the lived reality.
- to develop a critical and sharpened look.

Main themes

The concepts and research methods specific to the different theoretical orientations: the cognitivo-developmental theory, the approach inspired by Vygotski, the treatment of information, the psychology of development all along the life.

Content and teaching methods

The course combines a transverse axis (all the changes by age) and a thematic axis (development by theme all along the life). After a short methodological introduction, the course tackles in a first time the presentation of the major theories of development : psychoanalytic theories (Freud, Erikson), theory of cognitive development (Piaget), humanist theories and theories of social learning (Bandura). Afterwards, the course examines, on the basis of research, various aspects of development namely: cognitive development (reasoning, memory, intelligence), relational and social development (child and adult attachment, sexuality, friendship, game), moral and personality development (self-concept, identity, prosocial behaviour, moral judgment) and elements of the development around specific challenges of adult life: labour-unemployment, family-parentality, attitudes facing death. Special attention will be given to 1) the interaction and autonomy between the various aspects, and 2) the importance of socio-historical factors for the understanding of human development and of the diversity of the paths.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Evaluation : Individual or group work on a theme specific of human development.
Support : Bee, H. (1997). Psychologie du développement : Les âges de la vie. Bruxelles : De Boeck Université.
It follows educational methods fitted for adults including the link between theory and practice, group work, formative assessment and steps of individual and group appropriation of the contents. Illustrations from the various fields of education and from adults formation : continuous education, specialized education, school field, etc.

Programmes in which this activity is taught

Other credits in programs