| UNIT TITLE |
Life Span Development |
| UNIT CODE |
PSY1140 |
| CREDIT POINTS |
15 |
| FULL YEAR UNIT |
No |
| MODE OF DELIVERY |
Online
|
|
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
This unit considers the theories and research findings regarding the course of human growth and development from conception to death. The research strategies which have been developed to validate the various theories of development will be discussed. Students may participate in minor research exercises.
|
| |
| LEARNING OUTCOMES |
On completion of this unit students should be able to:
- discuss the relationship between heredity and environment in the development of the individual;
- discuss the place of theory in life span psychology and detail at least three major theories of development;
- identify the culturally specific aspects of major theories of life-span development and specify where cross-cultural application of these theories is relevant;
- describe the major common developmental characteristics of individuals at each stage of life; giving particular attention to the integration of physical, cognitive, language, social and personality development;
- specify the advantages and disadvantages of the various scientific procedures of data collection used in life span psychology;
- collect and summarise data on an individual using naturalistic and structured observation and interviewing.
|
| |
| UNIT CONTENT |
- The heredity-environment debate with respect to life span development.
- Critical consideration of significant developmental theorists.
- Cross-cultural perspectives of life span developmental psychology.
- Overview of development during:
infancy, toddlerhood and early childhood;
middle childhood;
adolescence;
adulthood (early, middle);
old age. - Research and data collection in developmental psychology: idiographic vs normative descriptions; sampling of individuals and behaviours; experimental vs non-experimental methods; longitudinal vs cross-sectional data collection; naturalistic vs structured observation; interviewing.
|
| |
| TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESSES |
| The basic material will be presented through lectures, media materials, reading, discussion and workshop activities. Students will be expected to observe and interview an individual and present a developmental profile. Students are required to attend at least 80% of tutorials. Failure to do so will result in exclusion from the unit. |
| |
| ASSESSMENT |
| Grading Schema 1 |
| |
| Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners. |
| |
Item
|
On-Campus Assessment
|
Value
|
|
|
Continuous assessment
|
40%
|
|
|
Developmental profile
|
30%
|
|
|
Examination
|
30%
|
|
|
| |
| TEXTS |
|
| |
| Bee, H. (1998). Lifespan development (2nd ed.). New York: Longman. |
| Kraszlin, K. PSY1140 Supplementary reader. Perth: Edith Cowan University. |
| |
| SIGNIFICANT REFERENCES |
| Anastasi, A. (1982). Contributions to differential psychology (Selected papers). New York: Praeger. |
| Baldwin, A. L. (1967). Theories of child development. New York: Wiley. |
| Berger, K. S. (1983). The developing person through the life span. New York: Worth. |
| Burns, A., & Goodnow, J. (1985). Children and families in Australia. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. |
| Callahan, E. J., & McCluskey, K. A. (1983). Life-span developmental psychology: Normative life events. New York: Academic Press. |
| Erikson, E. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: W. W. Norton. |
| Eurich, A. (1981). Major transitions in the human life cycle. New York: Lexington. |
| Fitzgerald, J. M. (1986). Life span human development. California: Wadsworth. |
| Fitzgerald, J. M. (1986). Life span human development. California: Wadsworth. |
| Gesell, A. (1976). Major transitions in the human life cycle. New York: Lexington. |
| Gesell, A. (1976). The first five years of life: A guide to the study of the pre-school child. London: Methuen. |
| Hopkins, J. (1983). Adolescence: The transitional years. Orlando, FL: Academic Press. |
| Kaluger, G., & Kaluger, M. F. (1984). Human development: The span of life. St. Louis, MO: Times Mirror/Mosby College Press. |
| Kaplan, P. (1986). A child's odyssey. St. Paul, New York: West. |
| Mussen, B., Conger, J., Kagan, J., & Geiwitz, J. (1979). Psychological development: A life span approach. New York: Harper & Row. |
| Offer, D. et al. (1981). The adolescent: Psychological self portrait. New York: Basic Books. |
| Piaget, J. (1952). The language and thought of the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. |
| Pratt, C., Garton, A., Tunmer, W. E., & Nesdale, A. R. (1986). Research issues in child development. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. |
| Santrock, J. W., & Yussen, S. R. (1984). Children and adolescents: A developmental perspective. Dubuque, IA: Wm Brown. |
| Shaffer, D. R. (1985). Developmental psychology: Theory, research and applications. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole. |
| Sheehy, G. (1976). Passages. New York: Dutton. |
| Stevens-Long, J. (1984). Adult life (2nd ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield. |
| Thomas, R. M. (1985). Comparing theories of child development. California: Wadsworth. |
| |
| JOURNALS |
Adolescence
Child Development
Developmental Psychology
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
Life Span Development and Behaviour
Merrill Palmer Quarterly: Journal of Developmental Psychology
Psychology and Aging
The Journal of Genetic Psychology
The Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|
| |
| WEB SITES |
| Nil |
| |
| |
| |
| Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005) | |
| For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Student Equity, Diversity and Disability Service website: |
| http://intranet.ecu.edu.au/student/support/student-equity |
| |
| |
Academic Misconduct
Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
- plagiarism;
- unauthorised collaboration;
- cheating in examinations;
- theft of other students’ work.
Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.
The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.
|
