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SYLLABUS
PSY273 YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
This course is for foreign students only who are visiting Masaryk University (foreigners
pursuing the degree at MU, Erasmus, ISEP, and other exchange programs). The course is not
intended for the standard students pursuing a degree in the Czech language. The course requires
basic knowledge in the field of psychology, an interest in developmental and social psychology, and
knowledge of English on at least B1 level.
Supervisor: prof. PhDr. Petr Macek, CSc.
Office: 2.44
Office Hours: by appointment
E-mail: macek@fss.muni.cz
Teaching Assistants: Mgr. Zuzana Scott, PhD.
E-Mail: scott@fss.muni.cz
Mgr. Lucia Kvitkovičová
lucia.kvitkovicova@gmail.com
Lecturers:
Mgr. Lukas Blinka, PhD. blinka@fss.muni.cz
Mgr. Ondřej Bouša bousa@fss.muni.cz
Mgr. Stanislav Ježek, PhD. jezek@fss.muni.cz
prof. PhDr. Petr Macek, CSc. macek@fss.muni.cz
Mgr. et Mgr. Hana Macháčková, PhD. hmachack@fss.muni.cz
Mgr. Zuzana Scott, PhD. scott@fss.muni.cz
Mgr. et Mgr. Jan Šerek, PhD. serek@fss.muni.cz
doc. PhDr. David Šmahel, PhD. smahel@fss.muni.cz
Tomotaka Umemura, Ph.D. tomoumemura@mail.muni.cz
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Course Format: Course will be conducted in the combined form of lectures (45-60 minutes)
and following discussions (30-45 minutes). Participation of students on lectures and discussions is
required; thus, class participation is important. Students are expected to come to class prepared and
following updates in IS (e-learning system).
Class web: be familiar with use of on-line Information System (IS). Check PSY273 and look for
the course study materials and organization updates regularly, check your student e-mail account.
You will be required to submit your papers online
Time & Location: Wednesday: 3.15pm - 4.45pm FSS MU, Joštova 10. Room: U35
Youth development: psychological view and cultural context (PSY273)
Timetable and topics
Date Session Teachers
24.2.
What is special about youth. adolescence
and emerging adulthood?
Information regarding students' assignments
Petr Macek &
Zuzana Scott
2. 3.
Youth in family relationship Tomo Umemura
9. 3. Youth and social media I
David Šmahel
16.3.
Self and identity during adolescence and
emerging adulthood
Petr Macek
23.3. Online aggression and current youth
Hana Macháčková
30.3.
Romantic relationships during adolescence
and emerging adulthood
Tomo Umemura
6.4.
Civic and political participation of youth
Jan Šerek
13. 4.
Youth and social media II Lukas Blinka
20. 4.
Development of autonomy and identity in
emerging adults
Stanislav Ježek
27.4.
Time for reading and writting
4.5.
Students presentation I Zuzana Scott
11.5.
Students' presentations II Zuzana Scott
18.5.
Students presentation III, round table,
information regarding exam
Zuzana Scott & Petr Macek
Evaluation:
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(1) Exam
 There will be one exam (multichoice answer quiz) at the end of the semester covering the lectures
and assigned readings (class presentations and reading materials, which will be available online as
well).
 The exam accounts for 50% of the final grade
 Preparing for exam should be a process that is spaced out over time.
(2) Assignments
 The remaining 50% of your grade is collected through assignments and class presentations.
Review Paper Assignment
 The major assignment in this course is a brief research (review paper) on a specific topic about youth
development.
 First, students will choose a relevant topic about youth development. The topic selected will be
proposed to the teaching assistant (Lucia Kvitkovičová, lucia.kvitkovicova@gmail.com ), before
March 31st.
 Second, if the selected topic is accepted, students will prepare the review paper (no more than 10
pages long, and at least 5 pages), and a Microsoft Power Point presentation. This brief research has
to include relevant and, but not necessarily exclusively, new literature about the topic. For better
results, we encourage students to give a cultural perspective, to propose new ideas, and to use the
knowledge acquired during the lectures and seminars.
Paper presentation
 Students will present their papers in a 5-10 minutes presentation using Microsoft Power Point. Each
presentation should include the general information about the selected study (studies), which include
title, names of authors, year and journal published. Also, in your presentation, state the main goal of
the study (studies, how they overlap), theoretical background and rationale of the study (studies), and
hypotheses. Introduce the sample and method to your audience. Present the results in clear way, so
people in the audience understand them and state why are the results important, what do they
actually mean. The overall impression, formal aspect, and content (how well was the research
understood and presented) will be graded.
 The evaluation of the present assignment will consider creativity, novelty, extent of the research,
critical analysis of the data, and general quality of the paper and presentation.
 Consider the following journals covering studies on adolescence: International Journal of
Behavioral Development, Journal of Adolescence, Journal of Adolescent Health, Journal of
Adolescent Research, Journal of Early Adolescence, Journal of Research on Adolescence, Journal of
Youth and Adolescence, additionally also Child Development, Journal of Abnormal Child
Psychology, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Developmental Psychology, Applied
Developmental Science.
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Grading Scale:
Your performance will be evaluated using the following criteria (subject to change):
Review Paper: 35%
Oral presentation: 15%
Exam: 50%
Grades will be assigned based on the following final average score:
A 100-93%
B 92-85%
C 84-77%
D 76-69%
E 68-61%
F below 60%