SZ6603 Developmental Psychology

Faculty of Education
Spring 2023
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. David Havelka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Tomáš Kohoutek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Tereza Škubalová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Tomáš Kohoutek, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology – Faculty of Education
Supplier department: Department of Psychology – Faculty of Education
Timetable
Fri 17. 2. 16:00–17:50 učebna 22, Fri 3. 3. 15:00–16:50 učebna 22, Fri 17. 3. 15:00–16:50 učebna 22, Fri 14. 4. 15:00–16:50 učebna 22, Fri 28. 4. 15:00–16:50 učebna 22
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
SZ6603/01: each odd Monday 13:00–14:50 učebna 39, T. Škubalová
Prerequisites (in Czech)
!NOWANY( SZ6003 Developmental Psychology (Exercise) )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
"Developmental Psychology" introduces the basic principles and laws of psychological development, with biodromal perspective in the approach to a human, the basic characteristics of the different stages of human development, and especially with the age specifics of children and adolescents. It deals with various aspects of development ranging from physical and motor development through cognitive, emotional, moral, volitional, social development and the development of relationships to personality development, self-esteem and identity. Typical forms of learning, adequate stimulation and typical problems in various stages of development are also emphasized. Another range of issues deals with education, relations between generations and an adequate understanding of children and adolescents. Emphasis is placed on understanding the specificity of developmental stages as a source of "otherness", but also on the plasticity and inter-individual diversity. Students will also further acquainted with the basic methods of developmental psychology, with historical dilemmas and current issues of the discipline and with the collection of both internationally representative theories and the contributions that shaped the developmental-psychological thinking in the Czech and Slovak cultural context. The seminar aims to deepen the knowledge of the lectures in the following areas: 1. The general laws of dynamics developmental changes 2. Periods of human development 3. Developmental changes in early childhood 4. Characteristics of mental manifestations of pre-school children 5. Intellectually-cognitive processes in childhood and adolescence 6. External influences and their impact on childhood and adolescence 7. Adaptation problems, disorders and neurotic symptoms in childhood and adolescence 8. Parenting styles and their impact on development 9. Principles of optimizing the educational impact of childhood 10. Cognitive processes and social development during adolescence. Students learn to work with scientific literature, focus on the issues discussed, practice will practice the theoretical knowledge acquired in lectures and will be able to understand the basic patterns of mental development.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, students should: - Have basic knowledge over contemporary developmental psychology, its specific methods and principles of periodization of psychological development;
- Distinguish between the processes of maturation and learning and understanding their context;
- Understand the principles of developmental changes, critical and sensitive period, and development crises;
- Understand representative developmental theories that transcend into educational disciplines and contribute to the understanding of personality functioning in adulthood;
- Understand the specifics of the various stages of ontogeny of the human psyche to know the developmental possibilities and problems typical of the different stages;
- Understand the development of basic mental functions, but also the social context of the development and importance of the social environment;
- Know the needs associated with social and emotional development of children and adolescents;
- Know the representative theories of cognitive development and learning in different age stages;
- Know the school-relevant developmental phenomena (skills development, learning, attention, motivation and executive functions);
- Understand the phenomena of self and identity in a development context;
- Indicatively consider a disturbance of mental development. Students learn to work with scientific literature, focus on the issues discussed, practice will practice the theoretical knowledge acquired in lectures and will be able to understand the basic patterns of mental development. After completing the seminar, students will be also able: - Conduct independent observations;
- Confront the results of their own observations with findings from the literature;
- Analyze the situation with respect to age peculiarities of their actors;
- Apply knowledge about the development of mental functions at the level of their interaction in a particular situation.
Syllabus
  • 1st week: 1. Developmental psychology within the system of psychological disciplines, relationships to other human sciences. The concept and the main factors of development.
  • 2nd week: 2. Ontogenesis, critical and sensitive periods, periods of human development, developmental challenges and crises (Erikson).
  • 3rd week: 3. Early developmental stages: prenatal period, newborn, infant and toddler.
  • 4th week: 4. Psychological concepts related to early development: the theory of attachment (Bowlby, Ainsworth), the concept of emotional deprivation in childhood (Langmeier and Matějček).
  • 5th week: 5. Preschool age: the characteristics of emotional, social and cognitive development. Game, drawing, school readiness.
  • 6th week: 6. Early and middle school age: the characteristics of emotional, social and cognitive development.
  • 7th week: 7. Concepts of the mental development and its aspects with regard to the development from childhood to adolescence: cognitive development (Piaget), moral development (Kohlberg).
  • 8th week: 8. Adolescence: characteristics of emotional, social and cognitive development. Formation and changes in self-concept. Development of identity, state identity (Marcia).
  • 9th week: 9. Adulthood - social criteria, aspects of the identity of adults; the concept of "emerging adulthood" (Arnett).
  • 10th week: 10. Aspects of mental development from childhood to adulthood: emotional development, cognitive development and motivation of voluntary features, socialization and development of relations, the developmental aspect of self-concept and identity.
  • 11th - 12th week: 11. Developmental difficulties and disorders.
Literature
    required literature
  • Exploring developmental psychologyunderstanding theory and methods. Edited by Margaret Harris. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2008, xiv, 345 p. ISBN 9781412903356. info
    recommended literature
  • The Oxford handbook of developmental psychology. Edited by Philip David Zelazo. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013, xx, 624. ISBN 9780199958474. info
  • GEDDES, Heather. Attachment in the classroom : the links between children's early experience, emotional well-being and performance in school. First published. London: Worth Publishing, 2006, vii, 152. ISBN 9781903269084. info
    not specified
  • ERIKSON, Erik H. Childhood and society. Vintage Books, 1995. ISBN 978-0099532910.
  • LANGMEIER, Josef a Zdeněk MATĚJČEK. Psycholoical deprivation in childhood. University of Queensland Press, 1976. ISBN 978-0702208935.
  • PIAGET, Jean a Bärbel INHELDER. The psychology of the child. Basic Books, 1972. ISBN 978-0465095001.
  • MACEK, Petr. Adolescence. Vydání druhé, upravené. Praha: Portál, 2003, 141 stran. ISBN 8071787477. URL info
  • LANGMEIER, Josef and Dana KREJČÍŘOVÁ. Vývojová psychologie. Vyd. 3., přeprac. a dopl.,. Praha: Grada, 1998, 343 s. ISBN 807169195X. info
  • VÁGNEROVÁ, Marie. Vývojová psychologie. Dětství a dospívání. 2nd ed. Praha: Univerzita Karlova, 2012, 531 pp. ISBN 978-80-246-2153-1. info
Teaching methods
lectures, group projects, class discussion
Assessment methods
written exam - the test consists of 20 questions, 13 correct answers is needed to pass; seminar - presentation of the analysis of the interview (observation, etc.) in relation to the discussed theories and other scientific sources
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2023, recent)
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