Future Students - Courses

Developmental Psychology

Unit Code: HAY206

Duration	Contact Hours	Campus	Prerequisite	Corequisite
1 Semester	36 hours per Semester	Hawthorn	HAY100 Psychology 100 or HAY101 Psychology 101 ; and HMA103 Statistics and Research Methods A	HMA278 Design and Measurement 2

Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points

Related Course/s:

A unit of study in the Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology); Bachelor of Social Science; Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Psychophysiology) Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications)); Bachelor of Science (Psychology and Psychophysiology); Bachelor of Science (Psychology and Biochemistry) ; and Bachelor of Science .

Aims & Objectives:

Developmental Psychology aims to understand the processes involved in psychological growth and change with age. The focus is on social, emotional, cognitive and language development during the early periods of life from infancy and childhood through to adolescence.

Teaching Methods:

A two hour Lecture, and a one hour Laboratory Session each week.

Assessment:

Critical review 15%, Research Report 35%, Examination 50%

Generic Skills Outcomes:

Experimental and survey methodology, training in systematic observations, testing and observing psychological functioning, data analysis, research project writing skills.

Content:

Topics include: biological foundations of the person, prenatal influences on development, the birth process, and children's earliest behaviour, examination of interactions between children and their caregivers and the development of their perceptual, social and emotional abilities, development of cognitive and language skills, and their powerful influence on all aspects of children's behaviour, development of personality and gender identity and the role played by the family, school, the media and peers in the socialisation of children. Throughout the course, the focus is on theoretical approaches to child development, with a thematic approach as opposed to a chronological approach.