Human Growth and Deveolpment

(Fall I, 2007)

Course:

COUN 5050 01: Human Growth and Development

Instructor:

Dr. Linda M. Woolf

Office Hours:

Texts:

Course Description:

Catalog Description: This course examines the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels. Emphasis is placed on psychological, sociological, and physiological approaches. Also included are such areas as human behavior (normal and abnormal), personality theory, and learning theory.

Expanded Description: Much of what many of us know about the process of development across the life course is based on myth and misconception. Certainly, our beliefs about development are shaped by our own cultural and life experiences. Unfortunately, our conclusions may or may not be accurate. All of this impacts our relationships and our effectiveness as peers, partners, and parents but even more importantly, your future work as counselors. Therefore, this course is designed to provide a foundation of practical knowledge concerning developmental processes. We will examine psychological, sociological and physiological processes associated with human development, examine the nature of normal and abnormal development, and learn to separate fact from myth and unfounded societal belief.

In addition, this course will be taught from a life-span developmental perspective. This perspective maintains that human development occurs at all points across the life-span and that we develop within a relational and cultural context. Thus, we will look at development from "womb to tomb" and examine the diversity of developmental patterns in a multicultural context. We will examine change and consistency in human behavior across the life-span including social, cognitive, learning, personality, emotional, and physical development. Moreover, we will examine development from a positive psychology perspective, which focuses on the optimization of development and well-being.

Course Objectives and Outcomes :

  1. Objective: To develop a understanding of the life-span developmental perspective and the relevance of this perspective for studying change and continuity in psychological processes over time.

    Outcomes: Students will be able to articulate the life-span developmental perspective and relate the novel features of this perspective relevant to development across the life-course.

  2. Objective: To develop a understanding of the relational-cultural perspective and the relevance of this perspective for studying change and continuity in psychological processes over time.

    Outcomes: Students will be able to articulate the relational-cultural perspective and relate the novel features of this perspective relevant to individual, family, and relational development across the life-course.

  3. Objective: To become familiar with the methodology used by developmental researchers.

    Outcomes: Students will be able to differentiate between the major quasi-experimental designs used by developmental researchers and articulate the benefits and limitations of each. Students will be able to critique various studies and theories based on this information.

  4. Objective: To become familiar with the major theories of human growth and development.

    Outcomes: Students will be able to articulate the three major meta-theories used by to explain human development and will be able to identify the various theories exemplifying each meta-theory. Students will be able to articulate the major theories used to explain individual, family, and relational development and be able to articulate and critically evaluate each theory (e.g., Piaget, Kohlberg, Gilligan, Freud, Erikson, Horney, Jung, Ainsworth, Skinner, Watson, Maslow, and others).

  5. Objective: To develop an understanding of the major types of development that individuals experiences across the life-course (cognitive, intellectual, linguistic, moral, social-emotional, personality, gender-role, and sexual.).

    Outcomes: Students will be able to articulate definitions for each type of development based on the varying theories for each type of development including stage models. Students will be able to critique both positively and negatively these theories and models. Students will be able to discuss the possible impact of context on each type of development.

  6. Objective: To examine the effects of crisis, trauma and disasters on individuals of all ages.

    Outcomes: Students will be able to discuss the research concerning crisis, trauma, and disasters and the impact on individuals of all ages including concepts and models of individual and community resilience and traumatic stress.

  7. Objective: To develop an understanding of normal and exceptional abilities.

    Outcomes: Students will be able to discuss the research concerning normal and exceptional abilities particularly in the cognitive domain

  8. Objective: To become familiar with the interrelationship between individual, family, and relational development and psychopathology including addictions and addictive behaviors.

    Outcomes: Students will be able to discuss issues of psychopathology, including addictions, from a developmental.

  9. Objective: To explore development at the later end of the life-span.

    Outcomes: Students will be able to differentiate between the myths and realities of aging. Students will be able to define ageism and be able to articulate the impact that ageism and the myths related to aging have on the older adult and on society. Students will be able to differentiate between and discuss normal and non-normal aging related to the various types of development.

  10. Objective: To become familiar with the rapidly growing body of literature on human growth and development.

    Outcomes: Students will be able to read current research literature related to a specific human development topic and based on this literature write a short literature review. Students will be able to relate this information to their colleaques in class.

Class Meetings:

The class will meet on Mondays from 5:30 - 9:30. Attendance is expected as material will be presented that is not in the book and class participation will constitute a percentage of the final grade. Please see the Graduate Catalog for the university attendance policy. Be aware that there are two make-up classes as note on the course outline due to the American Psychological Association Convention and Labor Day.

Incoming Competency:

All students should be capable of graduate level work, have completed COUN 5020, and completed an undergraduate human development course.

Course Requirements:

Two examinations, a literature review, two class presentations (one individual and one small group), a personal reflection paper, and class participation/discussion of assigned readings.

All grades will be assigned on a scale of 0 - 10 with:

90 - 100A-,AExcellent
80 - 89B-,B,B+Above Average
70 - 79C-,C,C+Average
Less than 70FFailing

Percent of Grade:

Examinations50%
Literature Review15%
Group Presentation15%
Individual Presentation5%
Personal Reflection Paper10%
Class Participation and Discussion5%

Exams: Exams will include short answer and essay. They will cover material presented in lecture, readings, and discussion. Two examinations will be given and are take-home exams. The exams should be submitted electronically in Word format to woolflm@webster.edu. Hard copies of the exams will not be accepted.

Policy Statements: All exams must be returned on the date scheduled or will be subject to a reduction in grade. In case of an emergency, the instructor must be notified. No make-up exams will be provided if you fail to notify and discuss your situation with the instructor.

Literature Review: Students are required to research and write a literature review for 10% of their final grade. The specific requirements are given below:

Personal Reflection Paper: Within the context of the material presented in class through readings and discussion including Chapter 5: The Developing Counselor (The Comstock text), you are to reflect and discuss your development as it relates to your development as a future counselor.

Paper and Exam Writing and Submission Instructions

Group Presentation: Students in small groups will be assigned chapters from the Comstock and Lerner/Alberts texts to present as well as lead discussions related to the text material. Students should present not only material from the text but also find additional supporting material to add to the presentation. Reading can be placed on eReserves (just send me a pdf copy of the article). Students are required as a group to submit an outline and reference list to all the students in the class. Powerpoint presentation of the material is encouraged but should be limited in relation to the amount of text provided on each slide (it is a presentation tool and not a writing exercise). Groups should plan on presenting for 45-60 minutes of the scheduled class.

Individual Presentation: The individual presentation will consist of a short (5-10 minute) presentation and discussion of your paper. Presentations will occur the last night of class. NOTE: Presentation times must be no longer than five minutes. Plan your presentation with the time limitation in mind.

Note: We will be making the journey from "womb to tomb" in just nine weeks! Therefore, this course requires an intensive coursework load. Class attendance and participation are extremely important to your learning and as such are considered in the evaluation of your course grade. This course is recommended for students that can make the required time and energy commitment. If there is anything that the instructor can do to assist you during the course, please feel free to contact her.

Policy Statements:

Plagiarism (attempting to pass off the work of another as one's own) is not acceptable. Plagiarism includes copying all or part of another's writings (even a single sentence), inappropriate paraphrasing, using another student's paper as your own, submitting a paper for more than one class. All papers will be submitted to the university's plagiarism database for review. Plagiarism, either intentional or unintentional, will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment and will be turned over to the appropriate university source for disciplinary action. In addition, cheating on exams will also result in the same fate.

Here are some Web sites that will help you avoid the problem of plagiarism particularly plagiarism resulting from paraphrasing too closely to the original source. -

It should be noted that, as is common in many university courses, little time will be spent lecturing on topics adequately addressed by the text. Students are expected to arrive at class meetings having already read the material assigned, and to ask questions to clarify any areas that remain unclear. While every attempt will be made to explain or expand upon particularly difficult areas, the primary purpose of classroom lecture is to enhance, rather than to duplicate, the textbook material.

Late withdraws from this class will not be approved by the instructor except in cases of emergency discussed with the instructor. No late withdraws will be approved on the basis of poor class performance.

This syllabus is subject to change at the instructor's discretion. All changes concerning course requirements will be provided in writing. Changes concerning exam dates may be made at the instructor's discretion and communicated verbally to the class.

It is understood that remaining in this course (not dropping or withdrawing from this course) constitutes an agreement to abide by the terms outlined in this syllabus and an acceptance of the requirements outlined in this document.


COURSE OUTLINE


Date


Topic and Readings

August 13 Introduction to the class
Introduction to development
Research methodology

Readings:

  • Comstock: Chapter 1 - Traditional Models of Development: Appreciating Context and Relationship
  • Comstock: Chapter 2 - Relational-Cultural Theory: A Framework for Relational Development Across the Life Span
  • Woolf: Developmental Research Methods (on eReserve)
  • Woolf: Theoretical Perspectives (on eReserve)
August 20 No Class - See Make-Up Date Listed Below
August 27 Moral development
Identity Development

Readings:
  • Comstock: Chapter 15 - Spirituality and Spiritual Development in Context
  • Lerner and Alberts: Kochanska - Mutually Responsive Orientation between Mothers and Their Young Children: A Context for the Early Development of Conscience
  • Kuther and Wallace: Community Violence and Sociomoral Development: An African American Cultural Perspective (on eReserves)

  • Comstock: Chapter 3 - Critical Thinking: Challenging Developmental Myths, Stigmas, and Stereotypes
  • Comstock: Chapter 4 - Identify Development and the Convergence of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender

    Paper Topic Due

September 3 Labor Day, No Class - See Make-Up Date Listed Below
September 8
Make-Up Date		 Gender Role Development
Sexuality

Readings:
  • Comstock: Chapter 6 - Women's Development
  • Comstock: Chapter 7 - Male Development and the Journey Toward Disconnection

  • Comstock: Chapter 8 - Coming Out and Living Out Across the Life Span
  • Woolf: Gay and Lesbian Aging (on eReserve)

  • Comstock: Chapter 10 - Sexuality Across the Life Span
September 10 Social, Emotional, and Personality Development

Readings:
  • Comstock: Chapter 9 - The Developmental Impact of Trauma
  • Lerner and Alberts: Crick, Casas, and Nelson - Toward a More Comprehensive Understanding of Peer Maltreatment: Studies of Relational Victimization

  • Comstock: Chapter 16 - Fostering Resilience Throughout Our Lives: New Relational Possibilities
  • Lerner and Alberts: Berndt - Friendship Quality and Social Development
  • Leventhal and Brooks-Gunn - Children and Youth in Neighborhood Contexts
  • Lerner and Alberts: Asher and Paquette - Loneliness and Peer Relations in Childhood
  • Lerner and Alberts: Furman - The Emerging Field of Adolescent Romantic Relationships

    Exam One Take Home - Due September 16 - woolflm@webster.edu

September 17 Social, Emotional, and Personality Development

Readings:
  • Comstock: Chapter 12 - Grief, Loss, and Death
  • Comstock: Chapter 13 - Familial and Relational Transitions across the Life Span
  • Lerner and Alberts: Fincham - Marital Conflict: Correlates, Structure, and Content
  • Lerner and Alberts: Cox and Paley - Understanding Families as Systems

  • Comstock: Chapter 14 - The Relational Impact of Addiction Across the Life Span
  • Lerner and Alberts: Serbin and Karp - Intergenerational Studies of Parenting and the Transfer of Risk from Parent to Child
September 24 Cognitive Development

Readings:
  • Comstock: Chapter - Gifted Development: It's Not Easy Being Green
  • Winner: The Origins and Ends of Giftedness (on eReserve)
  • Sternberg: A Systems Model of Leadership: WICS (on eReserve)

  • Sternberg: Culture and Intelligence (on eReserve)
  • Lerner and Alberts: Tomasello - Culture and Cognitive Development
  • Lerner and Alberts: Kuhn - Metacognitive Development
September 29
Make-Up Date		 Cognitive Development

Readings:
  • Siegler: Children's Learning (on eReserve)
  • Lerner and Alberts: Kolb, Gibb, and Robinson - Brain Plasticity and Behavior
  • Lerner and Alberts: Colombo - Infant Attention Grows Up: The Emergence of a Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective
  • Lerner and Alberts: Keen - Representation of Objects and Events: Why Do Infants Look So Smart and Toddlers Look So Dumb
  • Lerner and Alberts: Newcombe, Drummey, Fox, Lie, and Ottinger-Alberts - Remembering Early Childhood: How Much, How, and Why (or Why Not)

  • Lerner and Alberts: Kramer and Willis - Enhancing the Cognitive Vitality of Older Adults
  • Lerner and Alberts: Li - Connecting the Many Levels and Facets of Cognitive Aging
  • Fritsch et al.: Cognitive Functioning in Healthy Aging: The Role of Reserve and Lifestyle Factors Early in Life (on eReserve)
October 1 Old Age

Readings:
  • Lerner and Alberts: Wilson and Bennett - Cognitive Activity and Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
  • Rook: The Evolution of Social Relationships in Later Adulthood (on eReserve)
  • Birren: Using the Gift of Long Life: Psychological Implications of the Age Revolution (on eReserve)
  • VandenBos: Life-Span Developmental Perspectives on Aging: An Introductory Overview (on eReserve)

    Paper Due - Due October 1 - woolflm@webster.edu

    Exam Two Take Home - Due October 7 - woolflm@webster.edu

October 8 Presentations

Personal Reflection Paper Due - Due October 11 - woolflm@webster.edu

Back to Human Growth and Development Page