Fall 2016

PSY 230
Developmental Psychology
Tuesday 4:00-6:40 WC-201

Professor: Dr. Margaret Friend

Office: 6505 Alvarado Rd., Suite 101, Rm. 19
Email: mfriend@mail.sdsu.edu
Phone: 594-0273
Office Hours: By appointment

Graduate Teaching Assistant: Simona Spiridon

Office: LS-167
Email: sspiridon@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: By appointment

Prerequisites: PSY 101. You may not be concurrently enrolled in PSY 101.
You may not take this course if you have already taken (or are taking) CFD 270,
170 or Teachers Education 170. Proof of prerequisites must be submitted online
at Blackboard->Assignments->Prerequisites 1 and 2 no later than Monday,
September 5, 2016.

Attendance: Strongly encouraged.

Blackboard: This course uses Blackboard for the submission of written

assignments, feedback on written assignments, correspondence with Ms.
Spiridon and me, and calculating grades.

Required Materials

Text:
Kail, R.V. and Cavanaugh, J.C. (2016). Human Development: A Life-Span
View. 7th edition, Belmont, CA: Cengage.
There are three ways to acquire this text.
1. The e-text of this book is free with your MindTap subscription (see below).
2. Alternatively, you can purchase a loose-leaf version of the book in the
Aztec bookstore. The loose-leaf books are more reasonably priced than
the hardcovers.
3. There is a hardcopy on reserve in the library.

Study Materials:
MindTap for the Kail & Cavanaugh text.
Join Course from the link in Blackboard OR purchase both the MindTap
access code and e-text (this is the least expensive option). See Course
Documents in Blackboard for details.
Follow the prompts to register.
(See weekly activities and extra credit opportunities for details.)
Attendance/Participation Software:
Top Hat
Join Course: https://app.tophat.com/e/916118
Join Code: 916118

Email: Please reserve email to make an appointment with Ms. Spiridon or me.
If it is important enough to warrant a message, then we should meet to address
your concerns. Think before you text. Hastily written texts can lead to
misunderstandings. If you have a question or concern, please contact us to
schedule an appointment to meet in person.

Purpose and Organization of the Course: The purpose of this course is to

provide an overview of Development from the fetal period through old age.
Classic theories in the field will be introduced. From these, we will extract the
general principles that allow us to identify periods of stasis and change over the
course of human life.

The course is organized chronologically beginning with fetal development and

concluding with biological and cognitive change in old age. In this way, we will
see how human development proceeds over the course of life.

General Learning Objectives

Objective 1. Apply basic concepts from PSY 101 to understand
psychological change.
Objective 2. Learn to see development as a process, as change over
time in thought and behavior.
Objective 3. Learn major theories of cognitive development.
Objective 4. Learn the specific changes that occur in thought and
behavior over the life span.
Objective 5. Learn the biological and social bases of these changes.
Objective 6. Demonstrate these basic computer skills:
a. Basic word processing, email, and Blackboard
b. Know how to save your documents in required formats (.doc, .docx,
or .pdf), submit documents on time via TurnItIn, demonstrate
effective use of online lecture and study tools.
b. Proper internet etiquette and security safeguards. Guidelines on
internet etiquette can be found here:
http://its.sdsu.edu/blackboard/student/gettingstarted/netiquette.html
Scholarship:
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of a university community. San
Diego State University expects the highest standards of academic honesty
from all students.

Violations include: (1) unauthorized assistance on an exam, (2) falsification,

misrepresentation, or invention of data (including misrepresentation on digital
assignments), (3) unauthorized collaboration on assignments, (4) plagiarism,
(5) misappropriation of research materials, (6) unauthorized access to your
professor’s files or accounts, and (7) any other violation of academic integrity
as established by your professor.

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, plagiarism is:

• to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own
• to use another's work without crediting the source
• to commit literary theft
• to present as new and original an idea from an existing source.

If you violate academic integrity in this course, you will receive a zero for the
assignment in question and be reported in accordance with the university
policy on plagiarism. Penalties can be severe. Additional information is
available in the SDSU Bulletin, both in print and on-line.

Classroom Procedures
We will meet for 2 hours and 40 minutes each week. There is assigned
reading and homework that must be completed before class each week. The
purpose of these assignments is to help you assimilate the material. You
should expect to spend ~2 hours studying each week outside of class. The
more time that you devote to studying, the better your performance will be in
the course.

Respect for Diversity:

It is my intent that students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives be
well-served by this course, that students' learning needs be addressed both in
and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be
viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. It is my intent to present materials
and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age,
socio- economic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. With this in mind, please
share your suggestions for improving the effectiveness of this course with me.

Students with Disabilities:

Students who need accommodation should contact me privately to discuss
specific accommodations for which they have received authorization. If you
have a disability, but have not contacted Student Disability Services at 619-
594-6473 (Calpulli Center, Suite 3101), please do so before making an
appointment to see me. The web site for Student Disability Services is:
http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/sds/index.html
Classroom Conduct:
• Resolve any schedule conflicts with this class before the second meeting.
• Arrive on time and do not pack your belongings until I indicate that class
has ended.
• Use digital devices to participate in the lecture by answering questions,
following the lecture, and participating in discussion.
• Do not use digital devices to check social media, text, or check email
during class.
• Please insure that all ringers and notifications on your devices are off.

Classroom Discussion Guidelines:

• Listen respectfully, without interrupting.
• Respect one another's views.
• Criticize ideas, not individuals.

• Commit to learning, not debating.
• Avoid blame and speculation.
• Avoid inflammatory language.
• Raise your hand and wait to be acknowledged.
• Make your questions brief and to the point.

Definition of Grades for Undergraduate Students (from the SDSU Catalog):

A outstanding achievement; available only for the highest accomplishment
B praiseworthy performance; definitely above average
C average; satisfactory performance; the most common undergraduate grade
D minimally passing; less than the typical undergraduate achievement
F failing

A grade of A corresponds to mastering 90% of the content in the course. B

corresponds to 80%, C to 70%, D to 60% and F to less than 60% of the possible
points in the course. Plus/minus grading is used at the discretion of the professor
(see SDSU General Catalog 2016-2017, p. 471.)

If plus/minus grading is applied, grades are derived as follows: 95-100%=A,

90-94%=A-, 86-89%=B+, 83-85%=B, 80-82%=B-, 76-79%=C+, 73-75%=C,
70-72=C-, 66-69%= D+, 63-65%=D. 60-62%=D-. <60%=F.

Keep Track of Your Grades: This is a link to a GPA calculator to help you plan
ahead to achieve your desired GPA and to graduate on time:
http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/advising/gpa_calculator.htm

Final Grade: There are three, non-cumulative, exams and three essays required
in this course. There are a total of 326 points possible in the course and the
proportion of those points that you earn will determine your grade as detailed
above. The assignments for the course, each of which contributes to your final
grade, are discussed below.
Exams: Each exam covers one-third of the assigned material in the text. All
exams are multiple-choice. Each exam is worth 80 points and constitutes 25% of
your grade in the course. The final 25% of your grade will come from completing
periodic Developmental Period Essays and weekly MindTap activities. We will
use the regular skinny red Parscore form (F-289) for exams.

There are no make-up exams however, if you miss an exam due to illness
or emergency, you may take the Optional Cumulative Final to replace your
missing grade. The Optional Cumulative Final automatically replaces your
lowest exam grade.

Developmental Period Essays: There are 3 scheduled films throughout the

semester corresponding to the major periods of development that we will cover in
text and lecture. After viewing each film, you will turn in a two-page, double-
spaced, essay reflecting on the treatment of development in the film.
In each essay, you must answer the following questions:

1) What period of development is being described?

2) What is the filmmaker trying to tell us about this period of development?
3) How does the filmmaker go about making this period of development seem
distinct from other periods?
4) How does the film illustrate the distinctions made in your text or in class?
5) Are there any important aspects of this period that the film fails to address?

This is an opportunity to think about how a particular period of development is

represented in film and how this relates to the material in text and lecture. You
may earn up to 4 points for each question that you address at a level of
scholarship appropriate to this course. Your essay must reflect your original
critical analysis of how the film relates to the material in text and lecture. You
must provide evidence for your assertions.

Formatting requirements:
1.) Each essay must be 2 pages long (no more and no less). A 1.5 page
essay will not be awarded credit.
2.) Each essay must be in 12-point font and double-spaced. Greater spacing
to increase length is not acceptable.
3.) Each essay must have 1 inch margins. Larger or smaller margins are not
acceptable.
4.) Each essay should have only a title no longer than 1 line and no other
information in the header.
5.) Each essay must be saved as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file. (If we can’t read
your file, or your submit a file other than the assigned essay, you will not
receive credit.)

The due dates for the essays are listed in your syllabus. Each essay that meets
the criteria above is worth up to 20 points. You will be docked 5 points if you
utilize an online source to supplement this assignment. You will receive a 0 if you
plagiarize from any source.
Essays are required and must be submitted via the link under Assignments
on the Blackboard page by 8:00pm on the day following the video. Late
essays will not be accepted.

Submitting your essay:

1.) Type your essay into a text document (using Word or a similar text editor).
2.) Save your document as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file (if you use a Mac, be
sure to uncheck Hide Extension when you save the file).
3.) Open this course on Blackboard.
4.) Select Assignments from the left sidebar.
5.) Select the appropriate essay from the list.
6.) Click the link.
7.) Click Submit A File.
8.) Select the document containing your essay.
9.) Click Attach A File.
10.) Click Submit.

Weekly MindTap Activities. Each week on Wednesday morning at 6am,

required activities will be available online to support the assigned reading that
week at the MindTap link in the left sidebar in Blackboard. Each week, you will
earn from 2 to 4 points when you complete all of the assigned activities for a total
of 26 points toward your grade. The activities will remain available until the
following Sunday at 11pm. In conjunction with your Developmental Period
Essays, the MindTap activities are worth 25% of your grade in the course–
equivalent in weight to one exam.

Extra Credit. There are two opportunities for extra credit. You can earn up to 2
extra credit points per week (excluding exam weeks) for a total of 22 possible
extra credit points. These points will be added to your final score in the course.
• Attendance. At the beginning and end of each class, I will take
attendance using the Top Hat attendance feature. Students may earn 1
extra credit point toward their final grade for each Top Hat verified full
(beginning to end) class attendance. Students must be present when
attendance is taken to earn credit. If you disrupt class by talking with your
neighbor or leaving class early, you risk losing your attendance point for
that day.
• Weekly Practice Tests. At the end of each week’s MindTap activities, you
will find a Practice Test. The test will allow you to assess your knowledge
of the chapter content assigned for that week. You should take the test
after completing the MindTap activities for that week. You may earn up to
1 point of extra credit each week by completing the whole test. You may
take the test as many times as necessary. The higher your score, the
more extra credit you earn each week (up to 1 point). The opening and
closing dates are the same as for the other MindTap activities and appear
in your course schedule at the end of this syllabus.
 Course Schedule

Date Topic Student Learning Objectives Assignment

Aug. 30 First Meeting,
MindTap, Top
Hat,
Prerequisites,

Aug. 31–Sept. 4 Week 1 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class Required MindTap
meeting. activities and extra
credit chapter quiz.
Sept. 6 Human Know the recurrent issues in human development Chapter 1
Development Know the basic forces in human development and
how timing effects their impact
Know the cognitive-developmental and ecological-
systems approaches to explaining development
Know basic research methods in developmental
Know the basic research designs in developmental
Sept. 7–Sept.11 Week 2 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class Required MindTap
meeting. activities and extra
credit chapter quiz.
Sept. 13 Prenatal Know the definitions of major mechanisms of Chapter 2
Development and heredity
Birth Know the periods of prenatal development and the
changes that occur in them
Know the effects of stress, nutrition, maternal age,
and teratogens on prenatal development
Sept. 14–Sept. Week 3 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class Required MindTap
18 meeting. activities and extra
credit chapter quiz.
Sept. 20 The Newborn Know the basic components of the human brain In-class Film
Know when and how brain structures emerge
Know the methods for assessing brain function and Chapter 3
which functions are present early in development
Know about brain plasticity and experience-
expectant and experience-dependent growth
Sept. 21 @ 8pm Essay 1 due
Sept. 21–Sept. Week 4 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class Required MindTap
25 meeting. activities and extra
credit chapter quiz.
Sept. 27 The Emergence Know the distinctions between Piagetian, Chapter 4
of Thought and Information Processing, and Vygotskian accounts of
Language thought
Know the implications of these accounts for
teaching children
Be able to define and apply the “zone of proximal
development”
Learn how and when children move from perceiving
speech sounds to perceiving words
Know the precursors for spoken language (cooing
and babbling)
Know how children learn the meaning of words
Know the explanations for children’s acquisition of
grammar
Oct. 4 Exam 1 4:00-6:00pm
Oct. 5–Oct. 9 Week 5 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class meeting. Required
MindTap activities
and extra credit
chapter quiz.
Oct. 11 Middle Know the Piagetian and Information Processing accounts Chapter 6
Childhood of thought in school-age children
Know how heredity and the environment influence
intelligence
Know how ethnicity and socioeconomic status influence
intelligence test scores
Know the components of skilled reading
Know how arithmetic skills change over time and how
children from different countries compare
Know what makes schools and teachers effective
Oct. 12–Oct. 16 Week 6 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class meeting. Required
MindTap activities
and extra credit
chapter quiz.
Oct. 18 Transition from Know how the family constitutes a system within the Chapter 7
Childhood to larger society In-class Film
Adolescence Know the dimensions and styles of parenting
Know the effects of child age and temperament on the
family system

Oct. 19 @ 8pm Essay 2 due

Oct. 19–Oct. 23 Week 7 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class meeting. Required
MindTap activities
and extra credit
chapter quiz.
Oct. 25 Adolescent Know the physical changes that mark the transition to Chapter 8
Cognitive young adulthood
Development Know what factors cause these changes
Know the effect of these physical changes on
psychology
Know how increases in knowledge and metacognition
influence adolescent thinking
Know what changes in problem-solving and
reasoning take place
Know how adolescents reason about moral issues
Know how reasoning about moral issues differs
across cultures
Nov. 1 Exam 2 4:00-6:00pm
Nov. 2-Nov. 6 Week 8 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class Required MindTap
meeting. activities and extra
credit chapter quiz.
Nov. 8 Young Know how transitions into early adulthood are marked Chapter 10
Adulthood Know what aspects of young adulthood make it a
separate developmental stage
Know how intelligence is defined in adulthood
Be able to define postformal thought
Know how stereotypes influence thinking
Nov. 9–Nov. 13 Week 9 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class Required MindTap
meeting. activities and extra
credit chapter quiz.
Nov. 15 MidLife Know what stress is and how it affects physical and Chapter 13
psychological health
Know how intelligence changes in adulthood
Know the differences between adults and young
people in how they learn
Know the changes that occur in priorities in midlife
How does the relationship between adults and their
children change at midlife?
How do middle-aged adults deal with aging parents?
What is the nature of the interaction between
grandparents and grandchildren?
Nov. 16–Nov. 20 Week 10 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class Required MindTap
meeting. activities and extra
credit quiz.
Nov. 22–Nov. 27 No Class Thanksgiving Week No Assignments
Nov. 29 Late Adulthood What are the characteristics of older adults? In-class Film
What is the distinction between the third and fourth
age? Chapter 14
What changes occur in thinking as people age?
Know how creativity and wisdom relate to age
Nov. 30 @ 8pm Essay 3 due

Nov. 30–Dec. 4 Week 11 Practice your knowledge and prepare for class Required MindTap
meeting. activities and extra
credit quiz.
Dec. 6 The End of Life Be able to define death using the legal and medical Chapter 16
criteria
Know the ethical dilemmas around euthanasia
Know how feeling about death change over
adulthood
How do people experience grief?
How does this change over the life-span?
Dec. 13 Exam 3 4:00-6:00pm
Dec. 20 Optional Final Automatically replaces lowest exam score 7:00-9:00pm