Developmental Psychology
Overview
Students will gain familiarity with the main theories of human development and the processes, periods, and issues in development. The unit will address topics in relation to the biological, cognitive and socio-emotional development of individuals from infancy to adulthood. Students will be given the opportunity to develop professionally relevant skills and experience in applying statistical knowledge to answer research questions relevant to developmental psychology. This unit will help students develop their understanding of key theories and research methods in developmental psychology, and adapt skills learned in previous studies to the analysis and communication of contemporary problems in the area.
Requisites
PSY70012 Fundamentals of Psychology
STA70006 Foundations of Statistics
Rules
Pre-requisite
PSY70011 Brain and Behaviour
AND
PSY70012 Fundamentals of Psychology
AND
STA70006 Foundations of Statistics
Concurrent Pre-requisite
PSY70010 Introduction to Research Methods
09-February-2025
05-October-2025
08-February-2026
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Compare and contrast the main theories of human development
- Evaluate how research on the lifespan is conducted using different research designs and methods
- Identify and analyse the most important processes, periods and issues in development across the lifespan
- Describe biological, cognitive and socioemotional development in infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood
- Apply statistical knowledge to a human development-related research question and communicate this in a clear and concise manner
Teaching methods
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Class | 1.00 | 4 weeks | 4 |
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.17 | 12 weeks | 146 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Report | Individual | 25% | 2,3,5 |
| Research Report | Individual | 35% | 1,2,5 |
Content
- Introduction to the lifespan perspective
- Theories of human development
- Research designs and methods related to human development
- Biological development in infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood
- Cognitive development in infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood
- Socioemotional development in infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood
- Contemporary issues in developmental psychology
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.