Dr. Faye Steuer Office: 55 Coming St. (just inside 1st door on porch)
Phone: 953-8196 Email: steuerf@cofc.edu
Required Reading Materials
1) Sigelman, C. K., & Rider, E. A. (2003). Life-Span Human Development (4th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
2) Packet of materials available at SAS-E Ink, 79 Wentworth St., across from Andolini's Pizza
Recommended Reading Materials
1) Rider, E. (2003). Study Guide for Sigelman's Life-Span Human Development (4th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
2) Nguyen, K. (2001). The unwanted: A memoir of childhood. Boston: Back Bay Books.
General Statement About the Course
In this course, we will study psychological development from conception through old age and dying. I think you will find that looking at psychological issues "developmentally"--that is, as they unfold during the lifetime of an individual--is inherently fascinating. The only drawback from the student's point of view is that virtually all the topics psychologists have studied can be looked at developmentally. This means that there is a tremendous body of scientific literature that makes up developmental psychology. Even though this course represents just a beginning look at this body of literature, there is a lot of material to cover. I hope you will find the hard work necessary to get a good introduction to the field worth the effort it will take.
Prerequisites
The prerequisite for this course is Psychology 103 (Intro Psych) or its equivalent. If you have already taken another developmental psychology course, you can not get credit for this course.
Grading System
Your grade in this course will be based on the following information:
five 75-point tests, each of which covers assigned reading in the text, articles in the SAS-E Ink packet, and class notes;
a 50-point cumulative final exam
425 = TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS
Your final grade will be based on the total number of points you accumulate, as follows:
If You Have to Miss an Exam
Make-up exams for all five of the tests given prior to the final exam will take place on the last day of classes, Wednesday, April 28. This is the only time that make-up exams will be given. All the make-up exams will be essay exams.
Attendance Policy
The lectures, discussions, and videos we have in class are important parts of this course. You are expected to attend every class. Attendance will be taken regularly. I feel justified in using excellent attendance records to adjust borderline final grades upward. I also feel justified in adjusting final grades downward for those who have poor attendance records. Please be aware that missing more than three classes is grounds for awarding a grade of "WA" (withdrawn for excessive absences) which is equivalent to an "F."
Reading &
A defining characteristic of an educated person is the ability to acquire new knowledge independently. Most often this is accomplished through reading. For this reason, I stress reading independently in all the classes I teach. In order to get a decent grade in this course it will be essential for you to do the reading independently, thoroughly, and on time.
Reading is a skill. The more you learn how to do it properly and practice it, the better you get at it. If you feel you are not as skilled a reader as you would like to be, talk with me. I have some suggestions that may help you.
Office Hours
Mon. & Wed., 11:00 AM - noon; Tues. & Thurs., 2:00 - 3:00 PM; or by appointment.
Schedule of Assignments and Tests
| Wed., January 14 | |
| Fri., January 16 | Text, Ch. 1: Understanding Life-Span Human Development |
| Wed., January 21 | Text, Ch. 2: Theories of Human Development |
| Fri., January 23 | |
| Mon., January 26 | Text, Ch. 3: Genes, Environment, and Development |
| Wed., January 28 | SAS-E Ink packet: p. 1 - 6 |
| Fri., January 30 | |
| Mon., February 2 | Test 1: Chs. 1, 2, 3 + SAS-E Ink assignment + class notes |
| Wed., February 4 | Text, Ch. 4: Prenatal Development and Birth |
| Fri., February 6 | |
| Mon., February 9 | Text, Ch. 5: The Physical Self |
| Wed., February 11 | |
| Fri., February 13 | Text, Ch. 6: Perception |
| Mon., February 16 | SAS-E Ink packet: pp. 7 - 14 |
| Wed., February 18 | |
| Fri., February 20 | Test 2: Chs. 4, 5, 6 + SAS-E Ink assignment + class notes |
| Mon., February 23 | Text, Ch. 7: Cognition |
| Wed., February 25
(Feb. 25 is last day to with-draw w/ a grade of "w") |
|
| Fri., February 27 | Text, Ch. 8: Memory and Information Processing |
| Mon., March 1 | |
| Wed., March 3 | Text, Ch. 10: Language and Education |
| Fri., March 5 | SAS-E Ink packet: pp. 15 - 20 |
| Mon., March 15 | |
| Wed., March 17 | Test 3: Chs. 7, 8, 10 + SAS-E Ink assignment + class notes |
| Fri., March 19 | Text, Ch. 11: Self and Personality |
| Mon., March 22 | Optional Extra Credit Test |
| Wed., March 24 | Text, Ch. 12: Gender Roles and Sexuality |
| Fri., March 26 | |
| Mon., March 29 | Text, Ch. 13: Social Cognition and Moral Development |
| Wed., March 31 | SAS-E Ink packet: pp. 21 - 30 |
| Fri., April 2 | |
| Mon., April 5 | Test 4: Chs. 11, 12, 13 + SAS-E Ink assignment + class notes |
| Wed., April 7 | |
| Fri., April 9 | Text, Ch. 14: Attachment and Social Relationships |
| Mon., April 12 | Text, Ch. 15: The Family |
| Wed., April 14 | |
| Fri., April 16 | Text, Ch. 17: The Final Challenge: Death and Dying |
| Mon., April 19 | SAS-E Ink packet: pp. 31 - 34 |
| Wed., April 21 | |
| Fri., April 23 | Test 5: Chs. 14, 15, 17 + SAS-E Ink assignment + class notes |
| Mon., April 26 | |
| Wed., April 28 | MAKE-UP EXAMS (If you have no test to make up you do
not need to attend class today.) |
(If for any reason, class should be canceled on the day of a scheduled test, that test will automatically be given the next time the class meets. Otherwise, tests will always be given as scheduled.)
Final Exam
Write the day, date, and time of your final exam here:
Record of Grades
Score on Test 1 _____
Score on Test 2 _____ Cumulative total _____
Score on Test 3 _____ Cumulative total _____
Score on Test 4 _____ Cumulative total _____
Score on Test 5 _____ Cumulative total _____
Extra credit _____ Cumulative total _____
Score on Final _____ GRAND TOTAL _______
Final grade will be based on your grand total, as follows: