1 Psych 350: Child Psychology Time and location: Tu/Th, 1:00-2:15 PM, 108 Mahar Course Instructor: Dr. Lisa S. Scott, Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Department of Psychology Email: [email protected]. Course webpage: https://spark.oit.umass.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct Office Hours: Please see graduate TA office hours below. If you wish to schedule a meeting with me please schedule an appointment using the above email (and specifically state that you would like to meet with me). Graduate Teaching Assistants 1) Heather Lavigne Email: [email protected] Office Hours and Location: 2-4 pm Thursdays and by appointment; 403 Tobin 2) TA: Dana Roth Email: [email protected] Office Hours and Location: 12-1 pm Mondays and by appointment; 640 Tobin Undergraduate Teaching Assistants: Advanced undergraduate students serve as liaisons between the instructional staff and every student in the class. They serve as consultants for presentations, facilitators of the weekly Discussion and Review sessions, and assistants for the general administration of the course. SPARK: Students are expected to use the SPARK software program. To log onto the course website, use the link above. On this website you will find the course syllabus, various study aids, and a course calendar. PDF’s of class notes will be posted on SPARK at least 1 hour before class. Occasional course-related announcements will be posted, so it is extremely important that you check this site and your SPARK email on a regular basis. Required Text: Patterson, C.J. (2008). Child Development. New York, New York, McGraw Hill Companies. This textbook can be purchased at the University Bookstore (~$110.00), but you can also purchase an e-book for $71.50 directly from McGraw Hill: https://ebooks.primisonline.com/cgi/showebook.cgi?isbn=0390878642&bookType=unselected&fulleBook=true PRS clickers are also required and cost $52.00 at the University bookstore (used for $39.00). Both the PRS clickers and the textbook can be sold back to the bookstore at the end of the semester. Three copies of the textbook have been put on reserve at the library. Course Content and Goals: The primary goal of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to developmental psychology and to the scientific study of development. It is intended that this2 course may serve as a foundation for future courses in Child Psychology. Thus, a broad range of topics will be covered and no one topic will be covered in depth. We will cover the major domains of development - biological, cognitive, social, and emotional development - from the prenatal period chronologically, covering each age of the child in turn. This course is not designed to address “how to” rear children. In fact no one way is likely to be optimal for all circumstances. Instead the emphasis is on discovering the many different biological and experiential factors that influence behavior and its development. Course Format: Due to the large size of this class, the format of the course will be lecture, with in-class PRS activities and discussions. The course is organized into 5 topics: (1) Beginnings (Theory and Methodology, Genetics/Heredity, Prenatal Development, and Birth) (2) Infancy (Physical, Cognitive, and Social Development), (3) Early Childhood (Physical, Cognitive and Social Development), (4) Middle Childhood, and (5) Adolescence. There will be some overlap between the material covered in lecture and the material covered in the book. A large part of the lectures, however, will be used to supplement and elaborate upon material covered in the book. Therefore, students must complete the assigned readings as well as attend class in order to master the material covered in this course. Course Requirements: There will be three examinations (not cumulative) administered during the semester. There will also be 1 cumulative final exam. We will have in-class PRS activities during almost every class. You will also have the opportunity to complete extra credit. Exams and Final. Each exam, included the 3 non-cumulative exams and the cumulative final will be worth the same amount of points (see below) and I will drop you’re your lowest grade. Thus, your three highest exam scores (of the 4 exams) will contribute to the grade you receive in this course. Examinations will include multiple-choice, true/false, and matching questions. In the event that you must miss an exam for a dire emergency, you may choose to drop that exam or you may take a make-up exam, which will be in essay format. If a religious holiday conflicts with any of the examination dates, you may request an alternative exam administration. Such requests must be submitted in writing to the Graduate Teaching Assistants by February 10th. In-Class PRS Activities. During class we will have weekly, if not daily, PRS activities worth a total of 100 points. It is your responsibility to bring your PRS device with you every day to class. You will be required to complete 80% of these in-class activities in order to receive full credit. If you complete between 70-80% of the in-class activities you will receive 70 points, if you complete 60-70% of the PRS activities you will receive 50 points. Lower than 60% participation will receive 0 points. If there are multiple activities within a single class, I will randomly choose 1 activity to count for that day. If you have a legitimate University excuse for missing more than 4 classes, please provide a written explanation and appropriate documentation to the Graduate TAs within 1 week of missing your 5th class. You should submit your written explanation and documentation to the “Excuses” folder, which is located in the front of the lecture hall. If your legitimate excuse results in your PRS score being lower than 80% (missing more than approximately 6 classes) you will be given the opportunity to make up the points by providing written essay responses for each of missed PRS activities.3