UT—Austin, Spring 2010
Dr. Lauretta Reeves
reeves@psy.utexas.edu
Phone: 471-1206
Office: 4.220 Seay
Office Hrs.: Tuesday 11:30 am-12:30 pm
Wed. 10-11 a.m.
T.A.: Ms. Maliki Ghossainy
malikig@mail.utexas.edu
Office: 2.122 Seay
Office Hrs: Mondays 2-3 p.m.
Tuesdays 1-3 p.m.
INFANT DEVELOPMENT - W (PSY 333M)
MWF 1-2 p.m. (43870), Seay 2.108
This course will introduce students to the physical, social, emotional, perceptual,
and cognitive development of children from conception to the toddler years. Both relevant
theories, and empirical evidence used to support or disconfirm these theories, will be
emphasized.
The University of Texas at Austin provides, upon request, appropriate
academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For
more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 4716259, or 471-4641 TTY.
Prerequisites: Upper Division standing, + Having passed Introduction to Psychology (PSY
301) with a grade of C or higher. Psychology majors need to have passed PSY 418 with a
grade of C or higher. Non-majors need PSY 304 or 333D, & 1 of the following with a grade
if at least C: BIO 318M, C E 311S, ECO 329, EDP 371, GOV 350K, KIN 373, M 316, PSY
317, SOC 317L, S W 318, STA 309.
Requirements: Because this is a writing-intensive course, assignments will emphasize
writing skills and critical thinking. Requirements consist of a research paper (+ draft), two
analysis papers, per-class questions/on-line quizzes (x 10), and a class presentation.
Attendance and participation are factored into the grading system.
2 Analysis Papers (2 x 50 each)*
100
10 on-line Quizzes/Questions (x 10 pts.) 100
Research Paper Draft
40
Presentation
10
Research Paper
100
350
There is no guarantee that late assignments will be accepted without a documented
reason (e.g., doctor's note or funeral slip). Please contact Dr. Reeves BEFORE the
relevant due date to make alternate arrangements.
Grading: A total of 350 points may be accrued throughout the semester. Attendance &
class participation will contribute to determining the grades of students near the point
boundaries of final grades.
ALL ASSIGNMENTS and Attendance Requirements MUST be completed for a final
grade to be issued. Students taking the course Pass/Fail may opt out of one analysis
paper and 3 reading questions.
Points needed for Final Grades
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
(94-100%)
(90-93.5%)
(87.5-89.5%)
(84-87%)
(80-83.5%)
(77.5-79.5%)
(74-77%)
(70-73.5%)
(67.5-69.5%)
(64-67%)
(60-63.5%)
(0-59.5%)
329-350 AND at least 90% attendance record
315-328 AND at least 90% attendance record
306-314 AND at least 85% attendance record
294-305 AND at least 80% attendance record
280-293 AND at least 80% attendance record
271-279 AND at least 80% attendance record
259-270 AND at least 75% attendance record
245-258 AND at least 75% attendance record
236-244 AND at least 75% attendance recor
224-235 AND at least 70% attendance record
210-223 AND at least 70% attendance record
0-209 AND/OR less than 60% attendance
Required Readings:
*Articles & links in Blackboard. Students who have not taken a Child Development
class are strongly encouraged to use a Child Development textbook as a supplement to
required course readings.
Writing Assignments & Due Dates:
*Students will choose their paper topics first; they then must write issue analyses from the two
sections that do NOT encompass their research paper topic. E.g., if a student chooses “The Effects
of Maternal Depression on Attachment,” as a research paper topic (Section III: Social & Emotional
Development), he or she must choose issue analyses from Section 1 (Genetics, Prenatal, Physical
Development) and Section 2 (Cognitive & Language Development).
*Issue Analysis papers have VARIABLE due dates
Research Paper due dates:
January 27th: Topics for Research Papers
February 1st: PsycINFO search due (first round)
Section 1: Genetics, Prenatal Development, & Physical Development
February 15th: Draft due
March 8th: Paper due
Section 2: Cognitive & Language Development
March 26th: Draft due
April 12th: Paper due
Section 3: Social & Emotional Development, The Family
April 19th: Draft due
May 3rd: Paper due
Class Expectations:
1. Mandatory Attendance: attendance will be taken regularly. Much academic
benefit is gained from participating in a community of learners.
Less than 70%
documented attendance may result in failure of the class.
2. Stay up to date: Read the relevant textbook chapters after we have begun
coverage of that topic in class. Lecture outlines will be provided in Blackboard, but are
NOT intended as a substitution for class attendance or the textbook.
Experts advise that students spend 2-3 hours studying out-of-class, per hour of inclass time, in order to earn a passing grade. This means students should spend an
additional 6-9 hours studying Cognitive Psychology EACH week of class (not including
the time spent in class).
3. Keep a current email address in UTDirect as important class-related
messages will be sent out regularly. The instructor and TAs cannot be responsible for
missed messages due to full mailboxes, etc.
4. Please keep instructor apprised of any extenuating circumstances before they
interfere with your work. I am sympathetic if I know you’re trying.
5. No Plagiarism in Any Form: Students are expected to turn in their own work.
Plagiarism or scholastic dishonesty in any form will result in disciplinary penalties, including
possible failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University (Section 3.22, Chapter
IV, Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System;
www.utesystem.edu/bor/tocrrr.htm).
Plagiarism includes all of the following:
a. Copying an answer from a classmate or other source during an exam.
b. Borrowing or copying part of another person’s paper during out-of-class
assignments.
c. Citing an author’s or researchers’ IDEAS, paper organization, exact wording, or
graphs/figures without giving that person proper credit through an APA-style citation
or footnote.
d. Borrowing from, or using outright, papers obtained on-line or through other
sources which I myself have not written or supplied the background research.
**See http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html or
http://www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.html for useful information and examples.]
SCHEDULE OF TOPICS
**Two Analysis Papers + Research Paper are due. Research Paper must be on a different
topic from a student’s Analysis Papers
Section 1: Genetics, Research Methods, Prenatal Development, &
Physical Growth
JAN
20-22
Introduction & Review of Research Methods
_____________________________________________________________________
25-29
Genetic Disorders & Prenatal Testing
What Nurses Need to Know about Genetics, Dale Halsey Lea, Dimensions in
Critical Care Nursing, 2002, 21(2), pp. 50-61.
Genetics of Cognitive Abilities and Disabilities, Robert Plomin & John C. DeFries,
Scientific American, May 1998, pp. 62-69.
Prenatal Purgatory, Donna Haupt, Child, June/July 1991
______________________________________________________________________
FEBRUARY 1-8
Prenatal Development & Birth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prenatal_development
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teratogen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell
Sperm Under Siege, Anne Merewood, Health, April 1991
Making Time for a Baby, Nancy Gibbs, Time, April 15, 2002, pp. 48-54.
Multiplying the Risks, Geoffrey Cowley & Karen Springen, Newsweek, December 1,
1997, p. 61.
Putting a New Spin on the Birth of Human Birth, Joshua Fischman, Science,
May 20, 1994
_____________________________________________________________________
FEB
10-15
Brain & Body Development (4, pp. 117-134; 141-153)
Infant Reflexes, www.mamashealth.com
Fertile Minds, J. Madeleine Nash, Time, February 3, 1997
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/dev.html
The Importance of Mother’s Milk, Graham Carpenter, Natural History, 1981, Volume
90(8).
Cosleeping (Bed Sharing) among Infants and Toddlers, Journal of Developmental
Behavioral Pediatrics, 1997, 18(6) [reprinted in Pediatrics, 2001]
Circumcision: Weighing the Pros and Cons, MayoClinic.com
Making the Cut, Jennine Lee-St. John, Time, 11/12/2007 (Volume 20).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_cutting
_____________________________________________________________________
Section 2: Cognitive and Linguistic Development
FEB
17-22
Perception and Perceptual Preferences
Infant Visual Development becoming better understood, Cheryl Guttman,
Opthamology Times, 6/1/98, Volume 3 (11).
The Science of Scrumptious (on taste development), Kathleen McGowan,
Psychology Today, Sept/Oct. 2003, pp. 54-60.
Baby Face-off: The Roots of Attraction, Bruce Bower, Science News,
May 16, 1987, Vol. 131(20).
24-MAR 1
Core Knowledge Theory & its Critics: Object & Causal
Knowledge
Core Knowledge, Elizabeth Spelke, The American Psychologist, 2000, Vol. 55(11),
pp. 1233-1243.
Shape, Not Color, Helps Babies Tell Objects Apart, USA Today, April 2000, p. 4.
How do Infants Learn About the Physical World? Renee Baillargeon, Current
Directions in Psychological Science, October 1994
Representation of Objects and Events: Why do Infants Look so Smart and Toddlers
Look So Dumb? Rachel Keen, Current Directions in Psychological Science, June
2003
MARCH
3-8
Critical Periods, and the Hurried Child
Early Rule Structure: The Case of “Peekaboo,” Jerome S. Bruner & V. Sherwood
(1976). Life Sentences. London: John Wiley & Sons
The Amazing Mind of Infants, Lisa Grunwald & Jeff Goldberg, Life, 1993, pp. 48-54.
Your Child’s Brain, Sharon Begley, Newsweek, February 19, 1996.
10-12
Infant Memory
Remembering Early Childhood: How Much, How, and Why (or Why Not), Nora S.
Newcombe, Crummey, Fox, Lie & Ottinger-Alberts, Current Directions in
Psychological Science, 2000, Volume 9(2), pp.55-58.
Memories from the Cradle, Mark L. Howe, Current Directions in Psychological
Science, 2003, Volume 12(2), pp. 62-65.
Long-Term Recall Memory: Behavioral and Neuro-Developmental Changes in the
First 2 years of Life, Patricia J. Bauer, Current Directions in Psychological Science,
August 2002, pp. 137-141.
The Development of Infant Memory, Carolyn Rovee-Collier, Current Directions in
Psychological Science, 1999, Volume 8(3), pp. 80-85.
[MARCH 15-19:
MAR
Spring Break, no classes]
22-24:
Infant Numeracy
Detection of Intermodal Numerical Correspondences by Human Infants, Prentice
Starkey, Elizabeth Spelke, Rochel Gelman, Science, 1983, Vol. 222 (4620),
pp. 179-181.
Detection of Number or Numerousness by Human Infants, Hank Davis et al.,
Science, 1985, Vol. 228 (4704), p. 122.
Addition and Subtraction by Human Infants, Karen Wynn, Science, 1992, Vol. 358,
pp. 749-750.
MAR
MAR
26
PRESENTATIONS
[Mandatory Attendance]
29-31
Categorization & Pictorial Competence
Category Representation in Young Infants, Paul C. Quinn, 2002, Current Directions
in Psychological Science, Volume 11(2)
When a Rose is Just a Rose: The Illusion of Taxonomies in Infant Categorization,
David H. Rakison, Infancy, 2000, Vol. 1(1), pp. 77-90.
The Origins of Pictorial Competence, Judy S. DeLoache, Sophia L. Pierroutsakos, &
David H. Uttal, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2003, Volume 12(4),
pp. 66-70
Scale Errors Offer Evidence for a Perception-Action Dissociation Early in Life,
Judy S. DeLoache, David H. Uttal, Karl S. Rosengren, Science, May 14, 2004,
Vol. 304, pp. 1027-1029.
APRIL
2-12
Phonological, Lexical, & Syntactic Development in
Language
The Language Explosion, Geoffrey Cowley and Donna Foote, Newsweek,
Spring/Summer 1997
Statistical Language Learning: Mechanisms and Constraints, Jenny R. Saffran,
Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2003, Volume 12(4), pp. 110-114.
Baby’s First Phonemes, Science News, 1992, Vol. 141(6).
Baby Talk, Shannon Brownlee, U.S. News & World Report, June 15, 1998
Starting Point, George Butterworth, Natural History, May 1997
Section 3: Social and Emotional Development
APR
14-19
Attachment & Temperament
The Eight Ideals of Attachment Parenting (from Attachment Parenting International)
Postnatal Depression and Infant Development, Lynne Murray, Peter J. Cooper, &
Alan Stein, British Medical Journal, April 27, 1991, Vol. 302(6783), p. 978--.
Mothering Malnutrition, Bruce Bower, Science News, Sept. 18, 2004, Vol. 166 (12).
Resilence in Development, Emmy E. Warner, Current Directions in Psychological
Science, June 199.
21
Temperament & Emotional Development
Emotions: The Shy and the Lively, Lisa Grunwald & Jeff Goldberg, Life, Vol. 16 (8).
The Role of Parents in Children’s Psychological Development, Jerome Kagan,
Pediatrics, 1999, Volume 104(1), pp. 164-167.
Repeat After Me, Bruce Bower, Science News, May 24, 2003, Volume 163(21).
23-26
Maternal Employment & Infancy
The Realities of Day Care, Gwen J. Broude, Public Interest, Fall 1996, Issue 125.
Childcare Patterns, Pediatrics for Parents, March 1989, Vol. 10(3), p. 4.
Maternal Employment Does Not Harm Infants’ Development, Research Shows
(Handout from www.utexas.edu News).
The Day Care Generation, Pat Wingert & Barbara Kantrowitz, Newsweek, Winter
1990/Spring 1991.
Quality Day-care and Social Growth, Bruce Bower, Science News, 1987, Vol. 132.
Daycare Poses Enormous Medical Dangers, Robert Mendelsohn, The Doctor’s
People Newsletter, January 1989, Vol. 2(1).
Mothers’ Jobs Have Modest Effect on Children, Linda Jacobson, Education Week,
1999, Vol. 18(26).
APRIL
26-MAY 3
MAY
3-5
Presentations (MANDATORY ATTENDANCE)
Infant Play
(articles to be announced)
MAY
7
Social Policy related to Infants OR Emotional Development
(articles to be announced)
Thursday, MAY 13th, 2 p.m.: Presentations (MANDATORY ATTENDANCE)
Potential Paper Topics
Dr. Reeves
Infant Development
Requirements: 6-10 page paper using at least 4 primary sources. Doublespaced, APA style citations. 3-4 page draft due before paper.
Section 1:
Genetic Basis of personality traits (also Temperament)
Genetic Disorders—physical, cognitive, behavioral consequences
Genetic & Pre/Postnatal Causes of Autism**
Cross Cultural comparison of Birthing & Parenting practices
Pros/Cons of Delaying Parenthood
Risks and Developmental Outcomes of Premature Infants
Co-sleeping debate
Section 2:
Intermodal perception
Object Knowledge
Do Infants understand Numeracy?
Do Infants understand Causality?
Changes in Play Styles
Pros/cons of Television for infants & toddlers
Bilingual Development
Critical Period for Language Learning?
Importance of Motherese/Parentese
Factors in Word Learning (Lexical Acquisition)
(Pointing, joint attention, etc.)
Sex Differences in Language Acquisition
Phonological Difficulties in Children
Section 3:
Maternal Deprivation, and the proposed Critical Period for Attachment
The Day Care Debate for Infants
(focus on attachment or cognition/language)
Is Temperament stable across the Life-span?
Analysis of Discipline Techniques: Reasoning, Consequences,
Spanking
Single Parenthood
Father’s Contributions to Child Development
Development Consequences of Poverty
Mixed-Race Adoptions
Cross-Cultural Differences in Family Structure