PSY 632
Theories and Methods in Developmental Science
Fall, 2012
Professor: Margaret Friend
Telephone: 619.594.0273
Email: mfriend@sciences.sdsu.edu
Office: 6505 Alvarado Road, Suite 101
Office Hours: by appointment
Meetings: Wednesdays, 1-3:40pm, LS246
Purpose of the Course
In Developmental Psychology, the major content areas within Psychology
more broadly are represented: Biological, Clinical, Cognitive, Language,
Sensation and Perception, and Social. In contrast to research in these areas
which typically focuses on describing and explaining the expression of biological,
clinical, cognitive, linguistic, perceptual, and social phenomenon in adults,
research in Developmental Psychology focuses on exploring the mechanisms
that underlie the emergence of these phenomena. For example, Developmental
Psychologists ask, at what point in development does the capacity for language
emerge and how does it change over the course of development? Why does
language emerge in the first place and are there circumstances in which
language does not emerge? To what extent is the early or immature capacity for
language similar to or different from communication in other species?
The focus on change in Developmental Psychology is a dynamic one and
requires the application of unique theoretical approaches and research
methodologies. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to these
theoretical approaches and methodologies and to some of the classic and recent
research findings they have generated.
Organization of the Course
Students will read original theoretical, methodological, and empirical
papers, both classic and contemporary. The reader for this course is organized
into three major sections.
The first section focuses on the shape or trajectory of development. That
is, how does behavior/cognition change over time? When we plot this change,
what is the shape of the resulting function and how does this influence our
theories and methods?
The second section of the course focuses on methodology in
Developmental Psychology. This section emphasizes the importance of
research questions and populations under investigation in determining the
method of data collection.
Finally, in the third section, a sampling of the primary current theories in
the field along with some of the empirical findings they have generated is
presented. Many of these approaches arise from the discipline of Biology and
are reinterpreted in a Developmental Psychological framework. Some
approaches are refinements of earlier theories in Developmental Psychology and
some are wholly independent approaches. Importantly, in many cases, these
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Margaret Friend, Ph.D.
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varied approaches converge on a common view of Development or they yield
views that are at least partly complementary.
Throughout the course, readings from the Miller text will be used to
supplement the primary articles, chapters, and review papers in the reader. In
the first two sections of the course, the chapters from the Miller text will be
theoretical approaches that illustrate issues in either the description of
development or its measurement. In third section of the course, the chapters
from the Miller text will serve as summaries of theoretical approaches that will be
explored in greater depth in the reader.
Grading
There will be four mechanisms for evaluating your work in this course: discussion
questions, a thought paper, a class presentation, and a review paper.
Discussion Questions. Because lively and interesting discussion is
essential to any good seminar, please submit two discussion questions for each
class meeting. Questions should be typed in 12-point font and submitted to the
Discussion forum opened for each class via Blackboard. Questions should be
submitted 24 hours prior to the class meeting to facilitate the organization of our
discussion the next day. Each set of questions is worth 2 points (cumulatively,
10%) toward your total grade in the course. You must attend class and
participate in the discussion to receive credit.
Your questions should be no more than two or three sentences in length
and should focus on the assigned readings for the upcoming class meeting. The
questions should raise for discussion one or more of the following:
methodological limitations/extensions, critical analysis of research findings, or
advantages/disadvantages of theoretical approach. Please make your questions
as pertinent and constructive as possible. Do not ignore obvious flaws in theory
or methodology but do try to consider the ways in which the work you are reading
makes a positive contribution to the field. Questions must directly address the
content of the readings to receive credit.
Thought Paper. On Oct. 17, a thought paper of 4 pages double-spaced, in
12-point font will be due. Please submit this paper via the link under
Assignments on Blackboard by 6pm.
The purpose of this paper is to give you an opportunity to think about the
relation between methods and data. Compare and contrast two methods that we
have discussed in class and show how they do or do not lead to different
concepts of development.
The paper is worth 40 points or 20% of your grade in the course. Please
see Thought Paper Guideline in the Course Documents section of the
Blackboard page for this course. Papers must be submitted on time using the
link on Blackboard to be accepted.
Class Presentation. For the third section of the course, beginning on Oct.
19, students will present the five major theoretical approaches covered in this
course. Each week, the presentations will follow a symposium format with the
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Margaret Friend, Ph.D.
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instructor filling the role of symposium chair keeping track of your time and calling
on students who may have questions for you.
For each theory, three students will present 1.) the major assumptions that
it makes about development, 2.) the predictions it makes about development,
and 3.) how the theory differs either from other theories that we have covered or
from the tradition in which the theory arose.
As an example, in one week, students would present 1.) the assumptions
that Evolutionary theory makes about development and its origins; 2.) the
experimental predictions about development to which these assumptions lead
and; 3.) how Evolutionary theory differs from other theories we have covered or
the approach from which it emerged. Since evolutionary theory emerged in the
field of Biology to explain genetic variation and speciation, we can ask how
Evolutionary Developmental Psychology differs from Evolutionary Biology. Or,
how does Evolutionary Developmental Psychology differ from Piagetian Theory?
These presentations should be professional including slides as needed
with each student taking approximately equal responsibility. Each component of
the presentation should take about 20 minutes. Following the presentations, the
class will have an opportunity to ask questions about the material. Following
your group’s presentation, we will discuss the theory that you have presented as
a class. The presentation is worth 70 points or 35% of your grade in the course.
Please see the Student Presentation Score Sheet in the Course Documents
section of the Blackboard page for this course.
Final Paper. Your final paper should be about 10-12 pages in length,
double-spaced, in 12-point font and should be a critical review of the literature
pertaining to your thesis topic from the point of view of one of the major theories
covered in the course.
The paper should begin with a general discussion of the theoretical
approach and of the research question. Identify the major assumptions of the
theory and how these differ from the existing literature on your topic. What would
this theoretical approach predict about the development of the phenomenon that
you are studying? Next, cite the seminal papers in your research area and
review their findings from the point of view of the theory. Are the findings
consonant with the theory? What additional data are needed? How would new
data, collected to address the assumptions of the theory, change our
understanding of the issue? If you are not doing developmental research, how
would this developmental perspective inform or change your understanding?
You should select approximately 7-10 original papers (some overlap with
papers in the assigned readings is acceptable) and prepare your paper in APA
format. You should own a current APA style guide to assist you in preparing this
paper. It is also possible to find some details on accepted reference citation and
formatting on the web at www.apa.org.
This paper should be a unique extension of the literature review that you
have prepared or are preparing for your thesis. Your existing thesis or even the
literature review for your thesis does not satisfy the requirements of this
assignment.
I will accept and give feedback on preliminary references for the paper on
Oct. 24 and Oct. 31. You must have your references for the paper approved
by me.
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Margaret Friend, Ph.D.
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You may submit this paper via the link under Assignments on Blackboard
anytime before Dec. 11 at 6pm. The final paper is worth 70 points or 35% of
your grade in the course. Please see the Final Paper Grading Rubric in the
Course Documents section of the Blackboard page for this course. Papers must
be submitted on time using the link under Assignments on Blackboard to
be accepted.
Required Readings
Miller, P. H. (2002). Theories of Developmental Psychology, 5th Edition. New
York: Worth Publishers.
Friend, M. (2012). Supplemental Reader, Montezuma Publishing.
When available, .pdfs have been posted on Blackboard under Course
Documents. These documents are marked by Course Documents following the
citation in the syllabus. Documents that can be found in your reader are marked
by Reader following the citation in the syllabus.
In addition, one of the required readings for the course is available only in print
and is not included in the reader. We will need to make copies of this paper to
distribute.
Part I
Stages, Curves, and Waves: Describing Development
Aug. 29
Introduction to the course
Introduction to Major Issues in Developmental Psychology
Sept. 5
Discussion: How did Piaget’s theory influence the field of
Developmental Psychology? What were the implications of his
approach for the shape of development?
Assigned Readings:
Miller, Chapter 1. Introduction. pp.1-26.
Miller, Chapter 2. Piaget’s Cognitive-Stage Theory and the
Neopiagetians: Biographical Sketch through Applications. pp. 2572.
Sept. 12
Moving Beyond the Stage Model
Assigned Readings:
Miller, Chapter 2. Piaget’s Cognitive-Stage Theory and the
Neopiagetians: Evaluation of the Theory, Modifications, and the
Neopiagetians. pp. 73-104.
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Margaret Friend, Ph.D.
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Bidell, T. R. & Fischer, K. W. (1992). Beyond the stage debate:
Action, structure, and variability in Piagetian theory and research. In
R. Sternberg and C. A. Berg (Eds.) Intellectual Development, pp.
100-140, New York: Cambridge. Reader
Sept. 19
Other Shapes and Models of Development
Assigned Readings:
Miller, Chapter 6: Information Processing Theory. pp. 265-320.
Siegler, R. (2004). U-Shaped interest in u-shaped development
and what it means. Journal of Cognition and Development, 5, 1-10.
Course Documents
Siegler, R. (2005). Children’s learning. American Psychologist, 60,
769-778. Course Documents
Part II
Methods for Measuring and Modeling Human Development
Sept. 26
Making the Most of Infant Response Capacities: Visual Paradigms
Assigned Readings:
Fantz, R. L. (1964). Visual experience in infants: Decreased
attention to familiar patterns relative to novel ones. Science, 146,
668-670. Reader
Colombo, J., & Mitchell, D.W. (2009). Infant visual habituation.
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 92, 225-234. Course
Documents
Jusczyk, P. (1999). Methodology used in studies of infant speech
perception. In The Discovery of Spoken Language, pp. 233-250,
Cambridge, MA: MIT. Reader
Spelke, E.S., von Hofsten, C., & Kestenbaum, R. (1989). Object
perception in infancy: Interaction of spatial and kinetic information
for object boundaries. Course Documents
Oct. 1-3
Novel Research Methods Conference (out of town)
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Oct. 10
Margaret Friend, Ph.D.
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Psychophysiology and Computer-Simulation
Assigned Readings:
Fox, N.A., Schmidt, L.A., & Henderson, H.A. (2000). Developmental
psychophysiology: Conceptual and methodological perspectives.
In J.T. Cacioppo, L. G. Tassinary, & G. Berntson (Eds.) Handbook
of Psychophysiology (2nd ed.), pp. 665-686, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press. Reader
Mareschal, D. (2000). Connectionist modeling and infant
development. In D Muir & A. Slater (Eds.), Infant Development: The
Essential Readings, pp. 55-65, Oxford: Blackwell. Reader
Part III
Theory: The Marriage of Methods and Description with Mechanism
Oct. 17
Thought Paper Due
Origins of Developmental Theories in Biology
Assigned Reading:
Miller, Chapter 7: Ethology and Other Evolutionary Theories. pp.
325-375.
Oct. 24
Student Presentations Begin
Evolution
Assigned Readings:
Darwin, C. (1871/2006). The Descent of Man and Selection in
Relation to Sex. Reprinted in From So Simple a Beginning, E.O.
Wilson (Ed.), Chapter 1, pp. 783-796, New York: Norton. Reader
Gilbert, S.F., Opitz, J.A., & Hart, R.A. (1996). Resynthesizing
evolutionary and developmental biology. Developmental Biology,
173, 357-372. Reader
Geary, D. C. (2006). Evolutionary developmental psychology:
Current status and future directions. Developmental Review, 26,
113-119. Course Documents
Maestripieri, D. & Roney, J.R. (2006). Evolutionary developmental
psychology: Contributions from comparative research with
nonhuman primates. Developmental Review, 26, 120-137. Course
Documents
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Margaret Friend, Ph.D.
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Preliminary Reference List for Final Paper Due
Epigenesis
Assigned Readings:
Gottlieb, G. (2002). On the epigenetic evolution of species-specific
perception: The developmental manifold concept. Cognitive
Development, 17, 1287-1300. Course Documents
Gottlieb, G. (2007). Probabilistic epigenesis. Developmental
Science, 10, 1-11. Course Documents
Miller, G. E., Chen, E., & Parker, K. J. (2011, July 25).
Psychological Stress in Childhood and Susceptibility to the Chronic
Diseases of Aging: Moving Toward a Model of Behavioral and
Biological Mechanisms. Psychological Bulletin. Advance online
publication. doi: 10.1037/a0024768 Course Documents
Nov. 7
Nativism and Core Knowledge
Assigned Readings:
Miller, Chapter 9. Contemporary Minitheories and Emerging
Approaches: Modularity Nativism. pp. 411-414.
Spelke, E. (2000). Core knowledge. American Psychologist, 55,
1233-1243. Course Documents
Baillergeon, R. (2000). How do infants learn about the physical
world? In D. Muir & A. Slater (Eds.), Infant Development: The
Essential Readings, pp. 195-212, Oxford: Blackwell. Reader
Sulkowski, G. M. & Hauser, M. D. (2001). Can rhesus monkeys
spontaneously subtract? Cognition, 79, 239-262. Course
Documents
Nov. 14
Dynamic Systems
Assigned Readings:
Miller, Chapter 9. Contemporary Minitheories and Emerging
Approaches: Dynamic Systems Theory. pp. 414-419.
Merrill, S.J. (2009). The state of the science of nonlinear dynamics
in 1963. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences, Vol.
13, No. 3, pp. 249-256. Course Documents
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Thelen, E. & Smith, L.B. (1998). Dynamic systems theories. In W.
Damon and R.M. Lerner (Eds.) Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol.
1: Theoretical Models of Human Development. pp. 564-575 and pp.
586-594. Course Documents
Muchisky, M., Gershkoff-Stow, L. Cole, E., & Thelen, E. (1996).
The epigenetic landscape revisited: A dynamic interpretation. In C.
Rovee-Collier, P. Lewis, & H. Hayne (Eds.) Advances in Infancy
Research. pp. 121-159. Greenwood Press. Course Documents
Nov. 21
Connectionism
Assigned Readings:
Elman, J., Bates, E., Johnson, M., Karmiloff-Smith, A., Parisi, D., &
Plunkett, K. (1996). New perspectives on development. In
Rethinking Innateness: A Connectionist Perspective on
Development, pp. 1-46. Oxford: Basil Blackwood.
Course Documents.
Elman, J. E. (2005). Connectionist models of cognitive
development: Where next? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 9, 112117. Course Documents
Thelen, E. & Bates, E. (2003). Connectionism and dynamic
systems: Are they really different? Developmental Science, 6, 378391. Course Documents
Nov. 22Dec. 11
Preparation of Final Papers (Class does not meet)
Dec. 5-10
Early Language Acquisition Conference (out of town)
Dec. 11
Final Papers Due
Dec. 12
End of the Semester Wrap-Up
This purpose of this meeting is to discuss the ideas that emerged
from your final papers. It is a chance to talk about what you will take away from
this course and how it will inform your future career. It’s also a good time to get
re-acquainted after having been immersed in your papers and to celebrate the
end of the semester.