Napa Valley College
Human Development (PSY 125)
Section 1078
Fall 2015
Instructor:
Email:
Phone:
Twitter:
Office:
Dr. Brianna Scott
bscott@napavalley.edu (preferred)
707-256-7496 (last option)
@DrBriannaScott
867
Days/Time: T/Th 3:30p-4:45p
Classroom:
2230
Office Hours: Mon: 10:00am-12pm
Tues 10:00a-11:00a
Wed 10:00am-12pm
Course Description:
This course provides an overview, from a psychological perspective, of human development from conception through
death, including biological and environmental influences. Theories and research of physical, cognitive, personality, and
social development are examined, as well as attention to developmental problems.
Recommended Preparation: Completion of PSYC 120 (General Psychology)
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the semester you should be able to:
1. Understand the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social domains of development across the human lifespan.
2. Analyze key concepts, theories, and research in developmental psychology.
Required Materials: Exploring Lifespan Development (3rd ed.) by Laura E. Berk
Course Methods:
Students are encouraged to be active participants in the course. Students should read the assigned chapter(s) PRIOR
TO each class. Lecture and discussion will form the essence of the learning environment.
Diversity:
Diversity is interwoven throughout the world in which psychologists practice. However, even if you are not interested
in becoming a psychologist, understanding issues of diversity and gaining a mutual respect among diverse groups of
people and opinions is of the utmost importance. Throughout the course, diversity issues will be addressed to ensure
that students’ understanding of psychology is enriched by an appreciation of the diversity of all participants.
Accommodation Needs: Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a learning
disability should contact Learning Services in the Library and Learning Resource Center (LLRC), room 1766, phone
(707) 256-7442. A Learning Disability Specialist will review your needs and determine appropriate accommodations.
If you need accommodations for physical or other types of disabilities, schedule an appointment with DSPS Counselor,
Sheryl Fernandez, in the Counseling Department located in the 1300 building, phone (707) 256-7220 for appointment.
All information and documentation is confidential. Please feel encouraged to make an appointment with me privately to
discuss your specific learning needs in my class.
Recommended Study Time:
The recommended study time for this course is 6 hours per week. The following formula is used by educators to
determine the number of hours needed per week for students to be successful in a college course:
1 unit = 2 hours/student preparation time
3 units x 2 hours = 6 hours study/week
PSY 125 Human Development 2
CLASS POLICIES
The following guidelines will help to ensure that each student benefits most from class lectures and activities:
1.
Please be on time and prepared for class. This includes reading the assigned materials before class so that
you may join the in class discussion and ask questions as needed. Lectures are designed on the assumption
that you have, indeed, read the material.
2.
Please turn off cell phones and do not use them (this includes no texting) during class. I am serious, you
guys. For real. If you must use your cell phone, please leave the classroom quietly to do so. If you persist in
using your cell phone you may be asked to leave the room and will be counted as absent.
3.
Please help us develop a classroom climate conducive to asking questions and open discussions. This means
being prepared and willing to participate, respecting others when they are talking, and remembering not to
monopolize the conversation.
4.
Students are responsible for checking their NVC email. Please check your email on a regular basis and keep
your contact information current in order to receive course materials, grades, extra credit, and other course
related documents. If you are not receiving emails from me, work to remedy this situation ASAP.
5.
You may NOT use your laptop in class, unless there are extenuating circumstances that require note-taking
from your laptop. Additionally, tablets of all sorts are also not allowed in class.
6.
Academic honesty and integrity: Napa Valley College values integrity, honor, and respect in all endeavors,
both personally and professionally. Thus, the faculty at Napa Valley College wishes to help our students
maintain the highest academic standards of honesty; therefore, it is expected that a student’s academic work
be of his/her own making. In spite of the increased use of collaborative learning and other forms of group
work (e.g., labs, study groups, group projects), it is important that each student remain accountable for
his/her own work, whether it be individual work or group assignments or tests. We recognize that the vast
majority of students maintain highly ethical work standards; however, failure to abide by this standard of
conduct is considered to be academic dishonesty.
Upon the first infraction of academic dishonesty, the instructor may do one or more of the following:
1) Give a lower or failing grade on the assignment or exam; 2) Refer the student to the Vice President of
Student Services for student disciplinary action.
In the event of a second infraction, upon consultation with the division chair, the instructor may do one or
more of the following: 1) Fail the student from the course; 2) Refer the student to the Vice President of
Student Services for student disciplinary action.
Visit the following link for Napa Valley College’s official plagiarism policy:
http://www.napavalley.edu/studentservices/SRR/Pages/AcademicHonesty.aspx
7.
Plagiarism in an important aspect of academic honesty and integrity that involves using material copied
verbatim, inadequately paraphrased, and/or paraphrased without adequate citations. The widespread
availability of the Internet has made it technically simple to copy other people’s work and submit such
material as one’s own. At Napa Valley College such practices are unacceptable and will lead to a zero on
the assignment and the possibility of further sanctions.
At my discretion, I will use a web-based plagiarism detection service and/or require students to submit work
to this service to determine the originality of student papers. However, I am my own plagiarism detector and
can sniff it out from miles away. All written or presented material drawn from outside sources must be
paraphrased or set in quotations, and adequately cited. I will find out. Just don’t try it. Students are
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PSY 125 Human Development 3
responsible for consulting their Student Handbook and learning about plagiarism. A good resource on
plagiarism can be found at the following IU web site: http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eistd/
8.
Students will always use professional language when communicating with the instructor, including emails.
When communicating through email, always include the course number and some defining information in
the subject line. If that information is not present, your email can easily be overlooked.
Example language:
Subject: Psych 125 Piaget Question
Dear Dr. Scott,
I hope this email finds you and your family well. I have a question
regarding the delightfully interesting concept you taught us this
morning: Piaget’s Stages of Development. Do you think that development
really occurs in stages or might it be a smoother transition?
Thank you so much for your time and attention.
Your favorite student,
(Your Name Here)
9.
Late assignments will not be accepted unless extenuating circumstances present themselves, and I agree to
an adjusted deadline. I may choose to push a deadline back for you if you discuss your circumstance with
me at least 24 hours before the deadline, and we agree on an updated timetable with penalties. For
example, you may be given two extra days to work on the assignment while receiving a deduction of 5 points
for each day that it is late for a total deduction of 10 points. If you are sick, I will need a note from a doctor
for evidence in order to adjust your deadline.
10.
Makeup Exams will not be offered. In general, makeup exams will not be offered unless a student
contacts me with an extenuating circumstance that could not have been prevented—a doctor’s note is
required before you make up the exam. If a makeup exam is offered, it must be completed in less than a
week after the exam was originally offered. Any makeup exam will be administered in a format determined by
the instructor and will differ from that of the original exam. It is your responsibility to reschedule the exam
with the instructor.
11.
Attendance is expected.
NVC Policy: Regular attendance in all classes is important for satisfactory academic progress. The Napa
Valley College attendance regulations make provisions for a limited number of unavoidable absences.
However, a student who is absent for as many times as a class meets each week will have exhausted this
provision. An instructor may request verification of those absences. Further absences may cause the
instructor to drop the student from the class. Students who do not attend the first class meeting may be
dropped or lose priority on the waiting list.
Class Policy: Each of you may miss up to three classes in a given semester for whatever reason (those could
be due to illness, travel, etc.). However, any assignments that are missed will not be made up. For example, if
you chose to miss an exam because you are traveling, you will not be able to make up that exam. If you miss
class, you are expected to get the notes or any relevant information from classmates prior to the next class. I
will not “re-lecture” over the material. If you miss more than three classes, you will be dropped from the
class, barring extenuating circumstances. Your status in the class at that point will be at my discretion.
IMPORTANT: Beyond content, this course emphasizes written communication skills. Potential employers will get to
know you on paper first; this is how they decide whether or not to meet with you face to face. The truth is if you are
not a good writer, you may not have the chance to show what a great employee/student you could be. Therefore, a
portion of your grade on each written assignment will reflect the clarity of your written expression. I am always available
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PSY 125 Human Development 4
to look over your first drafts and assist with any grammatical or structural issues that I see in your paper during office
hours. There is also tutoring on campus to help you improve your writing skills in general and help you with this
course specifically. To be clear, I will be grading with grammar and writing structure in mind, and it WILL BE reflected
in your grade
EVALUATION PROCEDURES
Participation (30 points)
My Points: _______/30
Active participation in this course is important to enhancing your understanding of the material, as well as the
understanding of other students in the class. You are expected to participate in in-class activities, small group
discussion, and whole class discussions.
Media Logs (5 assignments = 100 points)
My Points: _______/100
You will be asked to focus on applying the concepts we are covering throughout the semester to discuss examples from
popular media (TV shows, movies, music, novels). At the end of the syllabus you will find a series of questions you are to
answer based on examples that you come across in the media. You will need to find multiple examples throughout the
semester in order to answer all of the questions. For each response, you will include the name of the media and a short
description of the character or plot or both (whichever is most relevant to the question).
Examinations (4 X 75=300 points)
My Points: _______/300
There will be three exams throughout the semester (each worth 75 points), including the final exam. Each exam will
focus on four or five chapters. The final exam will not be cumulative.
My Total Points: _________/430
Extra Credit
You can receive 10 points extra credit for at least 15 minutes in an office hour. You can come to my office during office
hours and hope for the best. Or, you can sign up with my before or after class to ensure a timely appointment.
Additionally, extra credit for this class is also embedded in the three exams. Each exam will contain one or more items
worth a total of 4 extra credit points. A total of 12 extra credit points can be obtained (this equals 3 percentage points
for your final grade). No other extra credit will be given.
Grading Scale
A = 90% or higher
B = 80 - 89%
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C = 70 - 79%
D = 60 – 69%
F = 59% or lower
PSY 125 Human Development 5
CLASS SCHEDULE
Week
1
Days
Topic
Aug 18 Introduction to the Course
Theory and Research in Human Development
Aug 20 Theory and Research in Human Development
Aug 25 Genetic and Environmental Foundations
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Aug 27 Prenatal Development, Birth, and the Newborn Baby
Sep 1 Prenatal Development, Birth, and the Newborn Baby
Sep 3 Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Sep 8 Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Sep 10 Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Sep 15 Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Reading, Assignments
and Exams
Read Chapter 1
Read Chapter 2
Read Chapter 3
Read Chapter 4
Media Log #1 Due
Read Chapter 5
Exam 1: Chapters 1-5
Sep 17 Exam 1
Sep 22 Emotional and Social Development in Infancy and
Toddlerhood
Emotional and Social Development in Early Childhood
Sep 24 Emotional and Social Development in Early Childhood
Sep 29 Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
Oct 1 Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
Oct 6 Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood
Read Chapter 6&8
Read Chapter 7&9
Media Log #2 Due
Read Chapter 10
Oct 8 Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood
Oct 13 Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood
Oct 15 Review
Oct 20 Exam 2
Exam 2: Chapter 6-10
Oct 22 Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence
Oct 27 Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence
Read Chapter 11
Read Chapter 12
Oct 29 Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence
Nov 3 Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood
Read Chapter 13
Nov 5 Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood
Media Log #3 Due
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PSY 125 Human Development 6
13
14
Nov 10 Emotional and Social Development in Early Adulthood
Nov 12 Emotional and Social Development in Early Adulthood
Nov 17 Exam 3
Nov 19 Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood
Nov 24 Emotional and Social Development in Middle Adulthood
15
16
17
Finals
Read Chapter 14
Exam 3: Chapters 1114
Read Chapter 15
Media Log #4 Due
Read Chapter 16
Nov 26 Thanksgiving Break
Dec 1 Emotional and Social Development in Middle Adulthood
Dec 3 Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood
Dec 8 Emotional and Social Development in Late Adulthood
Dec 10 Death, Dying, and Bereavement
12/17 December 17th @ 1 pm
Read Chapter 17
Media Log #5 Due
Read Chapter 18
Read Chapter 19
Final Exam: Chapters
15-19
Withdrawal Deadlines
Please be aware that students can add and drop classes through the second week of the semester with no fees and
transcript records. Students may drop through the fourteenth week of the semester without incurring a grade.
Enrollment verifications means that as of this date only, the student is enrolled as indicated.
This is a Contract
This syllabus in an agreement between the student and the instructor and continued registration in this course means that
you agree to the policies and procedures outlined in this syllabus. The course syllabus is intended to give the student
guidance in what may be covered during the semester and will be followed as closely as possible. At the same time, the
instructor reserves the right to modify, supplement and make changes as the course needs arise. Students will be
informed in a timely manner should any changes be necessary.
MEDIA LOGS
INSTRUCTIONS: You will apply the concepts we are covering throughout the semester to discuss
examples from popular media (TV shows, movies, music, novels). Ideally, these would be contemporary
media, but I will allow one or two less contemporary examples. No, you cannot use real people in your life.
Below you will find a series of questions you are to answer based on examples that you come across in the
media. You will need to find multiple examples throughout the semester in order to answer all of the
questions. For each question you answer, you will need to weave together the course content and the
examples from the media you choose. For each response, you will include the name of the media and a short
description of the character or plot or both (whichever is most relevant to the question) in order to give your
reader (me) the necessary context.
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PSY 125 Human Development 7
The point: I want you to see the content we are learning in the media that you consume. Be sure to answer
the questions fully and completely and work to integrate the media into your responses.
Each response will be between 400-600 words. The format will be as follows: 1” margins, 12 point Times
New Roman font, double-spaced. You will submit each response separately. Please not the due dates in the
Class Schedule and below. Take care to use correct grammar, punctuation, and formatting. Twenty percent of
the grade you receive on each response will be based on quality of your writing.
QUESTIONS:
1. Prenatal Development (15 points) Due September 3rd
 Discuss the maternal factors (e.g. age, stress level, socioeconomic status) and the implications of those
factors for the child. Do you observe specific behaviors that the mother tries to do to ensure a
healthy baby?
2. Early Childhood (15 points) Due October 1st
 Find and describe an example of the use of scaffolding (in relationship to Vygotsky’s Sociocultural
Theory). Does the older sibling/parent/teacher utilize scaffolding appropriately when assisting the
younger child with a task? Why or why not?
3. Adolescence (30 points) Due November 5th ANSWER EACH BULLET POINT
 Identify and describe the “Identity Status” the adolescent appears to fit. What evidence do you have
that the adolescent is a part of that status?
 For those in later childhood and adolescence, do they engage in sexual activity that risky? What makes
this behavior risky? Is their behavior accepted by peers and parents?
4. Early Adulthood (20 points) Due November 19th
 Find an example of an emerging adult. If this person is in college, describe the psychological impact
college has had on him/her. If this person is a non-college-bound young adult, describe how he/she
made that decision and what impact it has had on his/her life.
5. Gender Identity in Middle Adulthood (20 points) Due December 3rd
 “Many studies report an increase in ‘masculine’ traits in women and ‘feminine’ traits in men across
middle age” (Huyck, 1990; James et al., 1995; as cited in Berk, 2014, p. 428). Find an example of a
middle-aged man or woman who may or may not fit into this transition and describe their
characteristics that fit and those that do not.
*Potential sources of examples for these logs are virtually limitless. If you every have a question about
whether an example is appropriate please ask.
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