PSY 4301 SYLLABUS 1
Texas Tech University | Department of Psychological Sciences
PSY 4301: Developmental Psychology | Summer I 2014
Section 001 | CRN 31703
Professor
Dr. Molly E. Ireland
Email: molly.ireland@ttu.edu
Phone: (806) 742-0818
Office hours: Monday and Friday 2-3 pm and by appointment in PSY 452F
Meetings: MTWRF noon-2 pm in MCOM 055 (see http://www.ttu.edu/map/)
Textbooks
Berger, K. S. (2013). Invitation to the Lifespan (2nd Ed.). New York: Worth.
Course Description & Goals
Developmental Psychology is an upper-level course that is defined in the catalog as “the advanced study of the
process of development through consideration of data, theories, and contemporary research issues.” Over the
course of about 4 weeks, we’ll discuss research on how our bodies, brains, and social behavior change over
time, beginning with conception and ending with death. Through this course you will (1) become familiar with
state-of-the-art developmental research methods and statistics (e.g., genetic research, fMRI, multi-level
modeling, time series analysis), (2) learn about recent findings on developmental topics, including gene x
environment interactions, language learning, sociocultural and linguistic effects on cognitive development, the
initiation and maintenance of romantic relationships, sex in and out of committed relationships, and the effects
of aging on the brain, (3) critically evaluate and discuss journal articles on human development, and (4) interact
with academic psychologists through guest lectures by experts on campus (specializing in close relationships,
human sexuality, childhood obesity, aging, and more). Guest lectures should give you a better idea of how you
might become involved in research yourself, through independent study or research assistantships.
The main goal of this class is to help you become a contributing member of the behavioral science community.
As such, there will be an equal focus on learning, communication, and critical thinking. By the end of the
course, you should be able to separate fact from wool-pulling in journal articles on developmental topics,
interact comfortably with senior researchers in this area, and generate your own research ideas about how
humans develop as a function of genes and/or experience.
Grades
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Exams = 50%
Discussion questions = 20%
Quizzes = 10%
Leading discussion (one day per person) = 10%
Class participation (attendance and engagement) = 10%
A+ = 100% - 97%
A = 96% - 94%
A- = 93% - 90%
B+ = 89% - 87%+
B = 86% - 83%
B- = 82% - 80%
C+ = 79% - 77%
NOTE: Syllabus is subject to change. Last revised 6/18/2014.
C = 76% - 73%
C- = 72% - 70%
D+ = 69% - 67%
D = 66% - 63%
D- = 62% - 60%
F = <60%
PSY 4301 SYLLABUS 2
Exams
There will be four (4) non-cumulative exams. We will not have a cumulative final. Each exam will focus on the
newest information taught since the previous exam. Exams will be composed of multiple choice, essay, shortanswer, matching, and diagram questions. Anything covered in the labs, lectures, and readings will be fair
game -- including but not limited to all assigned textbook material and journal articles, even points that weren’t
covered in lecture.
Assignments
Quizzes. Testing improves retention. Exposure therapy is also one of the best ways to get over a fear or
phobia. In light of these facts, we’ll have a short (10-question) quiz at the end of every class. These quizzes will
not be worth many points (see Grades section above). They are intended to help you prepare for exams and
track how well you’re retaining the information from lecture and readings. They will also be formatted like miniexams (with a mix of multiple choice, short answer, T/F questions), which will get you used to my exam style.
Discussion questions. Every class day except the day before exams and the first day of class, you will read a
brief research article and post at least two discussion questions about the paper on Blackboard’s discussion
board by 6 pm on the day before it’s assigned. Questions should NOT be basic clarification or definition
questions that the discussion leaders or I can address at the start of discussion (or that can easily be answered
using internet searches). Questions should be thoughtful and demonstrate critical thinking. I suggest focusing
on authors’ method, findings, and their interpretation of the data. Be skeptical but civil. For at least two class
periods, the authors themselves will be there to help answer questions.
Discussion leaders. Everyone in class will lead or co-lead (depending on enrollment) discussion over the
assigned journal articles once. That means that you’re responsible for summarizing the assigned article for that
day and stimulating classroom discussion about it. The discussion portion of class will start after the 5-minute
break at the halfway point and will last about 30 minutes. Start by paraphrasing the take-home message of the
article in a few sentences and then walk us all through the method, analyses, findings, and interpretation of
their findings (for research articles) or each of the authors’ major conclusions (for review papers). After the
recap, solicit questions from the class or choose questions from the Discussion Board yourself. I recommend
bringing copies of the discussion questions (copied and pasted from Blackboard, and organized by theme or
section of the paper) for everyone. You’re free to use slides too, but it’s not required.
Make-Up Assignments. I realize that sometimes good students miss deadlines and have good reasons for
doing so. Instead of individually vetting everybody’s reasons for missing deadlines for either quizzes or
discussion questions, I’ll allow two free passes for each. You can make up missed discussion questions by
writing a 1-page reflection paper (double-spaced, Arial or Times New Roman) about the article you missed,
and you can submit two quizzes up to a day late.
Extra Credit. Occasionally there will be talks or events on campus that are relevant to psychology. You can
earn extra credit by proving that you attended these events (usually by signing a sign-up sheet and emailing
me a report). There will be at least three (3) extra credit opportunities this semester. Each will be announced in
class and via Blackboard notifications. Each event will be worth ½ percent of your final grade. Feel free to let
me know if you know of an event on campus that might qualify.
Class Participation & Attendance
Participation. Be as engaged as you can manage during class discussion. Answer and ask questions. Start
and participate in debates. Bottom line: Keep your eyes open, and be ready to talk or argue if I call on you.
Attendance. Your TA will take attendance daily. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late or leave more than 10
minutes early, you will be counted as absent. Attendance counts as half of your class participation grade.
Perhaps more importantly, if you miss three classes or fewer you earn the right to drop one exam grade.
NOTE: Syllabus is subject to change. Last revised 6/18/2014.
PSY 4301 SYLLABUS 3
That means that you can skip the last exam or just take all of the exams and get rid of your lowest. All
absences count toward your running total with the exception of verified medical or similar emergencies. I’ll also
excuse some major, immovable events such as graduate school interviews and parents’ weddings. But don’t
push it, and always bring proof that the event happened and you were there.
Etiquette. I will not tolerate disruptions, including but not limited to cell phone use, headphones, talking, and
sleeping. If you are bothered by another student’s conduct in class, let me know (outside of class if possible).
I’ll keep our conversation confidential and will take care of the problem. Any etiquette problems will be reflected
in deductions from the disruptive student’s participation grade.
Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct
As stated in the Texas Tech University Statement of Academic Integrity,
Texas Tech promotes an ethical standard that does not condone academic misconduct and strives to
instill values that uphold academic integrity. … Academic misconduct includes cheating, plagiarism,
and any other activity that a student may participate in that prevents an honest representation of his or
her academic performance. … Cheating and plagiarism are the most common forms of academic
misconduct and are defined, in accordance with the Code of Student Conduct from the Student Affairs
Handbook (Part IX, Section B.19).
It is your responsibility as a student to be familiar with Texas Tech's Code of Student Conduct, and policies on
academic integrity and academic misconduct. These materials can be found in the Student Affairs Handbook,
Part IX, and at the following website: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/dos/handbook/.
Students with Special Needs
Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the course
requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary arrangements.
Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor’s office
hours. Please note instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to a student until
appropriate verification from Student Disability Services has been provided. For additional information, you
may contact the Student Disability Services office in 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.
Holy Days
A student shall be allowed to observe Religious Holy Days without penalty, subject to the following conditions:
(1) “Religious Holy Day” means a holy day observed by religion whose places of worship are exempt from
property taxation under Section 11.20, Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated, Tax Code. (2) A student may be
excused from attending classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a
religious holy day, including travel for that purpose. A student whose absence is excused for this purpose may
not be penalized for that absence and shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment from
which the student is excused.
Library Resources
Some of the assignments for this class might require you to find and read research articles on your own that
you will cite and discuss in your papers. It may be helpful for you to contact the Social Sciences Librarian,
Brian Quinn (806-742-2238 ext. 294 or brian.quinn@ttu.edu), for assistance.
NOTE: Syllabus is subject to change. Last revised 6/18/2014.
PSY 4301 SYLLABUS 4
Readings
Bauman, S., & Newman, M. L. (2013). Testing assumptions about cyberbullying: Perceived distress associated
with acts of conventional and cyber bullying. Psychology of Violence, 3(1), 27–38.
doi:10.1037/a0029867
Blakemore, S. J., & Robbins, T. W. (2012). Decision-making in the adolescent brain. Nature Neuroscience,
15(9), 1184–91. doi:10.1038/nn.3177
Davis, T., Love, B. C., & Maddox, W. T. (2012). Age-related declines in the fidelity of newly acquired category
representations. Learning & Memory, 19, 325-329.
Dyrenforth, P. S., Kashy, D. a, Donnellan, M. B., & Lucas, R. E. (2010). Predicting relationship and life
satisfaction from personality in nationally representative samples from three countries: the relative
importance of actor, partner, and similarity effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99,
690–702. doi:10.1037/a0020385
Goldberg, A. E., Kashy, D. A., & Smith, J. Z. (2012). Gender-typed play behavior in early childhood: Adopted
children with lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents. Sex roles, 67, 503-515.
Kern, M. L., Eichstaedt, J. C., Schwartz, H. A., Park, G., Ungar, L. H., Stillwell, D. J., … Seligman, M. E. P.
(2014). From “Sooo excited!!!” to “So proud”: using language to study development. Developmental
Psychology, 50, 178–88. doi:10.1037/a0035048
Lombardo, M. V, Ashwin, E., Auyeung, B., Chakrabarti, B., Taylor, K., Hackett, G., … Baron-Cohen, S. (2012).
Fetal testosterone influences sexually dimorphic gray matter in the human brain. The Journal of
Neuroscience : The Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 32, 674–80.
doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4389-11.2012
Poulin-Dubois, D., Blaye, A., Coutya, J., & Bialystok, E. (2011). The effects of bilingualism on toddlers’
executive functioning. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 108, 567–79.
doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2010.10.009
Riggio, H. R., Weiser, D. A., Valenzuela, A. M., Lui, P. P., Montes, R., & Heuer, J. (2013). Self-efficacy in
romantic relationships: Prediction of relationship attitudes and outcomes. The Journal of Social
Psychology, 153, 629-650.
Reifen Tagar, M., Federico, C. M., Lyons, K. E., Ludeke, S., & Koenig, M. a. (2014). Heralding the
authoritarian? Orientation toward authority in early childhood. Psychological Science, 25, 883–92.
doi:10.1177/0956797613516470
Shonkoff, J. P., & Garner, A. S. (2012). The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity and toxic stress.
Pediatrics, 129, e232–46. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-2663
Van Allen, J., & Steele, R.G. (2012). Associations between changes in hope and changes in physical activity in
a pediatric weight-management program. Children’s Health Care, 41, 344-359.
Lecture & Lab Schedule
Week
Day
Topic
Reading (have read by this date)
1
6/3
6/4
6/5
6/6
6/9
6/10
6/11
6/12
6/13
6/16
6/17
6/18
6/19
6/20
Introduction
Gestation and genetics
Reflexes and brain development
Early language learning
Toddlers’ social; review
Exam 1
Early childhood – brain & body
Early childhood – social
Middle childhood – brain & body*
Middle childhood – social; review
Exam 2
Adolescence – body
Adolescence – brain
Adolescence – social
Syllabus
Ch. 1 & 2; Lombardo et al. (2012)
Ch. 3; Shonkoff et al. (2011)
Ch. 4; Poulin-Dubois et al. (2010)
2
3
Assignment
due
Disc. questions
Disc. questions
Disc. questions
Ch. 5; Reifen Tagar et al. (2014)
Ch. 6; Goldberg et al. (2012)
Ch. 7; Van Allen** & Steele (2012)
Ch. 8
Disc. questions
Disc. questions
Disc. questions
Ch. 9; Blakemore & Robbins (2012)
Bauman & Newman (2013)
Ch. 10; Riggio, Weiser** et al. (2014)
Disc. questions
Disc. questions
Disc. questions
NOTE: Syllabus is subject to change. Last revised 6/18/2014.
PSY 4301 SYLLABUS 5
4
5
6/23
6/24
6/25
6/26
6/27
6/30
7/1
Emerging adulthood; review
Exam 3
Mid-adulthood – brain & body
Mid-adulthood – social
Aging – brain & body*
Aging – social changes; review
Exam 4
Ch. 11
Ch. 12; Dyrenforth et al. (2010
Ch. 13; Davis** et al. (2012)
Ch. 14; Kern et al. (2013)
Ch. 15
*Guest lectures from TTU researchers **Guest speaker
NOTE: Syllabus is subject to change. Last revised 6/18/2014.
Disc. questions
Disc. questions
Disc. questions