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PC 6025
Human Growth & Development
Summer 1 2008
Instructor
Charlotte J. Moore, LCPC, CADC, MAC, NCRS, MISAII
Phone
773-7271361
E-Mail
cmoore@argsoy.edu
Required Texts
Title
Author
Copyright
Publisher
ISBN
Edition
Development through the lifespan
Laura Berk
2007
Allyn & Bacon
0-205-49125-1
4th
Title
Author
Copyright
Publisher
ISBN
Edition
Diversity and development: Contexts for Change
Dana Comstock
2004
Wadsworth
0534574068
1st
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Course Dates And On –Campus Meeting Dates And Times
Course Dates: 5/5/08-6/25/08 The Online Component begins 1 week prior to first on
campus meeting.
On campus meeting dates and times: 5/9/08-5/11/08 & 5/30/08-6/1/08
Fridays 6-9PM
Saturdays 9am - 4pm
Sundays 9am- 5pm
Course Information
Course description: This course includes studies that provide a broad understanding of
the nature ad needs of individuals at all levels of development: Normal and abnormal
human behavior, personality theory, lifespan theory, and learning theory within cultural
context.
Technology: Pentium III CPU/Windows 98; 128MB Ram, printer; Microsoft Office
Acrobat (full version) Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC) (MAC) or Netscape
navigator4.08 Norton Antivirus
Course Delivery Format
This course has class meetings scheduled on two weekends and is web- augmented with a
weekly online component found at www.myeclassonline.com This online component
provides weekly instructional contact with the instructor and the other students enrolled
in the course. Students ca expect weekly assignments and online discussion questions that
offer opportunities to interact with fellow students and course faculty, as well as an
opportunity to engage together around activities meant to deepen and enhance the
learning experience. In addition, the faculty may use the web based learning environment
to provide supplemental resources and reading material.
The course will be available to students one week prior to the beginning of the term. For
questions pertaining to the online format please refer to Student Services.
Course length 7.5 weeks
Contact hours 45
Credit value 3.0
MA Community Counseling Program Outcomes
1. PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY; Students will understand and value all aspects of
professional functioning, including history, roles, organizational structures, ethics,
legalities, standards, and credentialing.
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2. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY; Students will apply core theory and
research regarding the cultural context of relationships, including current issues
and trends in a multicultural and diverse society, and to attend to the practice of
professional counseling.
3. HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT; Students will apply core theory
and research regarding the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental
levels to their work as professional counselors.
4. CAREER DEVELOPMENT; Students will apply core theory ad research
pertaining to career development, the psychology of work, and related life factors
to the practice of professional counseling.
5. HELPING RELATIONSHIPS; Students will exhibit the knowledge base and
skills needed to ethically and effectively deliver a rage of professional counseling
and consultation services.
6. GROUP WORK: Students will understand the theoretical and experiential
foundations of group purpose, development, and dynamics and will apply group
counseling methods and skills to the practice of professional counseling.
7. ASSESSMENT; Students will understand principles of testing and measurement
and will apply both individual and group methods of assessment and evaluation to
their work as professional counselors.
8. RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION; Students will understand how
research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessments and program evaluations
are conducted and the role of these practices in the counseling profession.
9. COMMUNICATION SKILLS; Students will communicate clearly and effectively
both orally and in writing.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course aims at providing students with an understanding of the nature and needs of
individuals at all levels of development. Upon completion of this course, students will be
expected to be able to meet the following CACREP and programmatic competencies
specifically (CACREP Section II K 3 a, K3b, K3c, K3d, K3e).
1. Demonstrate knowledge of theories of individual and family development and
transitions across the life span.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of theories of learning and personality development
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3. Understand human behavior including an understanding of developmental crises,
disability, exceptional behavior, addictive behavior, psychopathology, and
situational and environmental factors that affect both normal ad abnormal
behaviors.
4. Understand and demonstrate strategies for facilitating optimum development over
the life span.
5. Understand and demonstrate ethical and legal considerations for human
development.
Summary of Assignments
In this class you will be evaluated on the following: Basic Academic Skills, Application
of Knowledge and the Interpersonal/Professional Presentation.
In class and Online Discussion
Weekly postings begin each Monday morning. You have until the following Sunday at
midnight to respond. Postings require analysis and integration of text material with
personal experiences. Quality of discussion will be evaluated using the attached method.
Weekly online assignments: You will be required to fully answer questions that will
cover material from the texts. You will be emailing your results directly to me at
cmoore@ argosy.edu.
In Class Presentations
Topics can be found at the end of this syllabus. You may work individually or in a team
of no more than 4.
Application Project A range of course application projects are available for you to
choose. See later I Syllabus.
Your final grade will be calculated based on the following course requirements with
the corresponding percent of the final grade:
Weekly Assignments
20%
Presentations
30%
Application Project
30%
Class Participation
20%
Grading Scale
Mastery of Content and Concepts
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A
A-
93-100%
90-92%
Good Understanding of Material
B+ 87-89%
B 83-86%
B- 80-82%
Rather Basic understanding- more work is needed to perform appropriately and at a
professional level
C+ 77-79%
C 73-76%
C- 70-72%
Measured performance indicates that material was not adequately understood
F Less that 70%
Attendance Policy
Owing to the concentrated nature of our 7.5-week courses, the counselor Education
Department at Argosy University/Chicago has a strict attendance policy. It is
expected that students will be I class during the on campus meetings, and that they
will log – on to the online platform at least twice per week.
On Campus Weekends
It is expected that students will be in class unless very ill or involved in an
emergency. More than 3 hours missed will result in automatic loss of one full letter
grade. More than 6 hours missed will result in automatic failure. Late or missing
online participation will also result in loss of one full grade. Please notify your
instructor concerning any anticipated absences. Consult your AU catalog and campus
handbook for information concerning course withdrawal policies and deadlines.
Informed Consent Statement For Counseling Courses
The counseling profession encourages that counselors fully integrate their own
personal attributes and identity, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, into
therapeutic processes. Therefore, self- awareness is critical because this knowledge
relates to being an effective therapist.
There is an emphasis in many courses on self- awareness/ exploration, as well as
giving feedback to peers. Although uncomfortable at times, we encourage students to
be open to self-exploration, since we frequently ask clients to do so. Please be aware
that although instructors strive to create a safe environment for any personal selfdisclosures, we cannot guarantee that other students will maintain the confidentiality
of any such disclosures that are made.
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It is each student’s responsibility to determine an appropriate level of self-disclosure
(i.e. the content and depth of personal information that you share) in experiential
learning activities.
Self-disclosure will not be used as a basis for grading in any course. However, should
a student disclose information indicating impairment or the potential for harm to
clients, the faculty member may take appropriate action in accordance with the ACA
Code of Ethics (2005) and Argosy University’s Student’s Professional Development
or Students Conduct Committees.
Academic Dishonesty/ Plagiarism
In an effort to foster spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process,
Argosy University requires that the submission of all course assignments represent
the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through
normal scholarly references/ citations and all work must be submitted using the
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001),
Washington DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format.
Scholarly Writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a
learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing free from academic
dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all
sources.
Americans With Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for
qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the
student must notify the Director of Students Services. Procedures for documenting
student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be
provided to the student upon request. The Director of Students Services will notify
students when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a
designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility
to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect
student privacy, the Department of Students services will not discuss the
accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make
accommodations for individuals who have not bee approved, in this manner.
Diversity Statement:
Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic,
economic, and educational experiences. Both the academic and training curricula are
designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and
attitudes essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds. Argosy
University does not discriminate or harass on the basis of race, color, national origin,
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sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, and/or any other
characteristic protected by state, local or federal law, in our programs and activities.
Each campus has designated a staff member to handle inquiries and coordinate
individual campus compliance efforts regarding nondiscrimination policy.
Weekly Assignments
1. Online work begins 5/12/08 but the online course will be available to you one
week prior to that date. You must log on to the online portion of the course by
05/11/08 for instructions.
a. Prior to the first assignment please read my introductory lecture online?
b. Read chapters 1,2 and 19 of the Berk Book
c. Read chapter1 in Comstock
d. Complete online assignment
2. On Campus Weekend 05/05/08-05/07/08
a. Read chapters 3,4,5 in Berk
b. Read chapter 2 in Comstock
3. Online 05/09-05-16
a. Read chapters 6,7,8, in Berk
b. Read chapter 4 I Comstock
c. Complete online assignment
4. Online 05/17-05-24
a. Complete online assignments
5. On Campus 5/30/08- 06/01/08
a. In class presentations
b. Final exam
In Class Presentations
Individually or in a team of no more that four total students you may choose to
address and present on any one of the following questions/situations. If you work
in a team, the contributions of each member must be obvious, and all members of
the team will receive the same grade. Be vivid and creative in your presentation
format (e.g.- role plays and live demonstrations, Power Point presentations, video
clips, poster sessions, etc). We will try to not duplicate presentations if possible.
1. You are counseling the parents of a young infant. They describe their baby
as fussy and irritable. They are convinced that they must be doing something
wrong to make their child act this way. Based on the evidence available from
research, what could you tell these parents about the relative contributions of
heredity vs. environment (including parents) in shaping the temperament of the
infant? Secondly, given this information, what specific recommendations
would you make regarding parenting behaviors they should demonstrate to
create a more synchronous relationship? Be sure to provide behavioral
examples that would be helpful to most parents. For the purposes of the
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presentation, you must also present the evidence based on research to justify
your approach.
1. Imagine a 4-year-old child. What are the important issues confronting this
child according to Freud, Erikson, and Piaget? Compare and contrast these
viewpoints and provide helpful hints for parents to assist their negotiation
through this challenging time. These hints should be specific enough so that
they will be helpful to parents and with clear, concrete instructions for
implementation. For the presentation, be sure to provide clear examples of a
4- year- olds physical, cognitive, emotional, and social worlds as viewed by
each of these three theorists perspectives.
3. Frasier is a five year old boy who is deathly afraid of the outdoors, particularly
when there are dogs around. This intense fear has been a part of Frasier’s life
since the day he was playing outside and was attacked by a German Shepard.
Now he refuses to go outside to play and he avoids the family dog, a poodle.
Using any ideas and concepts from any of the learning theory perspectives,
explain how this intense fear developed, and why it continues and how you
might extinguish Frasier’s fear. Design a plan to help Frasier overcome this
fear of dogs. Use specific concepts from the operant and classical conditioning
as part of your plan.
4. Discuss parental style and its importance to child outcomes. Given
this information, how would you advise parents to minimize later problems and
foster a more positive parent- child relationship? Be specific and provide
behavioral examples that parents can use as a guide.
5. Summarize and evaluate the research on the factors involved in promoting
healthy attachment of infants and children to their parents/caretakers. List and
describe Ainsworth’s 3 primary attachment styles as well as any other attachment
styles which have been observed and discovered since her pioneering work,
describe Ainsworth’s research on attachment styles, and evaluate the impact of
various attachment styles on the behavior of young children and its potential
influence on later adult relationships.
6. Summarize and evaluate the theories about causes of ADJD. Describe and
evaluate ways of helping children with ADHDS. Be sure to include parental and
therapeutic interventions and that some of these interventions are specific enough
for children and /or parents to understand and implement.
7. Discuss couple/ marital relationships. What factors contribute to their success as
well as failure? These include personal, situational and contextual factors. How
does the marital life cycle impact happiness and satisfaction? Given this
information what recommendations would you give a young couple that is
contemplating marriage or long-term commitment? Provide specific suggestions
that will pave the way for greater chances of happiness and satisfaction.
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8. Summarize the main features of adolescent thought and explain how they impact
on sexual decision- making. Give that information; imagine that you are the
parents of a 14-year-old girl that wants to date a twenty-year-old man. How would
you deal with this situation using an authoritative style? Developing a dialogue
between parent and child might be helpful. Finally, compare and contrast the
authoritative style of parenting in this situation with what a permissive and
neglectful style of parenting would look like. What are the likely outcomes for the
different styles used in this situation?
9. You are counseling the 38-year-old mother of a moderately rebellious teenage girl
the mother is very frustrated because she and her daughter think so differently.
One of the hurtful things that daughter keepings saying to her mother is that it’s
all downhill for adults mentally and that her mother is past her peak. First contrast
the characteristics of adolescents and adult thought and use this to explain why
adults and adolescents can view the same situation so differently. Second,
evaluate the evidence that “its all downhill” mentally for adults, bringing in
specific evidence about changes in cognitive abilities throughout adulthood.
Third, provide advice for this mother that will create a more harmonious
relationship between the two of them.
10. Discuss the current literature pertaining to divorce as it relates to children and
adults. Why must one examine the impact of divorce from divergent perspectives
when considering the consequences to children versus adults? Using the
information from the text and other resources as necessary what specific
recommendations would you provide for a couple who is contemplating divorce
and whose children are ages 4, and 12? Cite from various sources as needed to
support your answer. This is due by the last in class session
Application Project Options
Students will choose one of the following assignments listed below. Students may
propose an alternative project of comparable rigor and scope (with instructor
approval). Length of paper 7-10 pages APA style must be adhered to (See
publication manual 5th edition). This application project should demonstrate
understanding of theoretical and research concepts of human development. While
the papers should focus on practical application, conceptual clarity and
understanding of the theoretical material must be demonstrated. Papers will be
evaluated on the basis of conceptual understanding of human developmental
processes, quality of critical thinking, clarity of written expression, and ability to
apply course concepts to the chosen topic. A rubric for this assignment will be
provided.
1. “Tuesdays with Morrie” Paper: The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate
your ability to identify and apply developmental concepts in a particular context.
In preparation for this assignment, you will need to read the book “Tuesdays with
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Morrie” by Mitch Albom and then provide an analysis of issues of lifespan
development contained within the book. Focus on either Mitch or Morrie.
Develop a thesis about the development as an adult
Summarize what is known (from the book) regarding the following
developmental domains of either Mitch or Morrie
Physical or biological development
Cognitive development
Emotional development
Social development
Faith or spiritual development
From the list above, choose two domains of development, which pertain most
directly to your thesis regarding Mitch/Morrie development as an adult. Using a
lifespan text, as well as additional resources, pursue and write a more in – depth
understanding of these two developmental domains. Discuss your thesis regarding
Mitch’s/ Morrie’s development in light of this more in- depth understanding of
the developmental domains you have chosen to explore. You will address whether
your deeper investigation into either Mitch or Morrie’s development has borne
out the validity of your initial thesis, and why or why not, and provide a
conclusion to your paper.
2. Review a film, video, or television series and critically analyze it by applying
issue and theories of lifespan human development. What theoretical or research
concepts are illustrated by the characters and events? Also consider
whether the issues raised reflect the cultural context and setting of the film/TV
series. You must give sufficient background and examples from the life of the
character(s) being analyzed so that the reader can make the connection between
the character(s) and the developmental theories being applied. However as thesis
an application project, you are not to simply tell the story of the character.
3. Developmental/Autobiographical Essay: You may model this paper on the
“Tuesday with Morrie” format above. If you like or use the other format
suggested here. In this paper you are applying your life to developmental theory
and developmental theory to your life. You should begin by identifying
developmentally significant events in your life and using these to illustrate
developmental theories/ concepts. In doing so, you are demonstrating that you
understand developmental theories and concepts through appropriate application
to your life. It is probable best to concentrate on one or two stages and organize
your paper around one or two developmental theories, models, or research
findings, but you may also do a lifespan developmental review of your whole life
to date, highlighting your biological, cognitive, emotional, social, and other
dimensions of development at each stage of life. (e.g. what you know about your
prenatal period, infancy through early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence,
early adulthood, and any other epoch beyond that you have reached). Balance
your description of events with analysis and theory (i.e. this paper is not meant
solely as a recitation of your life history to date). Finally, your paper needs to
include an integrative/ analytical summary of the previous material that attempts
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to explain/account for the type of person that you have become (for example, you
could use the concept of the “Big Five” to organize this final integrative/
analytical section). This assignment has proven very valuable to students ion the
past.
4. Interview an Adult: Select an adult who is a different chronological age than you.
Have a fairly brief, informal interaction with that person in which you discuss one
of these topics (a) the generation gap and cohort differences (b) aging (c) healthy
lifestyle (d) vocational choice (e) faith or (f) lifelong learning. Your task will be
to have abnormal interaction with this person and attempt to understand his/her
perspective on or experience with the selected topic. Do not take notes during the
interaction.
a. Describe the interaction experience, including a description of the context
I which the conversation took place
b. Discuss the reasons you selected this person
c. Provide a short synopsis of the interaction, including your reaction during
and after the experience
d. Describe at least two theoretical concepts or research findings that relate
to your understanding of this person based o your interaction
e. Discuss the ways in which the theoretical concept or research finding
applies to some aspect of your experience with this person
f. Provide a conclusion to your paper
5. Read a non-fiction book covering any topic of human development and critically
review it. Examples Odd girl Out: The hidden cultures of aggression in girls
(2003) by R. Simmons; Lost boys: Why our sons turn violent and how we can
save them (2000) by Garbarin; The hurried child 3rd, ed by D. Elkind;
Community service and social responsibility in youth (1997) by Youniss and
Yates; Passages (Gail Sheehy) Woman growth in connection (Jordan, et al.);
Vital involvement in old age (E Erikson) Real boys (William Pollack) Reviving
Ophelia
(Mary Pipher); Emotional Intelligence (Daniel Goleman).
6. Read a fictional book: Write a case study on one or more characters integrating
concepts from lifespan development (e.g. identity development) A classic in this
genre is Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger.
7. Literature review and conclusion: Review 10 empirical studies (i.e. ten separate
articles) published no earlier that 1990, related to a topic of interest, and involving
research with human subjects. Write a brief paper which summarizes the overall
findings I the research, indicates how this information may be utilized I working
with individuals impacted by the topic, represents general and original
conclusions regarding the topic selected, and suggest direction for future research
to satisfy unresolved issues/ questions. This is due by the last online
assignment. Email this directly to the instructor.
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