DEP 2004 5262 Human Development Across the Lifespan
School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences (SPBS)
University of West Florida
Meeting Day: Mondays & Wednesdays
Meeting Time: 10:15 - 11:50 a.m.
Location: Building 51, Room 152
Term: Summer 2012 A Term (May 14 - Aug. 10)
Web Site: www.uwf.edu/ejordan (Click on "Lifespan")
Instructor: Erica Jordan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
E-mail: ejordan@uwf.edu PLEASE title the subject of all e-mails “Lifespan.” During weekends and
university holidays, I may not be accessible via e-mail so responses may be delayed.
Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. or by appointment
Office Location: Building 41, Room 206
Teaching Assistant: Sarah Rupnaraine
E-mail: sbr11@students.uwf.edu
SPBS Course Description: Survey of major themes and recent findings in the area of human
development across the life span. Emphasis will be on the major transitions from fetal development
through death in the physical, cognitive, and emotional domains. The impact of ethnic, gender, and
cultural factors on development will be examined. (General Studies Course: SS/BEH)
Course Overview: In this course you will obtain a breadth of knowledge about key theories, concepts,
and terminology in the field of human development. Particular emphasis will be on the processes by
which humans change throughout life from the prenatal period until old age. We will be concerned with
the evidence of these changes in the "real world." Consequently, we will consider illustrations from the
news media, entertainment media, and our own personal lives to assist us in understanding key concepts
in human development. While at times we might share our own perspectives and personal opinions, we
will be particularly concerned with understanding the scientific findings in the field of human development.
It is particularly important that you obtain the textbook for this course and keep up with your assigned
readings. This is a survey course that covers a multitude of topics and key terms. It is not possible for us
to repeat everything that is in your textbook during class lectures and discussions. There is some
material that you will be solely responsible for reading. The lectures and class discussions will be most
helpful to you if you have read the assigned chapters prior to attending class.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Identify major themes in the field of human development.
2. Differentiate key lifespan theories, concepts, and terms within diverse cultures.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the scientific method, research designs, and selected classic research
studies in the field of human development.
4. Identify major physical, cognitive, and social changes that occur throughout the lifespan.
5. Think critically about major themes in the field of human development and apply themes to
experiences outside of the classroom.
6. *Solve discipline-based problems using conventional strategies.
7. *Practice appropriate standards related to respect for intellectual property.
Evaluation: Student learning outcomes will be evaluated with exams and in-class assignments.
*Please note that this course fulfills a "Problem Solving/Critical Thinking" component and a "Academic
Integrity/Values-Integrity" component of the General Studies curriculum requirement at UWF.
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Required Materials:
 Textbook: Arnett, J. J. (2011). Human Development: A Cultural Approach
 Additional required supplementary materials will be available online.
 #2 pencil for exam days
 Access to a personal or public computer so that you may regularly check for e-mail from the
professor, check for course blog updates, and complete an online Academic Integrity Module in
eLearning
 Notebook paper to take notes in class and complete in-class assignments
Human Development Across the Lifespan is designated as a General Studies course. The General
Studies curriculum at the University of West Florida is designed to provide a cohesive program of study
that promotes the development of a broadly educated person and provides the knowledge and skills
needed to succeed in university studies. This course has been approved as meeting your requirement in
the Behavioral area. The major General Studies learning outcomes for this course are Problem Solving
and Academic Integrity.
If you are interested in a major in psychology, you should contact the School of Psychological and
Behavioral Sciences at 850-474-2364. If you are undecided about your major, you should contact your
academic advisor or the Career Center at 850-474-2254.
Disability Resources: The Student Disability Resource Center SDRC at the University of West Florida
supports an inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or
design of this course that hinder your full participation, such as time limited exams, inaccessible web
content, or the use of non-captioned videos and podcasts, please notify the instructor or the SDRC as
soon as possible. You may contact the SDRC office by e-mail at sdrc@uwf.edu or by phone at (850) 4742387. Appropriate academic accommodations will be determined based on the documented needs of the
individual. Please contact this office as soon as possible. "Retroactive accommodations" cannot be
made meaning that I cannot change a less than desirable grade once it has been earned.
Attendance Policy: You are expected to attend all class sessions in their entirety. Formal attendance
will not be taken. However, in-class assignments will be randomly given during the class period. These
assignments may only be completed on that date and that time during the class period. If you are not
present, they are not available for makeup and points will be deducted from your final grade in the course.
If you are late to class or leave early and miss an assignment, the assignment is not available for
makeup. In rare cases of documented university excused absences that are submitted to the instructor,
the assignment will simply be “thrown out” such that it cannot help or hurt your grade.
University Policy on Academic Conduct: Academic honesty and integrity are major components of
education at UWF. Our values do not condone any behavior that takes away from that academic honesty
and integrity. In concordance with those values, no cheating of any kind will be tolerated in this course for
any exam or assignment. Cheating may take the form of sharing answers on an exam or individual
assignment, turning in work that was completed from a previous course as a graded assignment in this
course, referring to outside materials (such as written material, a book, a recording, a cell phone, etc.)
during examinations and quizzes, and claiming someone else’s thoughts or words as your own in a
written assignment (also known as plagiarism).
Any instance of academic misconduct (such as cheating, sharing answers, pre-preparing your own
answers and referring to them during quizzes and examinations, allowing someone else to view or hear
answers to a graded assignment, plagiarism, etc.) will result in an automatic “0” on the assignment as the
minimum penalty and will be reported to the university administration at UWF. After the incident has been
filed with the university administration, it will be dealt with to the fullest extent according to the university’s
policy on Academic Misconduct which can be found at
(http://uwf.edu/academics/policies/misconduct.cfm). Consequences may include, but are not limited to,
withdrawal from the course, failing the course, suspension, or expulsion from the university.
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You are advised to take special care to preserve your own academic integrity and your reputation for
academic integrity. Do not jeopardize either by engaging in or tolerating any form of academic
misconduct, and take care to ensure that you are not engaging in any activity that might be misperceived
as academic misconduct. Each student is encouraged to access the plagiarism tutorial offered by the
library (http://library.uwf.edu/Research/OnlineTutorials/Plagiarism/) so that they may obtain a complete
understanding of what constitutes plagiarism. This tutorial provides an excellent overview of proper
citation and quotation of the work of others, as well as examples of proper and improper citations and
quotations, and strategies to avoid plagiarism.
Academic Responsibility: What you learn and the grade you earn in this class are your responsibility.
Please refer to the university policy on class attendance in the UWF Catalog (http://uwf.edu/catalog/).
Attendance at class is your responsibility, but you are expected to attend each class. You will also be
expected to refrain from any behavior that disrupts or interferes with the class, and to refrain from any
behavior or expression that might be deemed offensive by a member of the class. To assure an
atmosphere conducive to learning that maintains the dignity of and respect for all parties involved,
students will be expected to adhere to the university statement on expectations for academic conduct and
classroom behavior, as published in the Student Code of Conduct, posted by the Office of Student Rights
and Responsibilities (http://uwf.edu/osrr/). You are also expected to be prepared before each class
period, having completed any assigned readings, exam preparations, or assignments so that you can
meaningfully contribute to the class discussions and succeed on activities and examinations. In addition,
you will be responsible for outside material not found in your required textbook. You will be expected to
access these additional resources using the course blog and by taking notes in class. Each student is
expected to access the course blog and his or her UWF student e-mail account on a regular basis to
check for messages, updates, and changes made by the instructor.
Course Website and eLearning: This is not an online course. However, materials will be regularly
posted on the course website. Students are expected to access the site at www.uwf.edu/ejordan/ on a
regular basis. After you reach the homepage, click on the link “Lifespan” then "Course Blog" for class
updates and materials. The course syllabus, the tentative schedule for the class, schedule updates,
grading rubrics, exam study guides, detailed information about required assignments, and links to online
material required in the course but not found in the textbook will all be posted on this website. You may
need to refresh your web browser in order to view the updated material on the website.
Your grades will be posted on eLearning after your assignments have been graded. You can access the
eLearning site by using your campus username and password to login to Argus. Please note that
eLearning has regularly scheduled maintenance times throughout the semester. During this time,
eLearning will not be accessible to students at all.
Course Withdrawal: The deadline for withdrawing from a course is set by the university, so check the
UWF website to be sure that it has not changed. After the posted date it is extremely difficult to obtain
approval for withdrawal from a course. Students should review the university policy on course withdrawal.
Withdrawal from a course after the posted deadline requires approval of the student’s academic advisor,
course instructor, department chairperson, and the Academic Appeals committee. Requests for late
withdrawals may be approved by the Academic Appeals committee
(http://uwf.edu/registrar/withdrawal.cfm), the instructor, and the department chairperson only under
unusual circumstances, which must be documented, such as a death in the immediate family, serious
illness of the student or an immediate family member, or call to military service or National Guard duty.
Requests without documentation will not be accepted or approved. Requests for a late withdrawal simply
for not succeeding in the course do not meet the criteria and will not be approved.
Tropical Storms: Hurricane Season extends through the month of November, which covers almost the
entire fall semester. Although nobody wants a tropical storm to make landfall locally, it is a very real
possibility that we should be properly prepared for. With an approaching storm, the university will
announce its plans for closure, due to the potential for a hurricane to impact the Pensacola area.
Decisions regarding closure of the university will be made as the track of the storm becomes more
apparent. Please pay careful attention to the UWF announcements on the university website or on
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WUWF FM radio. For additional information about the university and its hurricane preparations, refer to
the information posted by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety
(http://uwf.edu/envhs/hurricane.cfm). If the university is closed, then class is cancelled. Please do not
endanger yourself by traveling to attempt to attend class when the university is closed.
Contingency Plan for Student or Instructor Illness: During the course of the semester, there is a
reasonable likelihood that a student may become ill with the flu or other infectious illness. It is important
for students to take responsible precautions to avoid getting sick, as recommended by the Centers for
Disease Control and the university. Specifically, students are encouraged to wash hands frequently and
to use hand sanitizers located in numerous sites on campus. Additionally, students are advised to avoid
passing an illness to other individuals by staying home when sick and following other recommendations of
the CDC and university to avoid spreading disease. If you must miss a quiz or an assignment because
you are ill, bring an excuse from a physician or from the student health center on campus so that no
points will be deducted from your final grade.
Student Conduct and Civility:
Students who do not abide by these guidelines and the guidelines in the university’s Code of Conduct will
be required to leave the classroom for the remainder of the class session.
 Every person in this classroom is expected to be respectful of the other students seeking to learn
in this environment. You are expected to refrain from any behavior that is disruptive to others,
that interferes with the class, or that is disrespectful toward another student or the instructor.
Please familiarize yourself with the Student Code of Conduct, posted by the Office of Judicial
Affairs (http://uwf.edu/JudicialAffairs/). Before making a comment during class, please consider
whether or not it will be deemed offensive by other students. If you believe it will be, do not make
that comment.
 Do not use cell phones, pagers, text messengers, e-mail, online chat, or any other
communication device during this class. If you must leave your cell phone or communication
device on for an emergency reason, turn off both the ringer and the vibrating alert because they
are disruptive to the other students around you and to the instructor. Only the “lamp” or lighted
feature is acceptable during class time. When you receive an emergency call, please exit
through the rear of the classroom, close the door, and receive your call outside. During exams,
all communication devices are to be placed under your desk. Exams are individual assignments
and no communication devices, other students, "cheat sheets," or "life lines" may be used.
 Individual conversations are disruptive and disrespectful to your instructor and to the other
students around you. If you need to have a conversation, please exit through the rear of the
classroom, close the door, and talk outside.
 Punctuality is highly valued in this classroom. The class will begin promptly. If you find that you
cannot be on time, enter through the rear of the classroom and take a seat as quietly as possible
so that you do not disrupt others. If you find that it is frequently impossible for you to be on time,
you might consider dropping the course and taking it when it is offered at another time.
Basic Course Requirements:
There are two components of this course that impact your grade. They are as follows:
1. Examinations (75% of final grade): The evaluation of student learning outcomes in this course
will include 3 multiple-choice, closed-book exams. Each exam will be worth 25% of your final
grade for a total of 75% of your final grade when all exams are combined. You MUST be present
in class on the day of the exam in order to complete the exam. Students are required to be
prepared with the proper writing instruments and university identification on the date of the exam.
Only official university excuses, excuses that have been pre-approved by the instructor and for
which there is proper documentation, and medical/court excuses will be accepted. In these
cases, students will take an alternative makeup exam that will be held IMMEDIATELY
FOLLOWING THE FINAL EXAM on the final exam date. This is the only date offered for
makeup exams. The only exceptions will be for students traveling on official university
business with official university documentation. Students who are ill or who simply fail to
attend the exam will be required to take the makeup exam on this date. Exams will be given
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at the beginning of the class period on exam dates. Students will have until the end of the class
period to complete each exam. Exam study guides will be posted on the course blog at the
instructor's discretion. If the instructor does post a study guide for an exam, it will be available at
least five days before the exam. It is not recommended that students wait until a study guide is
posted to begin reading and preparing for the exam.
2. In-Class Assignments (25% of final grade): Students are expected to attend class, and
students will be responsible for any outside material presented during class sessions. In other
words, you will be responsible for material that cannot be found in the textbook. If you have to be
absent from class, it is highly recommended that you obtain the notes from another student.
Some material will be posted on the course website, but all of the material may not be posted.
Graded in-class assignments will be required on randomly selected dates and times and will
count toward the final grade. Assignments missed will not be available for makeup and will
not be accepted late. In the case of emergencies with official documentation or official
university absences, a missed assignment may simply be “thrown out” such that it will neither
help nor hurt the student’s final grade.
Course Grading and Assignments:
Assignment
In-Class Assignments
Exam 1
Exam 2
Final Exam (Exam 3)
Proportion of final grade
25%
25%
25%
25%
Earn ArgoPoints for This Course
Summer Deadline for Reading Psychological Research for ArgoPoints!
Friday, June 8 at 5:00 p.m.
Summer Deadline for Participating in a Research Study for ArgoPoints!
Monday, June 18 at 5:00 p.m.
1 ArgoPoint = 1 Extra Credit Point = 1 point added to your total course average
Psychology Research Pool (PRP) Participation: This course is included in the Psychology Research Pool
(PRP) at UWF. This means that you will have the opportunity to earn ArgoPoints for extra credit in this class by
participating in research activities. These activities are designed to enhance your understanding regarding the use of
current psychological research. ArgoPoints are research participation credits that will be translated into extra credit
at the end of the semester. There are 2 options for earning ArgoPoints through the PRP:
Option 1: Participating in research studies. You can earn ArgoPoints by being a participant in a research
study through the PRP. You can find a list of current studies on the PRP webpage at
http://www.uwf.edu/spbs/prp/studies. You may also check the departmental bulletin board located on the 1 st floor of
the Psychology building (Building 41). You can then select a study that you find interesting and read the sign-up
instructions. You will earn 1 ArgoPoint for every hour of participation. These points are rounded up to the next
hour. (If the study takes 45 minutes, you will receive 1 ArgoPoint.) Some studies that require you to travel to labs
may offer an additional ArgoPoint. Each ArgoPoint is worth 1 extra credit points in this course. You cannot
earn more than 4 total extra credit points (or 4 total ArgoPoints) for this course from the PRP. You must
participate by Monday, June 18 at 5:00 p.m. to earn ArgoPoints by participating in research studies.
 Your Rights & Responsibilities as a Research Participant. The website will provide you with
information about what you will be asked to do as a part of each study. During the course of
participation, you reserve the right to discontinue your participation at any time without
penalty. Should you choose to participate in research, you have a responsibility to show up at your
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2.
scheduled time and to follow the directions of the researcher to the best of your ability. If you have to
cancel an appointment, please do so as early as possible. Each student who fails to attend a scheduled
appointment takes the place of a student that could have attended.
At the time of research participation, you must indicate that you want the ArgoPoints you earn to be
applied to this specific course. This decision may not be changed at a later date. Please note that I
will not keep track of the ArgoPoints that you apply to this course. I will not receive this information
until the end of the semester. You are responsible for knowing how many ArgoPoints you have
applied to each specific course that offers ArgoPoints.
For more about your rights and responsibilities, as well as to learn more about the responsibilities of
the researcher, please consult the PRP student website that can be found online at
http://www.uwf.edu/spbs/prp.
Option 2: Reading Psychological Research. You can also earn ArgoPoints by reading and summarizing
empirical journal articles. You can find a list of approved papers on the PRP website at
http://www.uwf.edu/spbs/prp/alternative. To earn credit, you must read one of the articles write a brief paper
about the article. Guidelines for the paper may also be found on the PRP website. The guidelines require you to
describe the purpose of the study and focus on the role of the participants in the study. After you have read two
(2) research articles and submitted a paper for each of the two articles, you will receive one (1) ArgoPoint. The
two papers should be submitted together, at the same time, to ensure that you receive credit. All articles
must be turned in by Friday, June 8, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Be sure that you avoid plagiarism when writing your
papers. If it is determined that you have plagiarized (either intentionally or unintentionally), you will receive no
credit for the assignment. In addition, you will be considered as violating the Student Code of Conduct. You
may access the current Student Code of Conduct at http://www.uwf.edu/judicialaffairs. This site also houses the
new Academic Misconduct Policy that went into effect on August 27, 2007. Each student is encouraged to
access the plagiarism tutorial offered by the library online at
http://library.uwf.edu/Research/OnlineTutorials/Plagiarism so that they may obtain a complete understanding of
what constitutes plagiarism.
You may choose to earn ArgoPoints by completing only Option 1, only Option 2, or any combination of both
options 1 and 2. Again, the total number of ArgoPoints possible for this course is 4, which translates to 4 possible
extra credit points. Toward the end of the semester after the participation deadline, I will receive a list of the
number of ArgoPoints that you have earned for this specific course. This list will not include the specific studies or
writing assignments that you completed to earn the ArgoPoints. It is your responsibility to keep track of that
information. After receiving this list, I will apply your extra credit to your grade.
There will be no PRP studies available for ArgoPoints after the participation deadline. If you want to participate in
the PRP, be sure to do so before the deadline. Again, the participation deadline for participating in research
studies is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 18, 2012. You may participate in a research study after this deadline, but
you may not earn ArgoPoints at that time. Some studies may offer another small incentive for participation after
this deadline, but it will not be ArgoPoints (or extra credit). You may not carryover ArgoPoints to a new semester.
For additional information about the guidelines for earning ArgoPoints, you are strongly encouraged to review the
information on the PRP student website before participating in a research study or completing an article review. It is
your responsibility to be aware of the ArgoPoint guidelines. If you have any questions about the guidelines, please
contact the PRP coordinator at spbsprp@uwf.edu.
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HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
DEP 2004 5262 TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:15 - 11:50 a.m.
Building 51, Room 152
Date
5/14
5/16
5/21
5/23
5/28
5/30
6/4
6/6
6/11
6/13
6/18
6/20
6/25
6/27
7/2
7/4
7/9
7/11
7/16
7/18
7/23
7/25
7/30
8/1
8/6
8/8
Topic
Course Overview
A Cultural Approach to Human Development
A Cultural Approach to Human Development/
Genetics and Prenatal Development
Genetics and Prenatal Development
MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY
Birth and the Newborn Child
Infancy: The First Year of Life
Infancy: The First Year of Life
Deadline for completing the online Academic
Integrity Module in eLearning!
Exam 1
Toddlerhood
Early Childhood
Early Childhood
Middle Childhood
Middle Childhood
Adolescence
INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY
Exam 2
Emerging Adulthood
Young Adulthood
Middle Adulthood
Documentary Critique
Documentary Critique
Late Adulthood
Late Adulthood
Death and Afterlife Beliefs
FINAL EXAM (Exam 3)
Reading Chapters
Chapter 1
Chapter 1/Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Bring your #2 pencil!
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Bring your #2 pencil!
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Bring your #2 pencil!
Note: All items on this schedule are subject to change, but you will be given reasonable notice
in such cases. Additional reading assignments from outside materials may also be assigned
and this material will be covered on exams.
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