Developmental Psychology Program: Curriculum
The developmental training curriculum involves 35 hours of formal developmental course work in addition to masters’, FLORS, and dissertation research hours. Students in the developmental training curriculum are also expected to enroll regularly in a biweekly Proseminar on Developmental Science (6 semesters minimum). The program is designed to allow students to maximally pursue their developmental research interests and accumulate academic credentials that will give them optimal access to the job market of their choice. The formal course requirements are as follows:
| Statistics, Design, and Professional Issues
(14 hours): |
PSYC 790:
Statistical methods of psychology I
Elementary distribution theory; one-way
analysis of variance, linear trends, contrasts, post hoc tests;
simple regression and correlation; general linear model.
Prerequisite: A beginning course in statistics and graduate
standing, or consent of instructor. LEC
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PSYC 791:
Statistical Methods in Psychology II
Continuation of PSYC 790. Multiway analysis
of variance for crossed, nested, and incomplete designs; analysis of
covariance; multiple regression and correlation; general linear
model. Prerequisite: PSYC 790 or consent of instructor. LEC
|
PSYC 815:
Design and Analysis for Developmental Research
Coverage of the philosophy and basic
principles of group-design research, with a special emphasis on
designs that are appropriate for developmental studies. Designs for
both experimental and quasi-experimental research are covered, and
appropriate statistical procedures are presented concomitantly with
the designs. Individual-difference analyses and statistical control
issues are also addressed. LEC
|
PSYC 982:
Issues in Scientific Conduct
Lectures and discussion on issues in the
conduct of a scientific career, with emphasis on practical topics of
special importance in behavioral science. Topics will include the
academic and scientific roles of behavioral scientists, establishing
a research lab, communicating research findings, tenure processes,
gender equity, ethical conduct, and good scientific citizenship.
Discussions will highlight important case studies. (Same as SPLH
982.) LEC
|
| Core Developmental Courses (12 hours):
|
PSYC 691:
Psychology of Aging
| Social, psychological, and economic
adjustments required by aging; changes in cognition, role and
personality necessitated by advancing age. Prerequisite: PSYC 104.
LEC |
PSYC 870:
Cognitive Development
A lecture/discussion course in cognitive
development. The course will contrast the theory and research of
Jean Piaget and his followers, with an information processing or
cognitive psychology approach to issues. Topics include development
of perception, attention and information getting; memory and
metamemory; problem solving; discrimination learning and concept
formation; and individual differences in cognitive styles and
strategies. Prerequisite: A course in child psychology or
development, a course in cognitive psychology, or consent of
instructor. LEC
|
PSYC 825:
Social Development
A lecture and discussion course in social
development. It includes such topics as theoretical approaches to
the study of social development, as well as the literature on family
processes, peer relations, aggression and prosocial behavior, child
abuse and neglect, family violence, child care, and the media.
(Formerly PSYC 880.) (Same as ABSC 825.) Prerequisite: A course in
child psychology or development. LEC
|
PSYC 923:
History and Systems in Developmental Psychology: Developmental Theory
An intensive study of traditional and recent
developmental theories with an emphasis upon the role of heredity,
early stimulation, reinforcement, and modification as each affects
the course of the development of children. LEC
|
Concentration (9 hours, minimum):
The concentration is designed to build expertise in an area chosen by the student in conjunction with his/her faculty advisor. Courses offered outside the department may count toward the concentration. Being a flexible requirement, the concentration can be either very focused or a uniquely tailored hybrid of courses.
Some examples of concentrations that students may create are listed below. These examples are flexible in that many related courses may be substituted for the same general theme of the concentration and students can create a concentration that fits with their interests and educational objectives. Possible concentrations include:
General Cognitive Development
PSYC 723:
Advanced Cognitive Psychology
Advanced cognitive psychology reviewing
theories of pattern recognition, attention, working memory, language
comprehension and problem solving. Emphasis will be placed upon the
application of these theories to real-life situations. Prerequisite:
PSYC 104 and six additional credit hours in psychology, or
permission of the instructor. LEC
|
PSYC 800:
Cognition and Aging
An advanced survey of theory and research in
a selected area of experimental psychology. Continual enrollment for
four semesters is required of entering graduate students in
experimental psychology. Open to other students with graduate
standing in psychology or a closely related field. May be repeated
with permission. LEC
|
PSYC 872:
Attention, Perception, and Learning in Infancy
Coverage of the basic literatures on
perceptual-cognitive behavior during the first three years of life,
as assessed by measures of attention, perception, learning, and
memory. Course material is approached from an information-processing
framework. LEC
|
Social-Personality Development
PSYC 777:
Social Psychology: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications
Basic theories in social psychology, as well
as their applications to the process of coping with life events. The
focus is on the nature of each theory, including the history and
more recent developments; however, where clinical applications have
been made of a particular theory, these will be discussed. LEC
|
PSYC 670:
Theories of Personality
| Traces the development of modern approaches
to the understanding of personality and examines in detail the major
theoretical systems proposed to explain personality structure and
dynamics. Prerequisite: PSYC 104. LEC |
PSYC 962:
Advanced Personality
A survey of selected advanced topics in the
area of personality. Includes review of theoretical and research
issues in the area of personality. Prerequisite: Consent of
instructor. LEC
|
Quantitative Developmental Methods
PSYC 991:
Structural Equation Modeling I
Survey of modern methods for testing
hypotheses on multivariate correlational data in the behavioral and
social sciences. Topics include exploratory and confirmatory factor
analysis, path analysis, and linear structural equations as
alternative covariance models. Applications to data are stressed,
rather than mathematical derivations; exercises on relevant computer
programs are included. Prerequisite: PSYC 790 and PSYC 791 or
consent of instructor. LEC
|
PSYC 993:
Structural Equation Modeling II
PSYC 990:
Multivariate Analysis
Introduction to use of the general linear
model for analysis of behavioral and social data. Includes
multivariate multiple regression, multivariate analysis of variance,
multiple discriminant analysis, and canonical correlation. Primarily
a lecture course; practical experience with packaged computer
programs is included. Prerequisite: PSYC 790 and PSYC 791 or consent
of instructor. LEC
|
Note: such a concentration would also lend itself to the completion of a graduate minor in Quantitative Psychology and satisfaction of the FLORS requirements
Developmental Evolutionary Psychology
PSYC 900:
Developmental Evolutionary Psychology
An advanced survey of theory and research in
a selected area of Developmental Evolutionary psychology. Open to
students with graduate standing in psychology or a closely related
field. LEC
|
BIO 625:
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology is the
Undergraduate course offered in Biology Department LEC
|
BIO 668:
Evolutionary Ecology
Evolutionary Ecology is the Undergraduate
course offered in Biology Department LEC
|
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC 725:
Cognitive Neuroscience
A survey of the critical issues within
cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. The course will provide
information about neuronal physiology, functional neuroanatomy, and
psychophysiological research methods. Human cognition and the
neurophysiology that subserves the primary cognitive functions will
be discussed. LEC
|
PSYC 800:
Neuroscience Methods
An advanced survey of theory and research in
a selected area of experimental psychology. Continual enrollment for
four semesters is required of entering graduate students in
experimental psychology. Open to other students with graduate
standing in psychology or a closely related field. May be repeated
with permission. LEC
|
PSYC 800:
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
An advanced survey of theory and research in
a selected area of experimental psychology. Continual enrollment for
four semesters is required of entering graduate students in
experimental psychology. Open to other students with graduate
standing in psychology or a closely related field. May be repeated
with permission. LEC
|
Language Development
PSYC 735:
Psycholinguistics
A detailed examination of issues in the
processing of language. The course will provide a survey of research
and theory in psycholinguistics, reflecting the influence of
linguistic theory and experimental psychology. Spoken and written
language comprehension and language production processing will be
examined. (Same as LING 735.) LEC
|
PSYC 783:
Research Methods in Language Development
A survey of methods for studying
phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic change during
language development. Methods include: diary interpretation,
language sample analysis, probe elicitation tasks, and clinical
assessment. Prerequisite: PSYC 791 or equivalent or consent of
instructor. LEC
|
SPLH 816:
Language Development
Language Development is the Graduate Course
offered in the Speech-Language-Hearing Department LEC
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Developmental FLORS (8 hours minimum) :
The FLORS requirement is generally satisfied by taking two additional (4 hours each) quantitative courses offered through the quantitative training program. Note that satisfying the FLORS requirement in this way also lends itself to the completion of a graduate minor in Quantitative Psychology (4 courses are required for the minor).
