Kevin MacDonald, Ph.D.
CSULB, Department of Psychology
Psychology 661: Developmental Seminar
Syllabus: Spring 2003
Meeting times: 2:00-4:45 Wednesday in PSY 320
Instructor: Kevin MacDonald, Ph.D.
Office: 417 Psychology
Phone: 985-8183 (Answering Machine)
Email: KMACD@CSULB.EDU; kmacd@cox.net
Webpage: www.csulb.edu/~kmacd
Office Hours: 1:00-2:00 Wednesday, 2:30-3:30, Tuesday, Thursday
Textbook: The Origins of Human Nature, by David Bjorklund and Anthony Pelligrini. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2002.
A packet of readings will be made available.
This course is designed as an introduction to developmental psychology at the graduate level. We will cover topics in the areas of cognitive, social and personality development. Developmental psychology is a very broad field. I assume that you have some background in this area, but I will do a little lecturing in order to make sure we are on the same page regarding the basics. We will build on that foundation. Because of my background and interests, the course will focus on issues related to evolutionary psychology and the nature/nurture issue. However, we will cover all currently important theoretical approaches, and students are encouraged to focus on their own interests for their term paper.
Each week you will be assigned a set of readings and most of the class time will be used in discussing these readings. You should approach each reading with issues and questions in mind so that you are prepared to discuss the readings during class. Through your individual seminar paper, you will have the opportunity to explore in greater depth a topic growing out of the core readings and our discussions of them.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: The success of this seminar is dependent upon each of us coming to class prepared to participate actively in discussions. In terms of attendance, it's the quantity that counts. You need to be present for each meeting. In terms of participation, it's the quality of contributions that matters most. Simply talking is not the goal. Rather, bringing forward ideas and questions that advance our collective understanding is what we should strive for.
PARTICIPATION IN WEEKLY SEMINAR DISCUSSIONS. We will use a variety of strategies to stimulate general discussion in the seminar. Sometimes we will start the seminar with 'opening statements' from each of you. This will give you an opportunity to give a summary reaction to each of the readings. At other times, you will be asked to lead off the discussion by briefly summarizing a particular aspect of the readings. Or you may be asked to find an article related to but not actually on the reading list and present key ideas from it.
You will be required to turn in a 1-page critique on one of the readings for the week, but they will not be graded. The following are the types of issues you might raise in your criticisms: (1) Which concepts were not clearly explained in the paper and/or presentation? (2) What questions come to mind that were not addressed in the paper? (3) What were some strengths of the paper? You need not address all of these issues or any one of them. The goal is to involve each of you in the weekly discussions, thereby helping you deepen your understanding of the readings.
RESOURCE DISCUSSANT/REPORT FOR WEEKLY TOPIC AREAS. Each student will lead the discussion in two of the weekly topic areas, one from each half of the course (roughly, the cognitive half and the social/personality half). (We may have to make some adjustments on this depending on the number of students.) Leaders will turn in an expanded version of the regular 1-page report on the weekly readings, including criticisms of the readings and several provocative questions you will use to stimulate class discussion along with a list of points you think should be included in thoughtfully answering each question. The report should be no longer than 5 single-spaced pages with double spacing between paragraphs. It is due on the day the topic is to be discussed. Copies should be provided to each member of the seminar at the beginning of the discussion.
As resource discussant, your job will be to co-lead a discussion on the assigned readings. You should assume that others have read each of these articles, so your job is not to spend too much time summarizing them. Rather, after presenting the major points of each article, you should move to a discussion based on your critique of the material and the 3-5 provocative questions that you have raised.
EXAMINATIONS: There will be two essay exams including the comp/final. I will give out a study guide prior to the exams. According to departmental practice, the final is a cumulative examination.
GRADING. The two reports by leaders of class discussions will be graded on clarity, coherence, and insight into the articles. They will account for 15% of your grade. The mid-term and term paper will count 25% each, and the final comprehensive exam will count 35%. My policy is to attempt to end up with a grade curve which approximates the average for the department for a course of this level.
GRADING SCALE. Your performance on each course requirement will be graded using the 7-point scale applied in evaluating performance on the comprehensive examination:
| Numeric Score | Qualitative Anchor | Grade Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Unusually excellent performance | A |
| 6 | Very Good | A |
| 5.5 | Mastery of basic material plus thoughtful development of critical analyses | A- |
| 5 | Good | B+ |
| 4 | Acceptable performance for graduate-level work | B |
| 3 and below | Not acceptable graduate-level work | B- and below |
TERM PAPER: You are required to write a research paper on a topic of your choice on the model of a Psychological Bulletin article. Your paper will be an in-depth look at a topic in any area of developmental psychology. Get my approval of paper topics and references. I also urge you to keep in touch with me as the paper progresses. I may make time toward the end of the semester for you to present your paper in class.
PAPER PROJECT: DETAILS
(a) THE OUTLINE
Write a conceptual outline of your paper. The outline headings should be informative, not just labels. Do not make your outline so detailed that it captures every aspect of the paper you are summarizing. Rather, simply incorporate the most important conceptual points. YOUR OUTLINE SHOULD APPEAR AS HEADINGS IN THE BODY OF YOUR PAPER.
(b) THE PAPER
Basically you will be reading a set of research papers and writing a coherent essay based on this material. YOUR ESSAY SHOULD BE ORGANIZED TOPICALLY; i. e., based on your outline, you should have a set of points which you want to make. Then you present the material from the various essays which supports each point, being sure to also state any qualifications which are necessary or any data which conflicts with point. If your topic involves controversy (and most do!), you should try to present the ideas of both sides and say what you think. The double?spaced version of your paper should be approximately 15-20 pages.
Since your paper is arranged topically, you may (and often should) have more than one source to corroborate a particular point. In other words, do not simply describe each paper sequentially. Make topical points and support them from as many sources as you can.
When you cite sources, be sure to summarize and paraphrase selectively. You can't just quote long sections, but a brief quote (with citation and page number) which makes a telling point is often very effective. You should close your paper with a section which summarizes the main points you have made.
(c) SCHEDULE
Weeks 1-4: During the first month of the semester you should select the topic for your seminar paper. The selection process should involve the following steps: (a) submit in writing a brief description of the topic area you're interest in and get approval to move ahead on it; (b) conduct a PsychInfo search for relevant sources; alternatively, get a good (by reputable authors in a top-rated journal) recent paper in the area and search backward; (c) submit a more detailed description of your topic area along with a proposed reading list (including abstracts obtained directly from your search); and (d) set up an appointment to discuss the development of your paper.
(d) REVISION
THE PAPERS ARE DUE APRIL 23. I will grade the paper and return it to you for revision shortly thereafter. You then turn it into me and I may raise your grade one full letter.
UNIVERSITY WITHDRAWAL POLICY:
It is the student's responsibility to withdraw from classes. Instructors have no obligation to withdraw students who do not attend courses, and may choose not to do so.
The deadline to withdraw from a class without a 'W' is Monday, February 10, 2003.
Withdrawal from a course with a 'W' after the first 2 weeks of instruction is permissible only for serious and compelling reasons and requires the signature of the instructor and the department chair. The university deadline to withdraw from classes in Spring 2003 is Friday, April 25, 2003.
AFTER APRIL 25th :
DURING THE LAST THREE WEEKS OF INSTRUCTION (April 28th through May 16th), YOU MAY NOT DROP (WITHDRAW FROM) A CLASS EXCEPT FOR A VERY SERIOUS REASON THAT IS CLEARLY BEYOND YOUR CONTROL, SUCH AS INJURY OR ACCIDENT (WHICH MUST BE DOCUMENTED). USUALLY, SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES MEAN THAT YOU WILL BE WITHDRAWING FROM ALL YOUR CLASSES. YOU WILL NEED THE APPROVAL OF THE COLLEGE DEAN AS WELL AS THAT OF THE CLASS INSTRUCTOR AND DEPARTMENT CHAIRPERSON FOR EACH CLASS YOU DROP.
The College of Liberal Arts adheres to this policy strictly, and does not sign withdrawal forms in the final three weeks of instruction for other reasons.
SCHEDULE
Part I: Cognitive Development
January 29: Organizational Meeting
Feb. 5: Introduction
Bjorklund & Pelligrini, Chapters 1-3
Feb. 12: Biology and Environment
Bjorklund & Pelligrini, Chapter 4
Spelke, E. S., & Newport, E. L. Nativism, empiricism, and the development of knowledge. In Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 1, 275-340.
Feb. 19: Developmental Behavior Genetics
Rowe, D. (1998). Genes, environment and psychological development. In A. Campbell & S. Muncer (Eds.), Social Development, (pp. 51-83). London: UCL Press.
Segal, N., & MacDonald, K. B. (1998). Behavior Genetics and Evolutionary Psychology: A Unified Perspective on Personality Research. Human Biology 70, 159-184.
Feb. 26: Cognitive Development: Piaget and Information Processing
Siegler, R. S. (1998). Children's thinking, 3rd ed., pp. 24-62. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Moshman, D. (1998). Cognitive Development beyond childhood. In W. Damon (Series ed.) & D. Kuhn & R. S. Siegler (Vol. eds.) Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 2: Cognition, perception and language (5th ed.), pp. 947-978. New York: Wiley.
March 5: Domain-Specificity and Domain-Generality in Cognitive Development
Borklund, & Pelligrini, Chaps. 5.
Gelman, R., & Williams, E. M. (1998). Enabling constraints for cognitive development and learning: Domain-specificity and epigenesis. In W. Damon (Series ed.) & D. Kuhn & R. S. Siegler (Vol. eds.) Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 2: Cognition, perception and language (5th ed.), pp. 575-630. New York: Wiley.
March 5: Domain-Specificity and Domain-Generality in Cognitive Development
Geary, D. C., & Huffman, K. J. (2002). Brain and cognitive evolution: Forms of modularity and functions of mind. Psychological Bulletin, 128, 667-698.
Deloache, Miller & Pierroutsakos: Reasoning and Problem Solving. In W. Damon (Series ed.) & D. Kuhn & R. S. Siegler (Vol. eds.) Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 2: Cognition, perception and language (5th ed.), pp. 801-850. New York: Wiley.
March 12: IQ and the Psychometric Tradition
Bjorklund & Pelligrini, Ch. 6.
Chiappe, D., & MacDonald, K. (2003). The Evolution of Domain-General Mechanisms in Intelligence and Learning. Psychological Inquiry, 14(4), in press.
March 19: Mid-term Exam. I will give out a study guide to focus your efforts.
PART II: Social and Personality Development
March 26: Temperament and Personality Development
MacDonald, K. B. (1998). Evolution, Culture, and the Five-Factor Model. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 29, 119-149.
Rothbart, M. K., & Bates, J. E. (1998). Temperament. In W. Damon (Series ed.) & N. Eisenberg (Vol. ed.) Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 3:Social, Emotional, and Personality Development (5th ed.), pp. 105-119; 127-139. New York: Wiley.
April 2: Emotional Development
Saarni, Mummi, & Campos, Emotional Development. In W. Damon (Series ed.) & N. Eisenberg (Vol. ed.) Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 3:Social, Emotional, and Personality Development (5th ed.), pp.237-250. New York: Wiley.
Izard, C. E., & Ackerman, B. P. (2000). Motivational, organizational, and regulatory functions of discrete emotions. In Handbook of Emotions, p. 253ff.
LaFreniere, P., pp. 74-98..
April 9: Parent-Child Relationships: Attachment
LaFreniere, pp. 142-161; 200-204
MacDonald, K. B. (1992). Warmth as a developmental construct: An evolutionary analysis. Child Development, 63, 753-773.
MacDonald, K. B. (1999). Love and Security of Attachment as Two Independent Systems Underlying Intimate Relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, in press.
April 16: Easter Recess
Term Papers Due, April 23
April 23: Aggression and Morality
Coie, J. D., & Dodge, K. A. (1998). Aggression and antisocial behavior. In W. Damon (Series ed.) & N. Eisenberg (Vol. ed.) Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 3:Social, Emotional, and Personality Development (5th ed.), pp. 779-836. New York: Wiley.
Turiel, E. (1998). The development of morality. In W. Damon (Series ed.) & N. Eisenberg (Vol. ed.) Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 3:Social, Emotional, and Personality Development (5th ed.), pp. 863-886. New York: Wiley.
April 30: Sex Differences
Geary, D. C. (1998). Developmental sex differences. In Male, female: The evolution of human sex differences, pp. 209-258. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
May 7: Life history theory
Belsky, J., Steinberg, L., & Draper, P. (1991) Childhood experience, interpersonal development, and reproductive strategy: An evolutionary theory of socialization. Child Development, 62, 647-670.
Geary, D. C. (1998). Paternal investment. In Male, female: The evolution of human sex differences, pp. 209-258. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
MacDonald, K. B. (1999). An evolutionary perspective on human fertility. Population and Environment, 21(2), 223-246.
May 14: Review
The Comp/Final exam will be on Wednesday, May 21 and will be cumulative. I will give out a study guide to make clear what will be covered on all of the examinations.
