How much of our behaviour is learned or innate? How much does the culture in which we are raised affect the person we become? What is the relationship between our childhood behaviours and experiences and our adult self? Developmental Psychology is the study of developmental processes across the range of human experience and abilities. This course provides a broad foundation in the discipline, with a primary focus on child and adolescent development. The course takes a topic-based approach, covering: (i) Biological and Motor Development, (ii) Perceptual Development, (iii) Cognitive Development, (iv) Play, (v) Language Development, (vi) Social Development, (vii) Emotional and Moral Development, and (viii) Developmental Disorders. A particular feature of the course is a dual emphasis on research and application. Students complete a laboratory report based on original research.
This course can be taken as an HPO.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Describe and evaluate different theoretical approaches to development.
- Outline the course of development in several domains, including perception, cognition, language, emotion, and social and motor skill.
- Identify factors which facilitate or impair typical development.
- Demonstrate research skills through the writing of a lab report.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how research in developmental psychology is relevant to understanding the behaviour of children and adolescents in daily life situations.
Other Information
Important information for 2023 delivery:
- This course will be offered for the last time in 2023.
- Students admitted to an APAC accredited program (BSPSY, APSYC, BSC, BA, PhB) prior to 2023 and seeking to complete the accredited pathway of PSYC courses should enrol in PSYC2002 in 2023. If you are unable to complete PSYC2002 in 2023 please seek further advice from science.enquiries@anu.edu.au.
- For academic advice about this course please contact amy.dawel@anu.edu.au
Incompatibility with PSYC3202: Note that although this course is incompatible with PSYC3202, the content and expectations are higher in PSYC3202. Students having undertaken PSYC2002 may be eligible to receive an exemption from PSYC3202 but will not receive specific credit for the higher level course (PSYC3202), and it will not contribute towards satisfying the 3000 level requirements of the relevant program, major, minor or specialisation.
Indicative Assessment
- Online quizzes (24) [LO 1,2,3]
- Lab exercises (16) [LO 1,4]
- Lab report (20) [LO 1,4]
- End of semester exam (40) [LO 1,2,3,5]
- HPO assessment: students complete a research-based HPO option in place of the online quizzes (0) [LO 1,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- 12 x ~2 hours of lecture content delivered weekly online.
- Face-to face component which may consist of 8 x 2 hour laboratory classes.
- Approximately 90 hours of self-study, which will include preparation for lectures and other assessment tasks.
Inherent Requirements
To be determined.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
White, F., Hayes, B. & Livesey, D. (2016). Developmental Psychology: From infancy to adulthood (most recent edition). Pearson: Frenchs Forest, NSW.
Minors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 4B
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4680 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $6360 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
