This course has an assignment that is due by 11:55 pm Central Standard Time on Wednesday night of the first week of class.  Failure to complete this assignment will result in your removal from the course for non-participation.

This course explores the biological, psychological, and sociological factors that impact the individual throughout the human life span—from birth to death. Meets MEd Standard 1.

1. To define the concept of human development as it appears to the entire life-span.
2. To describe the nature-nurture controversy in the history of psychology and biology.
3. To briefly develop an awareness of the different research methods used in developmental psychology: laboratory experiments, field experiment, survey, naturalistic observation, cross-sectional, longitudinal and correlative research.
4. To study the impact of genetics on human development and be able to define such concepts as DNA, chromosome, gene, androgens, and estrogens.
5. To describe how a neuron works and be able to define the function of dendrites, soma, axon, synapse, and myelination.
6. To study language development from early childhood to old age; from the earliest sounds to language disorders among the elderly.
7. To study cognitive and intellectual development; how intelligence is measured and the impact of genetic and environmental influences on intellectual development.
8. To examine family development, the stages of family development, the disrupted family and general systems theory.
9. To study social interaction from childhood through adulthood, the effects of gender on development and the development of gender roles.
10. To study specific theories used in developmental psychology that will include but not necessarily be limited to the theories of Pavlov, Skinner, Freud, Piaget Erikson, social learning, Bruner, Behaviorist and General Systems Theory.