B000294 - DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

italian

italian

Theoretical and methodological fundamental knowledge on contemporary developmental psychology, with particular reference to processes and mechanisms of cognitive, linguistic, emotional and social development occurring along the life span.

The course wants to presents the basic areas of developmental psychology (cognitive, emotional, affective and social development) illustrating the principal findings of research in such areas. Moreover, descriptive and explicative concepts related to these areas will be critically discussed.

- Fonzi A. (a cura di), Manuale di Psicologia dello sviluppo, Giunti, Firenze, 2001
- P. H. Miller (1993), Theories of Developmental Psychology, Freeman Company, New York and Oxford.
- Tani F. (2007), Normalità e patologia nello sviluppo psichico, Firenze, Giunti – capitoli 1-2-5-7-8-9.

Fonzi, A. (a cura di). Manuale di psicologia dello sviluppo. Giunti, Firenze Shaffer, H. R. (2006). Concepts in Developmental Psychology. Sage Publications, London.
Fonzi, A. (a cura di ) (2001). Il gioco crudele. Giunti, Firenze

The course aims to providing: a) the fundamental knowledge of theoretical and methodological aspects of contemporary research on developmental psychology; b) the basic notions on the processes and mechanisms of cognitive, linguistic, emotional and social development occurring along the life span, with particular reference to risk and protection factors that orient the individuals' developmental trajectories in a typical or atypical sense

1) Learning the theoretical models and methods used in developmental psychology and familiarizing with the specific language of the discipline, in particular with its descriptive and explicative notions. 2) Learning how the subject knows the world during his development examining four cognitive processes: perceiving, learning and memorizing skills; organizing knowledges through symbols-in particular the linguistic ones- and acting in an intelligent way. 3) Obtaining the fundamental knowledges about the following : origin and development of emotions; relationship among emotions, cognitive development and social processes; dyadic regulation of emotions and affective development- Attachment theory; personality development; temperament and attachment; intergenerational transmission of attachment. A particular attention will be reserved to the development of emotional competence, of interpersonal relationships building and socializing processes.

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Lectures, practical exercises, group discussion on course's issues

Frontal lessons and practical experiences on the analyses of a research text with particular attention towards methodological questions.

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Written test consisting in questions with multiple choices and open answers

Written test with possibility of an oral one to complete the exam.

Piaget's theory of cognitive development, Freud's psychosexual development theory, Erikson's psychosocial development theory, Bowlby's attachment theory, social learning theories, ethological theory, the Vigotskji's contextual theory and cultural psychology, main theoretical questions in developmental psychology today.
Research designs for examining development: longitudinal, cross-section and sequential research.
Observational methods and techniques: psychoanalytical observation, ethological observation, piagetian observation. Research methods for study of development across life span: psychometric techniques, intelligence quotient tests, projective techniques, personality tests, social abilities tests.
Perceptive development, memory and cognitive development, linguistic competence development, meta-cognition and theory of mind theory, cognitive development and emotions, social construction of emotions, dyadic regulation of emotions, emotional development, attachment bonds and intergenerational transmission, social development across life span, development of autonomy, initiative and auto-regulation, socialization processes in family and within peer group, identity development, friendship and romantic relationships, developmental psychopathology theory, risk and protection factors in main psychopathological disease in childhood and adolescence.

First module:

Historical traits: developmental psychology classics (Fonzi, 2001, 1st charter)
Jean Piaget Lev S. Vygotskij John Bowlby Jerome S. Bruner
Current theoretical questions (Fonzi, 2001, cap. 2)
From evolutive age psychology to developmental psychology Deterministic, onecausal models A probabilistic, holistic, interactionist, constructivist model

Descriptive and explicative concepts
Development concept (Schaffer, 2006, 1st chapter)
Development in circle of life Continuity in development Contest
Change mechanisms (Schaffer, 2006, 2nd chapter)
Maturation Learning from the environment Constructivism Dynamic systems


Methods and instruments (Fonzi, 2001, 3rd chapter)
Experimental, semi-experimental e correlational models Longitudinal, transversal e longitudinal-sequential models Research instruments

Second module
Cognitive development (Fonzi, 2001 cap. 4)
Perception and memory
Perceiving shapes Spatial orientation Basilar learning skills Memory Memory development Memory strategies Memory and knowledge
Language
Theoretical perspectives Language and thinking The relationship between language and social skills Linguistic competence emergency First words production First sentences Frammatical and semantic development in childhood From sentences to dialogue: comprehension and production
Thinking
From sensorial-motor intelligence to logical-formal thinking Stages and developmental mechanisms in the sensorial-motor periode From complete egocentrism to world construction Equilibrium and disequilibrium in the cognitive system: intelligence, play and imitation Notions formation Egocentric thinking Intelligence development in childhood and adolescence
Descriptive and esplicative notions
Universal grammar (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 9)
Developmental stages (Schaffer, 2006, 1st chapter) Critical periods (Schaffer, 2006, 3rd chapter) Functional Invariants (Schaffer, 2006, cha. 5) Symbolic (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 5) Zone of proximal development (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 6) Egocentrism (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 6) Theory of mind (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 6)
Third Module Emotions (Fonzi, 2001 chap. 5)
Origins of emotions Emotions and cognitive development social The social building of emotions Emotions an negotiation processes
Affective development (Fonzi, 2001 chap. 5)
Emotions regulation and affective development Affective development according to Freud's theory Affective development according to attachment theory Temperament and attachment Intergenerational transmission of attachment
Descriptive and explicative notions
Emotional competence (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 6) Intersubjectivity (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 7) Attacchment (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 7)
Self system (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 4)
Social development (Fonzi, 2001 chap. 6)
The person and its systems Childhood: from birth to dialogue achievement Preschool age: autonomy, initiative and autoregulation Extrafamiliar relationships School age: conscious interactions development Relational dynamics and child aggression Preadolescence and adolescence: identity development From adolescence to adulthood
Descriptive and explicative notions
Child's effects: bidirectionally (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 8) Parents' effects (Schaffer, 2006, chap. 8) Peers group status(Schaffer, 2006, chap. 7)

Bullying in preadolescence: research contributes (Fonzi, 1999)