Developmental Psychology

Objectives

1. To mobilize knowledge in the specific area of the curricular unit in order to understand the developmental changes in human development;

2. To get to know the physical changes of development from childhood to adulthood;

3. To understand the developmental changes operating in cognitive development: from preoperational intelligence to post-formal models;

4. To integrate the importance of others, of living contexts and interpersonal relationships in the attachment, separation and individuation processes;

5. To interiorize the identity building process;

6. To understand moral development;

7. To cooperate with others in research projects, in order to identify research issues, collect data, interpret results and infer conclusions from the themes researched;

8. To convene theoretical, methodological and practical knowledge on the developmental psychology issues.

Program

1. Developmental changes over the vital cycle

1.1. Concept, factors and explaining theories of development

1.2. Period and tasks of development

1.3. Research methods used in developmental psychology

2. The body: from childhood to psychosexual maturity

3. Cognitive development as a process

3.1. Piaget’s genetic conception

3.2. Post-formal development models

3.3. Researches and promotional programs

4. Identity and intimacy. Attachment and the development contexts

4.1. Theoretical approaches to the separation-individuation and the attachment relationships concerning the development contexts

4.2. Identity, crisis and moratorium concepts

4.3. Psychosocial development

5. Theoretical approaches to moral development

5.1. Phases, levels and stages

5.2. Evaluation and promotion

5.3. Critiques and limitations

6. Persons in development and their systemic contexts

Teaching Methodologies

The methodology favors the resolution of problems and critical debate through a learning space which questions the student in his or her knowledge-building process. Thus, the students are involved in thematic propositions (from text analysis and debate to real dilemma resolution, as well as debate and comments on life stories and interviews) and in research works. The results of these works are presented in classrooms, giving room to debate and allowing the creation of analysis and reflection skills for the (re)construction of meaningful knowledge originating from a reflexive attitude.

Bibliography

Baltes, P. B., Featherman, D. L., & Lerner, R. M. (Eds.) (1990), Life-span development and behavior (Vol.10). New

Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Pub..

Commons, M. L., Armon, C., Kohlberg, L. Richards, F. A. Grotzer, T. A., & Sinnott, J. D. (Eds.), Adult development (Vol 2: Models and methods in the study of adolescent and adult thought, pp. 263-268). New York: Praeger.

Lourenço, O. M. (2002). Psicologia de desenvolvimento cognitivo. Teoria, dados e implicações (2ª ed.). Coimbra: Livraria Almedina.

Lourenço, O. M. (1998). Psicologia de desenvolvimento moral. Teoria, dados e implicações (2ª ed.). Coimbra: Livraria Almedina.

Medeiros, T. (2008). Em torno dos conceitos de adolescência, adultez emergente e adultez. Rev. Arquipélago – Série Ciências da Educação, 9, 196-216.

Piaget, J. (2000). Piaget's theory of cognitive development. In K. Lee (Ed.), Childhood cognitive development. Essential readings in developmental psychology (pp. 31-47). Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Pub. Inc.