Developmental Psychology

Foundations of Lifespan Development

• Explain the contributions and limitations of leading theoretical perspectives that influenced human development research.
• Evaluate the research methods commonly used to study human development.
• Summarize the ethical issues related to lifespan research.
• Describe how heredity and environment interact to influence development.
• Describe the role and influence of socioeconomic and multicultural factors throughout the lifespan.

Physical, Cognitive, Emotional, and Social Development: Conception Through Toddlerhood

• Describe factors that influence physical development from the prenatal phase through toddlerhood.
• Evaluate genetic and environmental influences on early cognitive development.
• Describe the importance of the caretaker-child relationship on social and emotional development from birth through toddlerhood.

Physical, Cognitive, Emotional, and Social Development: Early Childhood through Middle Childhood

• Describe factors that influence physical development from early to middle childhood.
• Apply the principles of cognitive development to learning in various settings.
• Describe major influences on social and emotional development in early and middle childhood.
• Describe the importance of the caretaker-child relationship on social and emotional development during early and middle childhood.

Physical, Cognitive, Emotional, and Social Development: Adolescence through Early Adulthood

• Describe how adolescents respond to pubertal changes.
• Summarize the cognitive changes that occur in adolescence and early adulthood, including changes in the structure of thought.
• Describe how changes in self-concept and self-esteem influence important relationships in adolescence and early adulthood.
• Explain the social and emotional challenges of adolescence and early adulthood.

Physical, Cognitive, Emotional, and Social Development: Middle Adult through Late Adulthood

• Describe the physical changes that occur in middle and late adulthood.
• Explain the cognitive changes that occur in middle and late adulthood, including changes in information processing abilities.
• Explain the factors that promote wellbeing in middle and late adulthood.
• Describe the effects of major life transitions that occur in middle and late adulthood.

Death, Dying, and Bereavement

• Describe factors that influence the process of dying.
• Explain age-related changes in conceptions of and attitudes toward death.
• Describe developmentally appropriate strategies for helping children and adolescents understand death.
• Analyze how age and gender relate to death anxiety.
• Explain how death education can help people cope with death more effectively.
• Evaluate the extent to which homes, hospitals, and hospice services meet the needs of dying people and their families.