I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Human Development
2. Course Prefix & Number:
PSYC 2431
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 0
4. Course Description:
This course is a lifespan approach to understanding human behavior. This course will cover theories and research findings in the field of psychology relevant to the psychological development of individuals across the lifespan. Areas to be covered include physical, cognitive, emotional and social development. The course will examine similarities and differences between individuals in the various stages of the lifespan.
5. Placement Tests Required:
6. Prerequisite Courses:
PSYC 2431 - Human Development
All Credit(s) from the following...
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
| PSYC 2421 | General Psychology | 4 cr. |
9. Co-requisite Courses:
PSYC 2431 - Human Development
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
Bemidji State University, PSYC 2237 Lifespan Development, 4 credits
Minneapolis Community & Technical College, PSYC 2240 Lifespan Development, 4 credits
2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:
In accordance with the Laws of Minnesota 2015, Chapter 5, Article 3, Section 21 all Minnesota State Colleges and Universities agree to the following principles governing the transfer pathways for baccalaureate degrees. The transfer pathway specifically ensures that a student who successfully completes an Associates of Arts (AA-P) in Psychology can transfer the full degree into a parallel baccalaureate degree program in Psychology at a Minnesota State university. The transfer pathway degree program will transfer to the following designated baccalaureate degree majors:
- Bemidji State University: BA Psychology, BS Psychology
- Metropolitan State University: BA Psychology
- Minnesota State University, Mankato: BA Psychology, BS Psychology
- Minnesota State University, Moorhead: BA Psychology
- Southwest Minnesota State University: BA Psychology
- St. Cloud State University: BA Psychology
- Winona State University: BA Psychology
3. Prior Learning - the following prior learning methods are acceptable for this course:
CLEP
III. Course Purpose
1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):
Associate of Arts (AA-P) in Psychology
2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
| College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
| Demonstrate written communication skills |
Create discussion postings, basic APA formatted papers. |
| Demonstrate reading and listening skills |
Read and summarize concepts from psychological and behavioral sources. |
| Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills |
Interact, share, and exchange ideas in both the classroom as well as in an online course room. |
| Apply ethical principles in decision-making |
Discuss past and current theories related to human development across the lifespan. |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
- Compare and contrast the main theories and issues of human lifespan development: learning, cognitive, contextual, and sociobiological. (MnTC Goal 5)
- Identify biological, neurological, cognitive, cultural, and socio-emotional processes associated with developmental periods.(MnTC Goal 5)
- Analyze how biological, neurological, cognitive, cultural and socio-emotional interact with each other in a developmental context.(MnTC Goal 5)
- Describe the interaction between heredity and environment in terms of human development across the liespan.(MnTC Goal 5)
- Demonstrate familiarity with the scientific method and research methodology used by developmental psychologists.(MnTC Goal 5)
- Evaluate the quality of developmental psychology information from multiple sources.(MnTC Goal 5)
- Describe the developmental challenges and psychopathologies that may occur throughout the lifespan. (MnTC Goal 5)
- Illustrate how developmental psychological principles apply to daily life.(MnTC Goal 5)
- Analyze ethical perspectives related to legal, social, and scientific issues in human development.(MnTC Goal 5)
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
- Introduction to Developmental Psychology
- Developmental science defined
- Tenets of developmental science
- Research Methods in Developmental Psychology
- The scientific method
- Experimental and non-experimental research
- Cross-sectional, longitudinal and cross-sequential designs
- Research ethics
- Theoretical Perspectives
- Major theories of development
- Newer theories of development
- Nature and Nurture
- Mechanisms of heredity
- Genetic and chromosomal disorders
- Interplay of heredity and environment
- Prenatal Development
- Major developmental changes
- Hazards to prenatal development
- Birth and the newborn
- Physical, Cognitive, and Socioemotional Development in
- Infancy
- Early Childhood
- Middle Childhood
- Adolescence
- Emerging Adulthood
- Early Adulthood
- Middle Adulthood, and
- Late Adulthood
- Death and Dying
- Developmental perspectives on death
- Facing death
- Care for the dying
- Grief and mourning
2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions