Entry requirements

The student should be accepted to the Master's programme in Psychology. Students who, in order to obtain a Swedish psychologist certificate, have been granted supplementary studies by the director of undergraduate studies, also gain admission to the course.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should - have acquired awareness about and an understanding of central developmental theories, and be able to account for and compare these - have acquired awareness about human development, particularly during childhood and adolescence, and be able to account for the fundamental features in sensorimotor, cognitive, language, personality-related and socio-emotional development - have acquired awareness of how individual development is dependent on cultural and social relations and be able to account for the importance of cultural and social factors for individual development - be able to account for research within developmental problem areas.

Content

The course gives a general introduction to the area of developmental psychology and contains the following parts: Central developmental theories This part intends to focus on theories of human development from maturational, learning theory, cognitive, evolutionary, and psychodynamic perspectives. Functional development The teaching reflects aspects of human development and gives basic knowledge about individual predispositions, about the interplay between heredity and environment, and about sensorimotor, cognitive, language, personality-related and socio-emotional development.

Instruction

The teaching consists of lectures and seminars.

Assessment

The student's knowledge is assessed via written examination. For examination, the grades used are passed and failed.

Other directives

Other requirements, prerequisites and conditions for participation in and the fulfilment of the course, e.g. compulsory attendance, design of own work, etc. are evident from information given at the course introduction. A student who does not meet the mandatory requirements for a passing grade is usually given an opportunity to complete remaining parts the following term and/or is given complementary assignments by the course director.