Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Childhood and Adolescence
Other languages of instruction: Catalan
Teaching staff
Introduction
The Childhood and Adolescence course aims to provide students with an understanding of the stages of human development, from conception through adolescence, specifically in the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social domains. Students will acquire knowledge of normative development at each developmental stage, enabling them to identify needs, developmental alterations, or difficulties in their future professional practice as psychologists.
Objectives
General objective
The general objective of the course is for students to be able to identify the main developmental milestones and characteristics from conception through adolescence.
Specific objectives
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Understand the basic principles of developmental psychology.
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Identify and understand the main theories of development: psychoanalytic, learning, cognitive, contextual, and evolutionary theories.
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Understand the interaction between genetics and the environment, including the transition from genotype to phenotype and the influence of contextual factors on prenatal development.
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Understand the physical, emotional, and social changes associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, including the psycho-emotional factors affecting the mother, the father, and the family environment.
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Understand the characteristics of physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development in early childhood (0–3 years).
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Understand the characteristics of physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development in middle childhood (3–6 years).
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Understand the characteristics of physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development in late childhood (6–12 years).
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Understand the characteristics of physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development in adolescence (12–18 years).
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Distinguish between normative and non-normative developmental markers from conception through adolescence and recognise warning signs requiring referral to a professional.
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Become familiar with the main tools and protocols used to monitor children’s typical development.
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Understand attachment theory and its impact on the individual’s subsequent emotional and social development.
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Appreciate the importance of the family and parenting styles in child and adolescent development.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - At the end of the Degree, the student will be able to describe psychological knowledge and developments in professional practice.
- CN02 - At the end of the Degree, the student will be able to recall principles, procedures, theoretical models, functions, characteristics, advantages and limitations of psychological intervention or schools of psychology, the structures and processes involved in basic psychological functions and the nature of individual differences.
- CN03 - At the end of the Degree, the student will be able to identify the biological basis of the functions of psychology and human behaviour, with an understanding of how they work and their influence on other aspects of an individual.
- CN05 - At the end of the Degree, the student will be able to explain and identify the main stages of human development, their progression and identify the characteristic signs and symptoms of the most frequent psychological conditions in each stage of development.
- CP04 - At the end of the Degree, the student will be able to adapt their work to the environment, task or context, generating transformation processes through different skills in interpersonal relationships and teamwork.
- HB12 - At the end of the Degree the student will be able to synthesise their assessments and psychological arguments critically, ethically and with the vocabulary of psychological knowledge.
Learning outcomes of the subject
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
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Distinguish the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social changes that occur at each developmental stage, from conception through adolescence.
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Identify needs, developmental alterations, or difficulties associated with non-normative development.
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Understand how play evolves throughout childhood and its influence on children’s cognitive and socio-emotional development.
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Understand the importance of the family and external factors in human development.
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Acquire the ability to analyse a case and design interventions from a developmental perspective, taking the corresponding developmental milestones into consideration.
Syllabus
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
1.1 Basic principles (nature vs. nurture)
1.2 Influences on development
1.2.1 Developmental windows: critical and sensitive periods
1.3 Theories of developmental psychology
1.3.1 Psychoanalytic perspective
1.3.2 Learning perspective
1.3.3 Cognitive perspective
1.3.4 Contextual perspective
1.3.5 Evolutionary perspective
MODULE 2: PREGNANCY AND PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
2.1 From genotype to phenotype
2.1.1 Differences between genotype and phenotype
2.1.2 Gene–environment interaction in development
2.2 Teratogens and environmental influences
2.2.1 Definition and types of teratogens
2.2.2 Effects on neurodevelopment
2.3 Pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period
2.4 Psycho-emotional factors
2.4.1 Beliefs about motherhood
2.4.2 Psycho-emotional changes and the family environment
MODULE 3: EARLY CHILDHOOD (0–3 YEARS)
3.1 Physical development
3.1.1 The newborn
3.1.2 Brain growth (principles of growth)
3.1.3 Types of reflexes
3.1.4 The senses
3.1.5 Sleep habits
3.2 Motor development
3.2.1 Motor development milestones
3.2.2 Crawling and first steps
3.3 Cognitive development
3.3.1 Sensorimotor stage
3.3.2 Memory
3.3.3 Language
3.4 Psychosocial development
3.4.1 Temperament and character
3.4.2 Emotional development
3.4.3 Attachment theory
3.4.4 Play
3.5 Tools for assessing typical child development
MODULE 4: MIDDLE CHILDHOOD (3–6 YEARS)
4.1 Physical development
4.1.1 Physical development milestones
4.1.2 Motor skills
4.2 Cognitive development
4.2.1 Preoperational thought
4.2.2 Memory and intelligence
4.2.3 Language
4.3 Psychosocial development
4.3.1 Emotional development
4.3.2 The self, self-concept, and self-esteem
4.3.3 Parenting styles
4.3.4 Play
4.3.5 Schooling and socialisation
MODULE 5: LATE CHILDHOOD (6–12 YEARS)
5.1 Physical development
5.1.1 Brain development
5.1.2 Physical changes
5.2 Cognitive development
5.2.1 Concrete mental operations
5.2.2 Moral reasoning
5.2.3 Intelligence and other executive functions
5.3 Psychosocial development
5.3.1 Emotional development
5.3.2 Socialisation and friendship
5.3.3 Mental health and bullying
5.3.4 The importance of family and friends
MODULE 6: ADOLESCENCE (12–18 YEARS)
6.1 Physical development
6.1.1 The adolescent brain
6.1.2 Puberty and hormonal changes
6.2 Cognitive development
6.2.1 From formal to postformal thought
6.2.2 Moral reasoning
6.3 Psychosocial development
6.3.1 Emotional development
6.3.2 Identity exploration and formation
6.3.3 Risk-taking behaviours and protective factors
Teaching and learning activities
In person
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | METHODOLOGY |
| Lectures will be the setting in which students will learn and use the terminology and linguistic structures related to the sphere of study, for the purpose of practising and developing oral and written communication skills and becoming familiar with the literature and instruction materials provided to better integrate the curricular content. | Session in which the lecturer presents and explains the course content. This learning methodology allows for the use of audiovisual methodologies that support the content description. Students may interact and actively participate in this session. |
| Case studies are a learning technique in which the subject is given the description of a specific situation that poses a problem, which must be understood, assessed and resolved by a group of people through discussion. Case studies are generally resolved in groups to promote student participation and develop their critical thinking skills. They also prepare students to make decisions, teaching them how to back up their arguments and contrast them with the opinions of the other group members. | Debates and discussion in large and small groups, which help develop the students’ critical thinking and judgement skills. This method encourages participation and initiative, the asking of constructive questions and the presentation of new problems that promote critical thinking. |
| The guided reading of texts aims to develop the students’ critical thinking skills, which play a fundamental role in creating citizens who are both aware and responsible. | Group work promotes the convergence of the students’ ideas, tasks and proposals for the purpose of carrying out a cooperative project based on each student’s inter- and intrapersonal competences. |
| A non-classroom activity in which students undertake exercises autonomously, without the presence of the lecturer/professor. This is the stage in which most questions arise, but, as the option to immediately ask the question does not exist, students are forced to make an additional effort. | This is where the students consolidate what they have learned through study, the looking up of information, the processing of data and the process of integration. |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Fully in-person classroom-based learning
First examination period
90% Final examination
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Written examination consisting of multiple-choice and open-ended questions covering all course content.
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Multiple-choice questions: 0.33 points will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
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Open-ended questions: the writing and spelling assessment criteria established in the regulations of the Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology will be taken into account.
10% Assessment activities
IMPORTANT: The final examination will account for 90% of the final grade and students must obtain a minimum mark of 5 to pass the course. The complementary assessment activities may improve the overall average and final grade and will only be taken into account once a minimum mark of 5 has been obtained in the final examination.
Second examination period
In the second examination period, students will be assessed on the entire course syllabus and must obtain a minimum mark of 5 to pass.
Bibliography and resources
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Berger, K. S. (2020). Psicología del desarrollo: Infancia y adolescencia (10.ª ed. en español). Worth Publishers.
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Palacios, J., Marchesi, Á., & Coll, C. (Eds.). (2020). Desarrollo psicológico y educación. Vol. I: Psicología evolutiva (6.ª ed. rev.). Alianza Editorial.
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