Studying in Vienna is a perfect opportunity to get to know another culture and at the same time become more aware of your own culture. Therefore the course emphasizes the cultural influence on human development. Particular attention is given to language acquisition, cognitive and moral development. The course includes a session on the basics of methodology in the field of developmental psychology.
Prerequisites:
None
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
• give an account of different theories of development;
• give an account of the methods of research employed in developmental psychology;
• Compare developmental phenomena among different cultures;
• Look closer at education as a cultural universal;
• Design, conduct and discuss a small study;
• give an extensive account of language acquisition and related developmental disorders;
• compare and assess various viewpoints on cognitive development;
• give an account of topics related to moral development
Method of presentation:
Lectures, class discussions, group work, excursion, design and conduct of a (simple) study in the field of developmental psychology.
Required work and form of assessment:
For some units students will be given reading assignments. Students will be told in advance when to prepare the readings. Copies of the required reading are on reserve in the library or provided on handouts.
Students are required to design, conduct and discuss a psychological study in the field of developmental psychology.
Information concerning excursions will be given in advance.
Students will have to complete a final exam that includes questions on the reading assignments, the project, the excursion and a personal reflection of their observations.
Class participation 30%
Project presentation 20%
Mid-term-test 20%
Final exam 30%
content:
Session 1
Introduction and overview: culture and development – how do we create knowledge about cultural human development? – nature versus nurture: from behaviorism to cognitivism – what is cultural psychology?
Recommended reading
Valsiner, J.: Culture and Human Development. London: Sage, 2000, pp. 1-4, introduction
Valsiner, J.: Culture and Human Development. London: Sage, 2000, pp. 49 – 60, chapter 4, “Culture and Development”
Crain, W. (2004): Theories of development. Concepts and Applications. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 17
Session 2
Psychological Methodology: how does psychological research get done? – illustrated with important research studies in developmental psychology
Reading assignment:
Banyard, P. and Grayson, A. (2000): Introducing Psychological Research. Second Edition, Palgrave, pp. 419-50, chapter 20, “Methodology: how does psychological research get done?”
Banyard, P. and Grayson, A. (2000): Introducing Psychological Research. Second Edition, Palgrave, pp. 213-285, Part IV “Developmental Psychology”.
Session 3
Education as a cultural universal: Comparing parameters of education in different cultures
Project: How to conduct your study
Reading assignment:
Crain, W. (2004): Theories of development. Concepts and Applications. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 4
Session 4
Excursion: you will meet up with Austrian students in order to discuss matters of education.
Session 5
Language acquisition I: introducing the mysteries of psycholinguistics – what babies learn about language, even before they are born – learning to discriminate between different sounds
Reading assignment:
Altmann, G.T.M. (1999): The Ascent of Babel. An exploration of language, mind and understanding. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 1-10, chapter 1, pp. 10 -22, chapter 2, pp. 22-32, chapter 3.
Session 6
Midterm test
Session 7
Language acquisition II: words and what we learn to do with them – the concepts associated with “understanding” and “meaning”
Reading assignment:
Altmann, G.T.M. (1999): The Ascent of Babel. An exploration of language, mind and understanding. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 32-54, chapter 4, pp. 117-139, chapter 9
Session 8
Developmental disorders: Specific language impairment and dyslexia – when it all goes wrong
Reading assignment:
Altmann, G.T.M. (1999): The Ascent of Babel. An exploration of language, mind and understanding. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 181 – 205, chapter 12.
Session 9
cognitive development: Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory – Vygotsky’s social-historical theory of cognitive development – asking only one question in the conservation experiment.
Reading assignment:
Crain, W. (2004): Theories of development. Concepts and Applications. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 6, “Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory“ and chapter 10, “Vygotsky’s social-historical theory of cognitive development”.
Banyard, P. and Grayson, A. (2000): Introducing Psychological Research. Second Edition, Palgrave, pp. 259-264. “Piaget’s cognitive approach”
Session 10
Moral development: Kohlberg’s stages of moral development - the moral principle of justice and care –
aggression
Reading assignment:
Crain, W. (2004): Theories of development. Concepts and Applications. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 7, “Kohlberg’s stages of moral development”
Banyard, P. and Grayson, A. (2000): Introducing Psychological Research. Second Edition, Palgrave, pp. 235-252, “Moral development”
Session 11
Presenting and discussing the ideas behind and the results of your studies.
Session 12
Final Exam
Required readings:
Banyard, P. and Grayson, A. (2000): Introducing Psychological Research. Second Edition, Palgrave, part IV, “Developmental Psychology”
Crain, W. (2004): Theories of development. Concepts and Applications. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 1, “early theories”, chapter 3, “Ethological theories”
Valsiner, J. (2000): Culture and Human Development. London: Sage, pp. 271 - 300, chapter 13, “Adolescence: Moving into Adulthood”
Recommended readings:
Scott Mio, J. et al. Multicultural Psychology : Understanding our diverse communities. New York: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2005.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Frank Pokorn, born in Vienna in 1969, MSc in Psychology, MA (Teacher’s degree) in German Languages and Psychology. From 2001-03 Lecturer for German Language at the University of York, UK. Guest lectures and publications in the field of Psycholinguistics, gives seminars and workshops for teachers, teaches currently at a school in Vienna.
Studying in Vienna is a perfect opportunity to get to know another culture and at the same time become more aware of your own culture. Therefore the course emphasizes the cultural influence on human development. Particular attention is given to language acquisition, cognitive and moral development. The course includes a session on the basics of methodology in the field of developmental psychology.
None
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
• give an account of different theories of development;
• give an account of the methods of research employed in developmental psychology;
• Compare developmental phenomena among different cultures;
• Look closer at education as a cultural universal;
• Design, conduct and discuss a small study;
• give an extensive account of language acquisition and related developmental disorders;
• compare and assess various viewpoints on cognitive development;
• give an account of topics related to moral development
Lectures, class discussions, group work, excursion, design and conduct of a (simple) study in the field of developmental psychology.
For some units students will be given reading assignments. Students will be told in advance when to prepare the readings. Copies of the required reading are on reserve in the library or provided on handouts.
Students are required to design, conduct and discuss a psychological study in the field of developmental psychology.
Information concerning excursions will be given in advance.
Students will have to complete a final exam that includes questions on the reading assignments, the project, the excursion and a personal reflection of their observations.
Class participation 30%
Project presentation 20%
Mid-term-test 20%
Final exam 30%
Session 1
Introduction and overview: culture and development – how do we create knowledge about cultural human development? – nature versus nurture: from behaviorism to cognitivism – what is cultural psychology?
Recommended reading
Valsiner, J.: Culture and Human Development. London: Sage, 2000, pp. 1-4, introduction
Valsiner, J.: Culture and Human Development. London: Sage, 2000, pp. 49 – 60, chapter 4, “Culture and Development”
Crain, W. (2004): Theories of development. Concepts and Applications. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 17
Session 2
Psychological Methodology: how does psychological research get done? – illustrated with important research studies in developmental psychology
Reading assignment:
Banyard, P. and Grayson, A. (2000): Introducing Psychological Research. Second Edition, Palgrave, pp. 419-50, chapter 20, “Methodology: how does psychological research get done?”
Banyard, P. and Grayson, A. (2000): Introducing Psychological Research. Second Edition, Palgrave, pp. 213-285, Part IV “Developmental Psychology”.
Session 3
Education as a cultural universal: Comparing parameters of education in different cultures
Project: How to conduct your study
Reading assignment:
Crain, W. (2004): Theories of development. Concepts and Applications. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 4
Session 4
Excursion: you will meet up with Austrian students in order to discuss matters of education.
Session 5
Language acquisition I: introducing the mysteries of psycholinguistics – what babies learn about language, even before they are born – learning to discriminate between different sounds
Reading assignment:
Altmann, G.T.M. (1999): The Ascent of Babel. An exploration of language, mind and understanding. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 1-10, chapter 1, pp. 10 -22, chapter 2, pp. 22-32, chapter 3.
Session 6
Midterm test
Session 7
Language acquisition II: words and what we learn to do with them – the concepts associated with “understanding” and “meaning”
Reading assignment:
Altmann, G.T.M. (1999): The Ascent of Babel. An exploration of language, mind and understanding. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 32-54, chapter 4, pp. 117-139, chapter 9
Session 8
Developmental disorders: Specific language impairment and dyslexia – when it all goes wrong
Reading assignment:
Altmann, G.T.M. (1999): The Ascent of Babel. An exploration of language, mind and understanding. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 181 – 205, chapter 12.
Session 9
cognitive development: Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory – Vygotsky’s social-historical theory of cognitive development – asking only one question in the conservation experiment.
Reading assignment:
Crain, W. (2004): Theories of development. Concepts and Applications. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 6, “Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory“ and chapter 10, “Vygotsky’s social-historical theory of cognitive development”.
Banyard, P. and Grayson, A. (2000): Introducing Psychological Research. Second Edition, Palgrave, pp. 259-264. “Piaget’s cognitive approach”
Session 10
Moral development: Kohlberg’s stages of moral development - the moral principle of justice and care –
aggression
Reading assignment:
Crain, W. (2004): Theories of development. Concepts and Applications. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 7, “Kohlberg’s stages of moral development”
Banyard, P. and Grayson, A. (2000): Introducing Psychological Research. Second Edition, Palgrave, pp. 235-252, “Moral development”
Session 11
Presenting and discussing the ideas behind and the results of your studies.
Session 12
Final Exam
Banyard, P. and Grayson, A. (2000): Introducing Psychological Research. Second Edition, Palgrave, part IV, “Developmental Psychology”
Crain, W. (2004): Theories of development. Concepts and Applications. 5th edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 1, “early theories”, chapter 3, “Ethological theories”
Valsiner, J. (2000): Culture and Human Development. London: Sage, pp. 271 - 300, chapter 13, “Adolescence: Moving into Adulthood”
Scott Mio, J. et al. Multicultural Psychology : Understanding our diverse communities. New York: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2005.
Frank Pokorn, born in Vienna in 1969, MSc in Psychology, MA (Teacher’s degree) in German Languages and Psychology. From 2001-03 Lecturer for German Language at the University of York, UK. Guest lectures and publications in the field of Psycholinguistics, gives seminars and workshops for teachers, teaches currently at a school in Vienna.