BASIC INFORMATION

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CONTEXT AND COMPETENCES

ASSESSMENT

ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES

Compulsory Subject

Developmental Psychology II

Year Semester Credits

2 1 6.0

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Learning results defining the subject

The student, passing this subject, will get the following results:

Understand and explain the changes produced the stages of the life cycle, from
preadolescence to old age.
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Use documentary sources relevant in evolutionary Psychology, with judgement and

summarizing skills, as well as keep up-to-date knowledge and skills related to the
profession.

Interpret changes and interrelate them to the life events surrounding the individual.

Design intervention programmes aimed to improve and facilitate evolutionary changes,

evaluate them, adapt them and follow their course.

Introduction

Brief presentation of the subject

This subject aims to lay the foundations for the study of human development, which
will be more thoroughly studied in further specialized subjects. This is a subject under
the scope of Evolutionary and Educational Psychology, taught in the second semester.

This is a basic subject, framed in the module Psychology of the Life Cycle and
Education, which provides with general and essential knowledge necessary for any
branch of specialization in the field of Psychology.

Syllabus

Thematic Content

Section I Adolescence and young adulthood

Unit 1. Origins and meaning

Unit 2. Intellectual development

Unit 3. Personality development

Unit 4. Social development

Unit 5. Risk situations

Section II Adulthood

Unit 6. Physical changes

Unit 7. Cognitive development

Unit 8. Personal and social development

Section III- Middle Age

Unit 9. Physical changes

Unit 10. Cognitive development

Unit 11. Social and personal development

Section IV- Old Age

Unit 12. Physical changes

Unit 13. Well-being in the last stage

Unit 14. The end of life


BASIC INFORMATION

Professors

Jos Martn-Albo Lucas

jmartina@unizar.es

Recommendations for those taking the subject

Having passed Developmental Psychology I.

Activities and Key Dates

Big group lectures: 4h/odd weeks along the semester

Big group seminars: 4h/even weeks along the semester
Exam (theory/practice) at the end of the semester (date announced by the university)
Deadline for handing in the report (practical assignments): May 15
Deadline for the handing of report (solution to a given problem): May 25

CONTEXT AND COMPETENCES

Meaning, context, relevance and general objectives of the subject

The subject and the expected results correspond to the following approach and
objectives:

TRANSVERSAL/GENERIC COMPETENCES:

- Information management.

- Critical reasoning

- Social commitment

SUBJECT-SPECIFIC COMPETENCES:

Cognitive (Know)

- Know the different theoretical models of Psychology and judge their contributions
and limitations.
- Know the main processes and stages of psychological development along the life
cycle, considering its normality or abnormality.

Procedural (Know-how)

- Be able to elaborate written and oral reports.

- Be able to identify differences, problems and needs.

Attitudinal (Be)

- Value the contributions of scientific research to knowledge and to professional

practice.
Context and meaning of the subject in the degree

This subject is part of the module Psychology and Human Development (42 compulsory
credits), which includes:

Evolutionary psychology (12 credits)

Subject: Developmental psychology I

Subject: Developmental psychology II

Biology of behaviour (18 credits)

Subject: Psychobiology I
Subject: Psychobiology II
Subject: Neuropsychology

Psychology of personality (12 credits)

Subject: Psychology of personality I

Subject: Psychology of personality II

Passing this subject will make the student more competent to...

Develop competences related to the psychologists professional development in

different branches, by knowing the consequences of the maturing process.

Evaluate emotional, behavioural and social changes produced throughout life.

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Anticipate possible problems related to the development of intervention programmes
deriving from evolutionary changes.

Have a better understanding of the implications of life as a variable which can affect
other psychological variables.

Importance of the learning results gained through this subject:

This subject allows the student to acquire essential knowledge and skills to describe and
explain development from adolescence onwards, and interindividual differences in
development processes. This allows to lay the foundations for prediction and
intervention in development throughout the life cycle in order to optimise it, as well as
to explain evolutionary processes in reference to basic socialization contexts (family,
groups of equals, school, etc)

ASSESSMENT

Assessment activities

The student must prove to have gained the expected learning results through the
following assessment activities

The final qualification of the subject is global, that is, the student gets only one
qualification which represents his level of achievement in the activities undertaken.

Conceptual content assessed is included in the basic bibliographical references indicated

in each thematic unit, as well as in the complementary explanations given in lectures
and seminars.

The assessment consists of a multiple choice test covering conceptual and

methodological content of the subject. The score represents 65% of the final grade, thus
the student must get a minimum score of 2.5 over 6.5 in order to pass the subject. This
is a 30 questions multiple choice test (3 answer options) which takes place once this
course ends. The correction follows the following formula: [(A- E/3)/30] x 6,5.

There is a continuous assessment for those practical skills acquired in class, active
participation and quality of assignments. Assessment criteria for skills acquired by the
students are indicated in the practical assignments. In order to assess personal work,
attending class and participating actively will be considered together with the
submission of a report (practical assignments). This qualification represents 20% of the
final grade.

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Solution to a given problem. This concept is included in the practice section and
represents 15% of the final grade. The student must hand in a final report giving
answers to the problem proposed.

ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES

General methodology

The learning process designed for this subject is based on the following aspects:

1. Lectures.

Lectures consist of a presentation of the contents of the syllabus, together with the
elaboration of practical exercises in class (case analysis, video analysis, etc), with the
use of a dynamic and participative methodology completed by the student with
compulsory readings.

2.Seminars.

Small group teaching is also known as seminar.

3.Tutorship.

During the course the student has an official tutorship schedule that can use to ask
questions about the contents of the subject.

4. Solution to a given problem.

Learning based in problems is a teaching-learning strategy that starts with a real

problem; a group of students look for a solution together.

Programmed learning activities

The programme offered to the students to help them to get the expected results
includes the following activities...

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Attending lectures regularly (On-site)

Attending seminars (On-site)

Working on the solution of a given problem: information gathering, tutorship,

discussion groups in the moodle platform

Elaborating a report (practical assignments).

Elaborating a final report giving answers to the problem proposed.

Study the contents of the programme using bibliographical references and materials
given throughout the course.

Plan and calendar

Calendar of attended sessions and deadlines

Section I Section II Section III Section IV Practice

February Lectures Practice
March Seminar 1 Lectures Practice
April Seminar 2 Lectures Practice
May Seminar 3 Lectures Practice
Deadline 1
June Seminar 4 Deadline 2

(final exam)

Seminar 1: Bibliographical resources in Evolutionary Psychology

Seminar 2: Disorders related to adolescence

Seminar 3. Middle-age crisis: Myth or reality?

Seminar 4. Euthanasia and ethical code.

Deadline 1. Report of practical assignments.

Deadline 2. Report of solution to a given problem.

Bibliography

Bibliographic resources

Garca Madruga, J. A., Gutirrez Martnez, F. y Carriedo, N. (2002). Psicologa

Evolutiva (Vols. I y II). Madrid: UNED.
Lpez, F., Etxebarra, I., Fuentes, M J. y Ortiz, MJ. (2000). Desarrollo afectivo
y social. Madrid: Pirmide.
Mietzel, G. (2005). Claves de la Psicologa Evolutiva: infancia y juventud.
Barcelona: Herder.
Palacios, J., Marchesi, A. y Coll, C. (Comps.) (2000). Desarrollo psicolgico y
educacin (2 ed). Madrid: Alianza.
Papalia, D. E., Wendkos-Olds, S. y Duskin-Feldman, R. (2005). Desarrollo
Humano (9 ed.). Madrid: McGraw Hill.
Triad, C. y Villar, F. (coords.)(2006). Psicologa de la vejez. Madrid: Alianza.
Yuste, N., Rubio, R. Y Aleixandre, M. (2004). Introduccin a la
Psicogerontologa. Madrid: Pirmide.