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for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Developmental Psychology and Language |
| Unit code |
PSYC20003 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
I/5
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2C (weeks 13 - 18)
|
| Unit director |
Professor. Bowers |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
School of Psychological Science |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Life Sciences |
Description including Unit Aims
This unit aims to introduce the student to the experimental approach to studying human behaviour during early childhood and to interpreting the research from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. It also focuses on the development of linguistic abilities from early infancy to adulthood, with particular attention to the biological foundations of language, its evolutionary origins and underlying brain mechanisms.
Aims:
- Develop student's interest, scientific knowledge and understanding of the study of developmental psychology and psychology of language.
- Introduce students to the methodological approaches to the study of developmental psychology and psychology of language, and the application of these to particular areas such as critical period, cognitive development, early memory, speech recognition, and reading.
- Develop a thorough understanding of the role of empirical evidence in the formation of theory and how theory guides the collection and interpretation of empirical data.
- Help students to understand the conceptual and historical issues in the subject matter and their relation to other areas of psychological science.
- Help students to acquire a wide range of transferable skills.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit, the student will:
- Have a comprehensive understanding and scientific knowledge of the topic and methodological approaches to the study of developmental psychology.
- Have a comprehensive understanding of the application of these approaches to the study of specific areas of psychological science.
- Be able to integrate this understanding of these methodologies with other areas of psychological science.
- Be able to understand the conceptual and historical issues in the subject matter of this unit and how they relate to other areas of psychological science.
- Be able to plan and contribute to seminar-based presentations of topics covered in this unit and have further improved their scientific writing skills.
Teaching Information
This unit comprises 16 50 minute lectures, one revision tutorial (2 tutorials in total; 50 students max in each) and 8 50 minute seminars (32 seminars in total, max 25 students in each; i.e. each student attends and participates in 8 seminars and is involved in presenting at one of these).
Assessment Information
Summative assessment with one 2000-word written essay (20%); one oral presentation in seminar (20%) and one 2-hour written exam (60%). The two major topics of this unit (Developmental Psychology and Language) will be assessed independently: a student covering Developmental Psychology with their essay will need to cover Language with their oral presentation or vice versa. In the written exam, students will have to answer questions from each of the two topics.
Reading and References
- Gathercole, S. E., & Baddeley, A. D. (1993). Working memory and language. Hove: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. BF371 GAT
- Goswami, U. (2002). Blackwell handbook of childhood cognitive development. Oxford: Blackwell. BF723.C8 BLA
- Harley, T. A. (2008). The psychology of language: From data to theory (3rd ed.). Hove: Psychology Press. P37 HAR
- Jackendoff, R. S. (2002) Foundations of language : Brain, meaning, grammar, evolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press. P151 JAC
- Johnson, M. H. (1997). Developmental cognitive neuroscience. Oxford: Blackwell. QP360 JOH
