Life Span Development

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course explores the biological, cognitive, emotional and social changes that humans experience across the lifespan from birth through old age. It addresses questions such as: “Is development continuous or discontinuous?” “Are we the product of our nature or our nurture?” “Do all people follow a similar trajectory or is human development marked by diversity?” The broad aim is to answer, in different ways, the fundamental question: “How do we become who we are?” Drawing on developmental, social, and cognitive psychology, and an understanding of developmental milestones of each age period, the course investigates the development of language, intelligence, morality, personality, close relationships, and identity. Special attention is paid to the parts parents, peers, schools, and socioeconomic contexts play in those processes.