Social and Cognitive Development

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course examines social and cognitive development (and more importantly, the links between them) over the first six years of life. In developing an understanding of how a young child comes to understand her world and the people in it, we will look at influences as diverse as genetics and environment, family and sibling relations, friendships and starting school. Students will have the opportunity to see videos of British children at various stages in their socio-cognitive development, and will learn about the importance of individual differences in understanding development. We will also take a brief look at development in children facing demanding social and/or cognitive challenges, such as deafness, autism, hyperactivity and giftedness.