ID:
509984
Durata (ore):
36
CFU:
6
SSD:
Psicologia dello sviluppo e dell'educazione
Anno:
2026
Dati Generali
Periodo di attivitÃ
Secondo Semestre (15/02/2027 - 04/06/2027)
Syllabus
Obiettivi Formativi
The course provides advanced theoretical and methodological knowledge on social development, with a focus on adolescence as a period of profound brain, cognitive and social reorganization compared with adulthood, and therefore of both vulnerability and opportunity. It integrates developmental psychology, developmental neuroscience, decision science, and computational and game-theoretic approaches.
Expected learning outcomes. At the end of the course, students will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding
- know and compare the main models of social cognition and social decision-making and their neural substrates;
- describe the main structural and functional brain changes in adolescence and their relationship with cognitive, social and affective development, comparing them with adult functioning;
- know the main research methods in social development (experimental paradigms and economic games, neuroimaging, computational models, longitudinal designs) and the ethical principles governing their use.
Applying knowledge and understanding
- analyse typical adolescent phenomena (risk taking, peer influence, social reorientation, vulnerability to mental health problems) in the light of the models and evidence presented in the course;
- apply this knowledge to the interpretation of research findings relevant to experimental and clinical settings.
Making judgements
- critically evaluate empirical and review papers, identifying their research questions, paradigm, main results and limitations;
- discuss conflicting findings and their possible theoretical and methodological explanations.
Communication skills
- present the content of a scientific paper clearly and accessibly, also to a non-specialist audience, making effective use of graphs and visual material;
- ask and answer questions in a scientific discussion;
- argue coherently in writing, using appropriate scientific language in English.
Learning skills
- independently consult the international scientific literature to update their knowledge;
- organise individual study and group work independently.
Expected learning outcomes. At the end of the course, students will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding
- know and compare the main models of social cognition and social decision-making and their neural substrates;
- describe the main structural and functional brain changes in adolescence and their relationship with cognitive, social and affective development, comparing them with adult functioning;
- know the main research methods in social development (experimental paradigms and economic games, neuroimaging, computational models, longitudinal designs) and the ethical principles governing their use.
Applying knowledge and understanding
- analyse typical adolescent phenomena (risk taking, peer influence, social reorientation, vulnerability to mental health problems) in the light of the models and evidence presented in the course;
- apply this knowledge to the interpretation of research findings relevant to experimental and clinical settings.
Making judgements
- critically evaluate empirical and review papers, identifying their research questions, paradigm, main results and limitations;
- discuss conflicting findings and their possible theoretical and methodological explanations.
Communication skills
- present the content of a scientific paper clearly and accessibly, also to a non-specialist audience, making effective use of graphs and visual material;
- ask and answer questions in a scientific discussion;
- argue coherently in writing, using appropriate scientific language in English.
Learning skills
- independently consult the international scientific literature to update their knowledge;
- organise individual study and group work independently.
Prerequisiti
There are no formal prerequisites. To attend the course profitably, students should have a basic knowledge, at the level of a bachelor's degree in psychology, of:
- the main theories and stages of cognitive and social development;
- basic cognitive processes (attention, memory, executive functions) and the main brain structures and circuits;
- fundamentals of research methodology and of descriptive and inferential statistics, sufficient to understand the methods and results graphs of an empirical scientific paper.
As the course is taught entirely in English, students should be able to follow lectures, read scientific papers and write in English (approximately B2 level).
- the main theories and stages of cognitive and social development;
- basic cognitive processes (attention, memory, executive functions) and the main brain structures and circuits;
- fundamentals of research methodology and of descriptive and inferential statistics, sufficient to understand the methods and results graphs of an empirical scientific paper.
As the course is taught entirely in English, students should be able to follow lectures, read scientific papers and write in English (approximately B2 level).
Metodi didattici
The course is taught in person, entirely in English.
Workload. In line with the University's rules, each CFU (25 hours) includes 5 hours of lecture-based teaching (DE, didattica erogativa), 1 hour of interactive teaching (DI, didattica interattiva) and 19 hours of individual study. For this 6-CFU course (150 hours) this amounts to:
- 30 hours of DE;
- 6 hours of DI;
- 114 hours of individual study (indicative: learning pace and style vary from student to student).
Lectures (DE). Lectures, supported by slides published on GOOGLE DRIVE, present the theoretical models, methods and main empirical findings for each topic. Students are actively involved through questions and short discussions.
Interactive teaching (DI): journal clubs. From the early weeks of the course, part of the lessons is devoted to journal clubs led by the students. In groups of 2-3, students present in class a scientific paper assigned by the lecturer, using PowerPoint or similar visual material, following the guidelines given at the start of the course. Each group presents for about 15 minutes (about 5 minutes per member), followed by about 5 minutes of questions and discussion with classmates and the lecturer. All attending students are expected to take part.
Consistency with learning objectives. Lectures and individual study support the acquisition of knowledge; journal clubs develop the ability to apply it, independent judgement in reading the literature, and scientific communication skills.
Attendance is not compulsory but is strongly recommended. The lecturer is available for office hours by appointment.
Workload. In line with the University's rules, each CFU (25 hours) includes 5 hours of lecture-based teaching (DE, didattica erogativa), 1 hour of interactive teaching (DI, didattica interattiva) and 19 hours of individual study. For this 6-CFU course (150 hours) this amounts to:
- 30 hours of DE;
- 6 hours of DI;
- 114 hours of individual study (indicative: learning pace and style vary from student to student).
Lectures (DE). Lectures, supported by slides published on GOOGLE DRIVE, present the theoretical models, methods and main empirical findings for each topic. Students are actively involved through questions and short discussions.
Interactive teaching (DI): journal clubs. From the early weeks of the course, part of the lessons is devoted to journal clubs led by the students. In groups of 2-3, students present in class a scientific paper assigned by the lecturer, using PowerPoint or similar visual material, following the guidelines given at the start of the course. Each group presents for about 15 minutes (about 5 minutes per member), followed by about 5 minutes of questions and discussion with classmates and the lecturer. All attending students are expected to take part.
Consistency with learning objectives. Lectures and individual study support the acquisition of knowledge; journal clubs develop the ability to apply it, independent judgement in reading the literature, and scientific communication skills.
Attendance is not compulsory but is strongly recommended. The lecturer is available for office hours by appointment.
Verifica Apprendimento
Assessment consists of an in-person written exam, identical for attending and non-attending students, to which a bonus for the journal club presentation may be added.
Written exam (2 hours and 30 minutes):
a) one essay, chosen among several topics: up to 16 points;
b) 5 more focused open questions: up to 3 points each (15 points).
The maximum score is therefore 31. Questions cover the slides and the mandatory papers. No materials (notes, books, electronic devices) may be used.
The essay is assessed on: relevance and completeness with respect to the topic; accuracy of theoretical and empirical knowledge; ability to critically link course topics and the literature; clarity and logical organisation of the argument; appropriate scientific language. Open questions are assessed on accuracy, precision and conciseness.
Bonus for the journal club presentation (up to 2 points). Although this is group work, the score is individual and reflects each member's contribution. Criteria, presented at the start of the course: "hourglass" structure (from the broad question and its relevance to the details of methods and results, circling back to the initial questions); clarity and logical coherence, with definitions of key concepts; understanding of the paradigm and results, with explanation of the paper's graphs (for reviews: main message of each section); effective use of visual material (relevant graphs, few words); links with the course and the literature, with references; ability to engage the audience, time management and handling of questions. Stating that a technical aspect was not understood is not penalised.
Relevant questions asked during the journal club discussions may be taken into account when rounding up the final mark.
The bonus remains valid until the last exam session of the 2026/2027 academic year.
Final mark. The mark, out of 30, is the sum of the written exam score and any bonus. The exam is passed if the written exam score alone is 18/30 or higher; the bonus is added only if the written exam is passed. A total score above 30 corresponds to 30 cum laude. Participation in the journal clubs is strongly recommended: it supports learning and contributes significantly to the final mark.
Results are communicated through the University portal.
Written exam (2 hours and 30 minutes):
a) one essay, chosen among several topics: up to 16 points;
b) 5 more focused open questions: up to 3 points each (15 points).
The maximum score is therefore 31. Questions cover the slides and the mandatory papers. No materials (notes, books, electronic devices) may be used.
The essay is assessed on: relevance and completeness with respect to the topic; accuracy of theoretical and empirical knowledge; ability to critically link course topics and the literature; clarity and logical organisation of the argument; appropriate scientific language. Open questions are assessed on accuracy, precision and conciseness.
Bonus for the journal club presentation (up to 2 points). Although this is group work, the score is individual and reflects each member's contribution. Criteria, presented at the start of the course: "hourglass" structure (from the broad question and its relevance to the details of methods and results, circling back to the initial questions); clarity and logical coherence, with definitions of key concepts; understanding of the paradigm and results, with explanation of the paper's graphs (for reviews: main message of each section); effective use of visual material (relevant graphs, few words); links with the course and the literature, with references; ability to engage the audience, time management and handling of questions. Stating that a technical aspect was not understood is not penalised.
Relevant questions asked during the journal club discussions may be taken into account when rounding up the final mark.
The bonus remains valid until the last exam session of the 2026/2027 academic year.
Final mark. The mark, out of 30, is the sum of the written exam score and any bonus. The exam is passed if the written exam score alone is 18/30 or higher; the bonus is added only if the written exam is passed. A total score above 30 corresponds to 30 cum laude. Participation in the journal clubs is strongly recommended: it supports learning and contributes significantly to the final mark.
Results are communicated through the University portal.
Testi
The bibliography is the same for attending and non-attending students. All materials, except for the optional book, are available on K.
Mandatory materials:
- course slides, including any notes;
- papers presented in the journal clubs (list on GOOGLE DRIVE at the start of the course).
Optional materials:
- Blakemore, S.-J. Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain. 1st ed., 2018. London: Doubleday;
- course reading list (on GOOGLE DRIVE);
- online resources linked in the slides.
Mandatory materials:
- course slides, including any notes;
- papers presented in the journal clubs (list on GOOGLE DRIVE at the start of the course).
Optional materials:
- Blakemore, S.-J. Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain. 1st ed., 2018. London: Doubleday;
- course reading list (on GOOGLE DRIVE);
- online resources linked in the slides.
Contenuti
The following topics are addressed approximately in this order:
- Introduction to social development: decision theory and the neural substrates of social cognition and social decision-making.
- Structural and functional brain development in adolescence: recent advances in developmental neuroscience, combining cutting-edge neuroscience methods with longitudinal approaches to social and cognitive development.
- Social decision-making in adolescence: game-theoretic and neurocomputational approaches to social development.
- Adolescence as a sensitive period for executive functions and higher-order cognition: protracted neuroplasticity, and adolescence as a special window for learning and training.
- Adolescent risk taking and maturational mismatch models: development of executive versus reward/limbic systems.
- Cognitive and neural mechanisms of social influence and social learning: adolescence as an age of vulnerability and opportunity.
- Adolescence as a period of social reorientation: learning to coordinate with peers and building one's social space.
- Adolescence as an age of vulnerability to the onset of mental health problems.
In parallel, the course guides students in the critical reading and presentation of scientific papers through journal clubs.
- Introduction to social development: decision theory and the neural substrates of social cognition and social decision-making.
- Structural and functional brain development in adolescence: recent advances in developmental neuroscience, combining cutting-edge neuroscience methods with longitudinal approaches to social and cognitive development.
- Social decision-making in adolescence: game-theoretic and neurocomputational approaches to social development.
- Adolescence as a sensitive period for executive functions and higher-order cognition: protracted neuroplasticity, and adolescence as a special window for learning and training.
- Adolescent risk taking and maturational mismatch models: development of executive versus reward/limbic systems.
- Cognitive and neural mechanisms of social influence and social learning: adolescence as an age of vulnerability and opportunity.
- Adolescence as a period of social reorientation: learning to coordinate with peers and building one's social space.
- Adolescence as an age of vulnerability to the onset of mental health problems.
In parallel, the course guides students in the critical reading and presentation of scientific papers through journal clubs.
Lingua Insegnamento
INGLESE
Altre informazioni
Announcements, the journal club schedule and paper assignments are published on GOOGLE DRIVE.
Students with disabilities or specific learning disorders may agree on compensatory or dispensatory measures with the lecturer, through the dedicated University service.
Students with disabilities or specific learning disorders may agree on compensatory or dispensatory measures with the lecturer, through the dedicated University service.
Corsi
Corsi
PSYCHOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE AND HUMAN SCIENCES
Laurea Magistrale
2 anni
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