510221 - DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY FOR HUMAN SCIENCES

For the first part of the course (Prof. Zanetti):
Learning objectives:
The course aims to address the origins of psychology starting from the heritage of philosophical thought and the contributions in the field of neurophysiology that determined its autonomy as a science. The main psychological models will be presented and discussed through the analysis of the cognitive, affective and relational components of the individual with respect to the contexts of growth in a biopsychosocial perspective.
The course has as its main objective to offer knowledge in the field of developmental psychology in a cultural perspective through the main authors and themes of the discipline.
A secondary objective is to present the theme of complexity and individual differences involved in individual development, the result of the interaction between different cognitive, socio-emotional, cultural and contextual processes.
The course therefore aims to provide students with knowledge and keys to understanding the mechanisms that constitute the prerequisites for both typical and atypical psychological development and the acquisition of a technical-scientific vocabulary specific to the discipline.
Theories and constructs of the major areas of development will be illustrated:
motor and perceptive, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, affective and social and
the methodological aspects that characterize in a peculiar way the field of developmental psychology compared to
other areas of psychology will be examined.
Expected learning outcomes:
At the end of the course, students will be able to frame developmental psychology in an integrated perspective starting from the disciplines from which it has drawn its assumptions, as well as knowing theories and constructs of developmental psychology through the description of the main stages of individual development and the factors and mechanisms that determine it.


For the second part of the course (Prof. Serena Lecce):
The course aims to provide students with a basic knowledge of developmental issues across the lifespan, integrating them with research methodology and the main theoretical approaches.
At the end of the course, students are expected to:
a) know the typical stages of development across the different domains of development (cognitive, social, and emotional-relational, both online and offline), so as to be able to identify potential cases of atypical development;
b) know the main research methodologies in developmental psychology;
c) know the main assessment tests used to evaluate a child’s level of development.