ID:
500928
Duration (hours):
36
CFU:
6
SSD:
PSICOLOGIA GENERALE
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Primo Semestre (22/09/2025 - 09/01/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Learning objectives
The main objective of the course is to offer knowledge relating to the psychology of both normal and pathological aging.
The secondary objective is to introduce and experiment with the methods and areas of application of the concepts and methods learned.
In particular, the course is aimed at students interested in acquiring accurate and rigorous knowledge in order to intervene on the elderly population residing both in the area and in facilities.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course students will be able to:
- know the main theories on cognitive and socio-cognitive aging;
- know the basic methodologies of research in the field of aging and the main data analysis techniques;
- know the cognitive and socio-cognitive changes of healthy and pathological aging;
- administer the main assessment tools in the cognitive and socio-cognitive fields;
- know the intervention programs for both cognitively healthy elderly people and those suffering from cognitive impairment.
The main objective of the course is to offer knowledge relating to the psychology of both normal and pathological aging.
The secondary objective is to introduce and experiment with the methods and areas of application of the concepts and methods learned.
In particular, the course is aimed at students interested in acquiring accurate and rigorous knowledge in order to intervene on the elderly population residing both in the area and in facilities.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course students will be able to:
- know the main theories on cognitive and socio-cognitive aging;
- know the basic methodologies of research in the field of aging and the main data analysis techniques;
- know the cognitive and socio-cognitive changes of healthy and pathological aging;
- administer the main assessment tools in the cognitive and socio-cognitive fields;
- know the intervention programs for both cognitively healthy elderly people and those suffering from cognitive impairment.
Course Prerequisites
Students are required to have basic knowledge of general psychology and cognitive psychology. In particular, knowledge of the following mental processes is required: memory, attention and language.
Teaching Methods
The course takes place through in-person lessons.
For each CFU (25 hours) the following are expected:
4 hours of teaching in delivery mode - DE (presentation of contents via slides and scientific papers)
2 hours of interactive teaching - DI (guided exercises, small group work between peers, critical discussion on topics provided by the teacher)
19 hours of self-study on the texts of the course bibliography, on the slides provided and on the scientific articles indicated
To facilitate inclusive teaching, the teacher provides up to two hours of office hours per week, by appointment
Particular attention will be paid to the topic of evaluation, with the presentation of paper material (in the form of questionnaires and tests), and to the topic of interventions in the field of the psychology of aging in order to provide the student with the tools to learn the methods and the rationale of the different evaluation and intervention tools.
For each CFU (25 hours) the following are expected:
4 hours of teaching in delivery mode - DE (presentation of contents via slides and scientific papers)
2 hours of interactive teaching - DI (guided exercises, small group work between peers, critical discussion on topics provided by the teacher)
19 hours of self-study on the texts of the course bibliography, on the slides provided and on the scientific articles indicated
To facilitate inclusive teaching, the teacher provides up to two hours of office hours per week, by appointment
Particular attention will be paid to the topic of evaluation, with the presentation of paper material (in the form of questionnaires and tests), and to the topic of interventions in the field of the psychology of aging in order to provide the student with the tools to learn the methods and the rationale of the different evaluation and intervention tools.
Assessment Methods
The written exam includes 10 open questions (5 answer lines). A maximum of 3 points is assigned to 8 of the 10 questions for each answer assessed as correct according to criteria of exhaustiveness, relevance, and clarity. For two of the 10 questions there are 10 answer lines and the assignment of a maximum of 4 points. These questions are useful for honors. The exam time is 60 minutes.
Texts
- - De Beni, R. Borella, E. (2024). Psicologia dell'invecchiamento e della longevità. Third edition. Il Mulino: Bologna.
- Materials presented in class and stored in Kiro.
- Materials presented in class and stored in Kiro.
Contents
The course addresses the following topics:
- Theoretical perspectives on aging;
- Research methodologies in the field of aging;
· Cognitive and psychological changes in normal aging;
· Cognitive and psychological changes in pathological aging;
· Assessment tools (e.g. MMSE, attention test, processing speed, working memory, vocabulary and verbal fluency);
· Interventions to stimulate and enhance cognitive and socio-cognitive skills for healthy elderly people and those with cognitive impairment.
Theoretical aspects will be treated and their methodological and applicative implications will be discussed. Some evaluation tools will then be presented and the main training interventions will be analyzed. The role and possible employment and application opportunities of the psychologist expert in the psychology of aging will also be discussed.
The contents and materials of the course, as well as the slides used for teaching, are present and downloadable from the KIRO platform. The video recordings of similar lessons of previous academic years are also accessible on the KIRO platform.
The contents of the course will be addressed taking into consideration the ethical-deontological principles which, based on the specific theme of the psychology of aging, will be described in detail by the teacher, both from a theoretical point of view and with a direct connection to practical activity (for e.g. through the discussion of example cases).
The study program does NOT provide differentiation between attending and non-attending students. However, given the plurality of contents and the active work carried out in the classroom, attendance is recommended.
- Theoretical perspectives on aging;
- Research methodologies in the field of aging;
· Cognitive and psychological changes in normal aging;
· Cognitive and psychological changes in pathological aging;
· Assessment tools (e.g. MMSE, attention test, processing speed, working memory, vocabulary and verbal fluency);
· Interventions to stimulate and enhance cognitive and socio-cognitive skills for healthy elderly people and those with cognitive impairment.
Theoretical aspects will be treated and their methodological and applicative implications will be discussed. Some evaluation tools will then be presented and the main training interventions will be analyzed. The role and possible employment and application opportunities of the psychologist expert in the psychology of aging will also be discussed.
The contents and materials of the course, as well as the slides used for teaching, are present and downloadable from the KIRO platform. The video recordings of similar lessons of previous academic years are also accessible on the KIRO platform.
The contents of the course will be addressed taking into consideration the ethical-deontological principles which, based on the specific theme of the psychology of aging, will be described in detail by the teacher, both from a theoretical point of view and with a direct connection to practical activity (for e.g. through the discussion of example cases).
The study program does NOT provide differentiation between attending and non-attending students. However, given the plurality of contents and the active work carried out in the classroom, attendance is recommended.
Course Language
Italian
Degrees
Degrees (2)
PSYCHOLOGY
Master’s Degree
2 years
PSYCHOLOGY
Master’s Degree
2 years
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