PSYC 3684 Developmental Psychology

About the Course

How did you become the person you are? What makes you different from someone else? Why don’t identical twins act in completely identical ways? What influences determine who a person will become? Throughout this course you will explore these questions as you investigate the field of developmental psychology. While you will encounter some familiar names, such as Freud, you will also come to see ways that recent research has challenged some long-standing “truths” in the field of psychology. While theorists like Freud saw development as being a fixed, determined sequence of events, more contemporary theorists view development as being much more fluid and flexible. This shift in thinking may help you understand today’s world in which 70-year-olds are returning to school (perhaps you, welcome), professional identities are constantly developing, and midlife transitions are the norm.

Objectives/Outline

As you progress through this course, you will be encouraged to think about how these contemporary developmental views fit with your world. Specifically, you will be encouraged to try on these ideas and to see how well they explain your own development as well as the development of those around you. This exploration will require that you consider developmental influences as diverse as genes, parenting, and reality TV. Current views of development recognize that each person is developing not in a vacuum, but rather within a complex “soup” of biological, social, and cultural influences. You are not only what you eat, as the saying goes, but also who you are, and who you are.

Grade Breakdown

Writing Assignments (10): 500pts (50pts per assignment)

Application/Field Work Assignments (10): 300pts (30pts per assignment)

Exams (2): 800pts (400pts per exam)

Total points possible: 1600pts

Required Text

Santrock, J.W., Life-Span Development, 13th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2010. (ISBN: 978-0073532097)

There is also a Kindle version if you would prefer to read the text electronically.

Instructor Contact

Dr. Mike Monroe is a licensed clinical psychologist, consultant, and teacher based in Denver, Colorado. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Colorado, he holds a doctorate in psychology from the University of Denver. He has worked at the Denver Affairs Medical Center, the University of Colorado Health Science Center and St. Anthony’s Family Medicine. He has presented seminars at a variety of settings including Planned Parenthood and Outward Bound. Dr. Monroe has taught in a variety of settings ranging from schools in Southeast Asia to his current position as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver. He also works with individuals, couples, and groups in private practice. For over ten years, Dr. Monroe has successfully helped hundreds of people move through obstacles and difficulties so that they can reclaim more hope, happiness, and enjoyment in living. His personal interests include canoeing, playing guitar, and hiking in the mountains above Boulder with his wife and his dog, Scout.

Email: michael.monroe@colorado.edu