BCSC 170: Syllabus

Fall 2023

Time & Location

Tuesday & Thursday (2:00 to 3:15)
Hoyt Hall Room 104

Personnel

Instructor: Professor Karl Rosengren, PhD
406 Meliora Hall
Email:
Office Hours: Thursday 12:45 to 1:45 and by appointment

Instructor: Professor Daniel Mruzek
323 Meliora Hall
Email:
Office Hours: Thursday 10:00 to 12:00 and by appointment

Graduate TA: Ellen Kneeskern
498 Meliora Hall
Email: ellen.kneeskern@rochester.edu
Office Hours: Thursday 12:30 to 1:30 and by appointment

Graduate TA: Christina Layton
457 Meliora Hall
Email: clayton@ur.rochester.edu
Office hours: Tuesday 3:30 to 4:30 and by appointment

Undergraduate TAs:
Ajay Macherla, Email: amacher2@u.rochester.edu
Abigail Pearlman, Email: apearlm6@u.rochester.edu
Vanessa Yang, Email: vyang@u.rochester.edu

Course Description & Goals

The focus of this course is human psychological development from infancy through adolescence. We will examine the development of perception, cognition, language, personality, and social relationships. Throughout the class we will examine different theoretical perspectives and methods in developmental research. We will also explore specific issues, including: How do young infants perceive the world? How do infants and toddlers develop an attachment to their parents or caretakers? Why are some children good at making friends, and why do others feel lonely or isolated? How do parents' beliefs and values influence children's development and school achievement? How do parents' discipline style influence children's social and personality development? As each new topic is introduced, students will be encouraged to think critically about the assumptions and methods that underlie research on particular issues. A central goal will be to help students develop an appreciation of different criteria for evaluating research and other forms of evidence

Course Learning Objectives

At the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Demonstrate proficiency regarding the terminology and concepts involved in child development
• Understand key issues related to child development
• Know how to obtain research articles relevant to child development via online databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar), and concisely synthesize this research in support of a particular argument or thesis
• Effectively communicate the results of your own psychological research by writing clear, persuasive, appropriately formatted APA-style position reports
• Critically evaluate research results

Required Readings

Siegler, R., Saffran, J., Gershoff, E., & Eisenberg, N. (2020). How Children Develop. 6th Edition. Worth Publishers.
We recommend renting the eBook version

Course Requirements and Grading

Your grade will be based on:

• Pretest 2%
• Exam 1 15%
• Exam 2 15%
• Final Exam 25%
• Discussion posts (10) 5%
• Position Papers (3) 30%
• Class Assignments (8) 8%

Overall Grading Scale

Exams

There will be three exams. The format of these exams may vary, but will likely primarily be in class, multiple-choice questions. The Final Exam will cover material from the entire class and will take place during the assigned time during the Final Exam Period.

Exam 1: Thursday 10/12 (in class)
Exam 2: Tuesday 11/21 (in class)
Exam 3: Wednesday 12/20 DURING FINAL EXAM PERIOD

Position Papers

You are required to complete THREE position papers over the course of the semester (175 to 200 words; 10 points per position paper). See Position Paper Topics & Requirements document for more details.

Discussion Posts

You will be required to post TEN comments on the Discussion Board on Blackboard (0.5 point for each high-quality post). These will be in response to your classmates’ Position papers and or Assignments Posts. See Discussion Board Posting Policy document for more details.

Class Assignments

There will be EIGHT class assignments that will require some preparation outside of class and a brief post (one point each). These will be on topics related to the class material. See Assignments for Class document for more details.

ALL POSITION PAPERS, DISCUSSION POSTS, & CLASS ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE SUBMITTED ON BLACKBOARD.

IMPORTANT CLASS POLICIES

Communication

Check your email daily, as the Instructor may use it to contact you regarding class updates, syllabus changes, etc. When contacting the Instructor or Teaching Assistant via email, please include “PSYC 170” in the subject line and use proper email etiquette. The Instructor is happy to answer any and all questions you may have, but cannot guarantee an immediate reply to every email.

Respectful Class Conduct

Please be respectful of the Instructor and your classmates during class meetings. Please silence your cell phones while in the classroom. Laptops, tablets, etc. are permitted for taking notes, but please refrain from all other types of usage during class (e.g., texting, checking email, playing games). The Instructor reserves the right to ban all devices from class if they become too disruptive.

Laptop Policy

We understand that many scholars prefer to take notes on their laptops during class and there are times that it will be useful for scholars to use laptops in class for their research projects. However, we have found that the use of laptops in class can be distracting for other class members, as well as the scholar using the laptop. Laptop use often takes away from active participation in class – especially with respect to class discussions. For this reason if you desire to use your laptop to take notes in class you must send us an email asking for permission and we will require that you sit in a particular location in the classroom. If we find that members of the class are using their laptops inappropriately (e.g., email, online shopping, online poker, videogaming) we will restrict the use of laptops in class.

Missed Class

If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to make up the material that was covered by completing the assigned readings, reviewing any materials posted on Blackboard, and getting notes from a classmate. You are encouraged to attend office hours to have specific questions answered about the material.

Late Assignments

No late assignments will be accepted. When absences can be anticipated (e.g., University sponsored activities, religious observations), you must inform the Instructor in advance, and with as much notice as possible, in order to make alternative arrangements. For unanticipated events, the Instructor should be notified as soon as possible. Accommodations for extensions due to extenuating circumstances will be made based on Instructor discretion.

Special Accommodations

We want to enable everyone to participate fully in the course. If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please make an appointment to speak with the Instructor in order to discuss any adjustments (within the first 2 weeks of class). In addition, please contact the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) about disability support.

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is vital to the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in a university. Failure to uphold these principles compromises the educational process and is ultimately destructive to the values of the intellectual community as a whole. One example of academic dishonesty is plagiarism, which is using the words or ideas of others (including published authors or other students) without giving proper credit to those individuals. Another example is using the same work to fulfill academic requirements in more than one course (without prior permission of the instructors). Any suspected breach of academic honesty in this course will be pursued vigorously. Please make sure you are familiar with the University’s policies, and feel free to ask the instructor and/or if you have any questions. All assignments and activities associated with this course must be performed in accordance with the University of Rochester's Academic Honesty Policy.