SUBJECT
Theoretical Models of Development
DPSY16-DCC-102
practice
Doctoral
7
Semester 1-4
Autumn/Spring semester
The course covers the concept of development in psychology, the history of the theoretical approaches and explanations of development, and the contemporary models of development.
Issues to discuss:
- Continuity and discontinuity in development
- “Developmental function” and individual variability
- Domain-specific models; models of cognitive development: constructivism, social constructivism, modularism, connectionalism
- The claim for the overall explanation of development; atypical development in the focus of interest of developmental theoreticians
- The nature-nurture dilemma. Main effect and / or interaction? Evolution and development
- Systems-approach; dynamic system models
- The importance of the transactional model for developmental psychopathology. Risk and protective mechanisms; vulnerability and resilience. Cumulative risk – linear or threshold effect?
- Developmental pathways: multi- and equifinality
- Ecological perspective; contextualism
- Proximal and distal factors. Culture and development
- The time factor: the chronosystem
- The life-span perspective. Transitions and crossroads in development; normative and paranormative crises; horizontal and vertical stressors
Cicchetti, D. & Cohen, D.J. (Eds) (2006): Developmental Psychopathology. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley.
Vol. 1. Theory and method.
Damon, W., Lerner, R.M. (Eds) (2006): Theoretical Models of Human Development. Handbook of
Child Psychology, Vol.1. Chichester / New York, J. Wiley & Sons.
Bronfenbrenner, U., Ceci, S. J. (1994): Nature-nurture reconceptualized in developmental
perspective: A bioecological model. Psychological Review, 101, 568-586.
Masten, A. S. (2001): Ordinary Magic: Resilience Processes in Development. American
Psychologist, 56, Issue 3, 227-238.
Sameroff, A. J., Fiese, B. H. (2005); Models of development and developmental risk. In Zeanah,
C.H. (ed.) Handbook of infant mental health. 2nd Ed. New York, The Guilford Press, 2005.