Lifespan Lecture 1

Introduction to Psychology Across the Lifespan

Acknowledgment of traditional custodians of the land: Ngunnawal people, and respect to elders.
Instructor: Caroline Ning, with focus on cultural and social identities in adolescents and young people.
Qualifications: BSc Honours (University of Surrey), Masters of Psychology of Education (UCL), PhD in adolescent social identities (Utrecht).
Contact Information: Email responses within three working days, consultation hours online (no appointment needed).
Tutor: Mick, PhD student researching microaggressions towards LGBTQ individuals in healthcare.

Introduction to unit objectives for the semester.
Content includes: developmental psychology, assessments, lifespan approach, and research methods.
Emphasis on understanding language barriers and encouraging students to communicate if they don’t understand.

Lectures are recorded and available on Canvas within 30 minutes.
Tutorials are weekly (face-to-face, starting in week 2) but not compulsory; highly recommended.
No prescribed textbook; required readings available on Canvas, with some accessible through the library.
Required readings are essential for the week, while further readings are optional.
Recommended resources: APA Publication Manual and "An Interactive Approach to Writing Essays and Research Reports in Psychology" by Burton.
General help: Unit outline and Canvas pages provide detailed information.

Mid-Semester Break: Week 8.
Assessment deadlines including:
- Early assessment quiz (5%): Due Week 3.
- Cluster assessment (10%): Reference search process evaluation.
- Essay (40%): Due April 11, Topic - Development of theory of mind in early childhood and cultural influences.
- Final exam (45%): Online proctored during exam period, assessing content from weeks 3 to 13.

Quizzes: Online assessment based on lecture material with a timeline for responses.
Late policy: 10% penalty for the first 3 days of late submission, zero beyond that.
Extensions: Must apply through proper channels, evident with required documentation.

Topics include:
- Sequence of human development.
- Psychological developmental theories and their application.
- The role of context and culture in development (etic vs. emic perspectives).
- Interdependence of physical, cognitive, and emotional domains of development.

Areas discussed include:
- Physical/Biological Development: Growth and motor skills.
- Cognitive Development: Perception and memory.
- Psychosocial Development: Personal relationships and identity.

Understanding development as a continuous process with change, stability, and decline across all life stages.
Identification of developmental markers and the evolution of emerging adulthood as a life stage.

Importance of the scientific method: Developing hypotheses from observations.
Focus on reliable and valid measurement techniques in developmental studies.
Different methods used: Observations, self-reports (limitations with young children), and physiological measures (e.g., FMRI).

Experimental vs. correlational designs.
- Experimental: Causation analysis through manipulation of variables.
- Correlational: Examines relationships without implying causation.
Types of design:
- Cross-sectional: Different age groups at one time.
- Longitudinal: Same group studied over time.
- Sequential: Combines both approaches to reduce cohort effects.

Importance of ethical standards in conducting research with human subjects.
Consideration of harm, informed consent, debriefing, confidentiality, and participant care in developmental studies.

Recap of the course structure, expectations for assessments, and research methods to be implemented throughout the semester.
Encourage participation and highlight the relevance of the topics in understanding developmental psychology.