Module Directory

This module will introduce students to how humans grow and develop in the world. The principal approaches to the study of human development will be discussed, with a particular focus on how infants take their first "psychological steps" in the social world. Students will also develop the research and analysis skills that are needed to answer different questions about how humans grow in the world.

Newborns are totally dependent on others. They are unable to move or sit up; they cannot reach out and pick up an object; their vision is poor; they cannot even express simple emotions. By the end of the developmental process, some 20 years later, humans have become the most psychologically complex things we know. How does this happen?

The aims of this module are:

• To provide students with knowledge of the main theoretical and methodological approaches in developmental psychology, as well as a more in-depth understanding of early social development.


• To provide students with the opportunity to learn how to represent the relationship between continuous variables, how to conduct literature searches, how to structure an introduction section, and how to reference in APA style. These skills will be applied when creating a graph and when writing the introduction section to a scientific report.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Understand some of the main theoretical and methodological approaches in developmental psychology.


2. Acquire a more in-depth understanding of early social development in infants.


3. Learn how to describe and graphically represent the relationship between continuous variables.


4. Learn how to write the introduction to a scientific report.


5. Master the skills required to conduct literature searches and to reference in APA style.

This module provides an introduction to theories and approaches in developmental psychology. This may include the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, as well as the approaches of behaviourism, cognitivism and evolutionary psychology. An introduction to the early development of social understanding including how and why infants imitate others.

This module will be delivered via:

• Nine lectures and six practical lab classes.
• Weekly drop-in support sessions.

Lectures will be focused on answering fundamental questions in developmental psychology. Each question will be addressed by providing background knowledge of the research area before focusing in on specific research questions and findings. These will be used to explain the methodological principles and some basic statistical techniques commonly used in studying development. Students will be encouraged to participate in lectures though discussion groups, asking questions, and also through the use of digital interactive platforms. This will ensure that the learning environment is inclusive for all students.

Lab classes will be used to provide students the opportunity to implement the statistical methods that are discussed during the lectures, and also for further discussion.

Drop-in support sessions will provide an additional safety net for students to seek further assistance for anything that they are struggling with. Discussion forums on Moodle will provide an additional platform for students to seek additional support and to identify areas that need further explanation.