Developmental Psychology

Humans are children for longer than any other species on the planet. We are born especially helpless and dependent on others. We start unable to walk, talk, or even grasp objects. Yet, somehow we become people who invent things like airplanes or democracy. In this course, we consider what happens to our minds throughout development. We focus on infancy and childhood. We answer questions such as: what is the experience of a baby? Do they experience their environment as "one great blooming, buzzing confusion," as William James proposed? Or do they come to the world with knowledge that gives structure to their experience? How do children become experts in their language? How are the minds of children and infants similar to adults and how are they different? This is a communication and analytical thinking intensive course. Students learn about the different ways that scholars have approached these questions and get hands-on experience thinking them through themselves.