In this course, we will be focusing on the theoretical aspects of developmental psychology in infancy and early childhood. Class lectures will include discussions about whether the appearance of various capacities are due to innate (biological or genetic) mechanisms or is due to the writing by experience on the infant’s and child's blank slate, a consideration of Piagetian theory, and modern information-processing theories. We will also discuss current theorizing about neural development. Finally, we will delve into the modern theories surrounding the development in infancy and early childhood of specific capacities such as perception, working memory, long-term memory, object knowledge, language acquisition, and social learning. Underlying our discussions of theory will be a consideration of methodology and specific empirical evidence. In particular, we will consider research that both supports and refutes leading theories. Throughout, the relevant empirical research will be a constant feature of our discussions.
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