Developmental Psychology II – Adult and Old Aged

Recommended Prerequisites

Developmental Psychology I – Child and Adolescent

Teaching Methods

Expositive/argumentative Method, with support of projection of visual material;

- Recourse to filmed documents;

- Group work;

- Research/field work.

- Discussion of cases.

Learning Outcomes

This course aims to discuss and deepen the following main themes:

-The beginning of Adulthood: the emergence of Emergent Adulthood

-Adulthood and Old age: Stability or change?

-Adulthood: a period of Wisdom?

-Which are the models of successful aging?

 

Concerning to learning outcomes, at the end of this unit, the students must be able:

-To know why adulthood and old age are studied in the chapters of Psychology of Development.

-To identify, from a multidimensional perspective, the main transformations or changes in adulthood and old age.

-To characterize the main conceptualizations on wisdom, relating them with the adult and old aged person.

-To comprehend and distinguish the most significant perspectives on successful aging and spirituality.

-To know the main actual research questions about the discussed themes.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Introduction: The concept of Human Development and the life-span perspective.

1. The emergence of adulthood: the concept of Emergent Adult.

2. Adulthood and old age: Stability or change? The transformations in young adult, adult and old aged.

2.1 Physical development: Health and physical changes; reproductive issues and longevity.

2.2 Cognitive development (e.g.: “Beyond Piaget. Postformal thinking” - Arlin, Labouvie-Vief. The perspectives of Schaie and Sternberg)

2.3 Moral development (e.g., Kohlberg, Gilligan).

2.4 Psychosocial development and main approaches: The Models of Costa & McCrae; Block; Erikson, Levinson; Neugarten et al.

2.5 Diachronic Perspective development (Montangero).

3. Wisdom and the development of adult and old aged.

4. Aging: The psychological perspectives on successful aging (e.g.: Atchley; Baltes & Baltes; Cumming & Henry; Neugarten, Havighurst & Tobin); Aging, death and spirituality (e.g.: Frankl, Wilson).

Head Lecturer(s)

Luiza Isabel Gomes Freire Nobre Lima

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Research work: 10.0%
Frequency: 90.0%

Bibliography

Alves,P (2011).Sabedoria:Definição,Multidimensionalidade e Avaliação.Lisboa:Inst.Piaget

Arnett, JJ, (Ed)(2015).Oxford handbook of emerging adulthood.NY:Oxford Univ.Press

Carvalho,M & Vale Dias,M L (2013).Roads to positive self-development:styles of coping that predict well-being.Intern. J. of Develop. and Educ.Psychol.,2(1),383-392

Cavanaugh,J C & Blanchard-Fields,F (2018).Adult development and aging(8thEd).Belmont:Wadsworth.

Marchand,H (2005).Psicologia do Adulto e do Idoso.Coimbra:Quarteto

Oliveira,A (Coord.)(2013).Promoting conscious and active learning and aging. Coimbra:Impr. Univ. de Coimbra

Papalia,D, & Olds,S (2013).Desenvolvimento Humano (12ªEd.). SP: McGraw-Hill.(trad.)

Robinson,O, & Stell,A (2015).Later-life crisis:Towards a holistic model. Journal of Adult Development,22,38–49

Vale Dias,M L (2009).Em Busca do Tempo Construído—Contributos da Perspectiva Diacrónica.Porto:Novembro

Yochim,B & Woodhead,E (Eds)(2017).Psychology of Aging-A Biopsychosocial Perspective.NY:Springer