General Program: MS in Developmental Psychology

Students in this course are introduced to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. Students work toward building a foundation for academic and professional success as scholar-practitioners and social change agents. They assess the relationship of mission and vision to professional goals, and they develop a program of study, a professional development plan, and strategies for online success. Students also explore resources used throughout the program, such as the online Walden University Library. They engage in course assignments focused on the practical application of professional writing, critical-thinking skills, and the promotion of professional and academic excellence.

Students in this course are introduced to concepts, theories, and research methods relevant to understanding developmental psychology. Developmental theories will be reviewed, including psychoanalytic, behaviorist, cognitive, social, and ecological theory. Students will critically examine the strengths and limitations of each theory and the research that contributed to each theory. Contemporary applications of developmental theories will be explored, with an emphasis on applications designed to effect positive social change.

Students in this course are provided with an advanced overview of human development through the lifespan, including prenatal, childhood, adolescent, adult, and late-adult phases. Students examine and apply basic processes and theories to developmental milestones that occur within these phases of development. They explore factors of heredity and environmental elements on human development, and they consider ethical issues, research considerations, and global perspectives as they assess strategies to promote optimal development. Students also engage in coursework and discussions that highlight themes of diversity and social change.

In this course, students examine biopsychosocial theories of sex differences and conceptions of gender. Topics include history and theoretical perspectives on gender, differentiation of sex versus gender, gender similarities and differences, gender identity, and transgender psychology. Students will also learn about stereotypes, socialization and culture-appropriate social roles, and influence of socialization agents, such as family, schools, peers, and media on gender role development. Important developmental issues will be addressed as they relate to gender, such as body image, sexuality, emotion, communication, and cognition. Students also examine ethical considerations with regard to policy making and training on gender sensitivity.

Students in this course examine the impact of social media and other digital technology on children, teens, and adults and at different stages of cognitive, social, and emotional development. They also examine how identity development, relationships, and socialization can be affected by the use of digital and social media. Students receive a historic review of electronic media research, including the effect of violent television on viewer behavior, which provides a foundation to examine the current impact of digital media. Current issues such as sexting, online harassment, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking are explored, along with strategies for mitigating these issues. Similarly, positive impacts of social media, such as building social groups, finding communities, overriding generational gaps, seeking health and mental health support and resources, are also explored. Students also examine generational, socioeconomic, and cultural differences in access to and use of digital media. Digital media literacy and public policy are explored, with an emphasis on positive social change.

In this research course, students are provided with core knowledge and skills for understanding, analyzing, and designing research at the graduate level. Students explore the philosophy of science, the role of theory, and research processes. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research designs and data collection methods are introduced. The alignment of research components is emphasized. Students also explore ethical and social change implications of designing and conducting research. Students demonstrate their knowledge and skills by developing an annotated bibliography.

Students in this course are introduced to theories and research related to the development of cognition and language acquisition. Both normative and individual differences will be explored. In the course, students will examine basic concepts in cognitive development in addition to problem solving, decision making, and creativity. Piagetian cognitive theory will be examined, as well as sociocultural and neurobiological perspectives. Contemporary research and theory will be reviewed, including information processing and theory of mind. Students will also learn about psycholinguistics, including the structure of language, stages of language acquisition, and multilingualism. Theories of language acquisition will be explored, including behaviorist and conditioning perspectives, Chomsky's perspective, neural networks, and linguistic relativity. Through the course, students will examine atypical development, such as cognitive delay, language disorders, and autism.

Through this course, students review contemporary theory, research, and methods relevant to understanding social and emotional development through the lifespan and the way in which culture and context shape developmental processes. The focus of this course is on both normal and abnormal development and the emphasis on individual differences, and social and cultural diversity. Topics include early interaction, emotion and its expression and regulation, temperament, attachment through the lifespan, social cognition, family and peer relationships, prosocial and antisocial influences on human development, social identity, development of gender differences, and intimacy. Students will also explore topics in social-emotional development that are particular to middle and late adulthood, including the impact of retirement, changes in health, and dying and bereavement.

Diversity can have a profound influence on children's and adolescents' development and learning. Students in this course explore areas of diversity, such as gender, culture, language, disability, and sexual orientation and how they influence developmental and learning needs of this particular population. Applying core concepts and theories of development and learning, psychology students engage in practical approaches through which they reflect on their own perspectives and preconceptions and learn the complex ways diversity influences development and learning of the children and teenagers. Moreover, using the latest research and resources, students work toward gaining knowledge and skills for improving developmental and learning outcomes for children and adolescents.

The focus of this course is on exploring human development from an international perspective and examination of how biological, cognitive, social, and emotional development of children, adolescents, and adults are viewed in an international context. Students will examine human development and behavior in an ecological, psychosocial, and sociocultural framework, with special emphasis on gender and culture. Topics will include cognitive functioning, language acquisition, individual and social identity formation, social-emotional development (such as the parent-child relationship, attachment, social relationships), and gender role development within an international, cross-cultural context and encompass normal as well as abnormal behaviors as valued and accepted in different cultures.

Students are provided with the opportunity to synthesize knowledge and skills acquired throughout their program into a practical project designed to promote positive social change in a capstone project. During this course, students work on a capstone project in which they complete a major integrative paper on a topic related to their specialization, incorporating theoretical and practical knowledge as well as social scientific research skills acquired throughout the program. The instructor may approve other capstone projects presented by students.