PSYC3016: Semester 2, 2025

Units PSYC3016 Semester 2 2025 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

PSYC3016: Developmental Psychology

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit examines our understanding of human psychological development, focusing on selected issues and empirical traditions within the discipline of Developmental Psychology. Students are expected to gain an understanding of the theoretical influences that have come to dominate developmental research, and students will also be introduced to a range of theoretical and research approaches in contemporary Developmental Science. These include: sense of identity, conceptual development, children's thinking, social cognition, moral reasoning and behaviour, and the role of genetic and environmental influences on development. The course will also consider applications of developmental research and theory in developmental psychopathology and in educational contexts, as well as exploring children's experience of art, literature and drama. Students are expected to gain knowledge of, and develop a critical approach to, the analysis of current research and theoretical issues in these areas.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Psychology Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	PSYC2013 or PSYC2015 or PSYC2915
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	PSYC3916
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Micah Goldwater, micah.goldwater@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written exam ?	Final Exam See Canvas for details.	45%	Formal exam period	2 hours	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Out-of-class quiz	Tutorial Quizzes See Canvas for details.	20%	Ongoing	See Canvas for details.	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Lecture Engagement See Canvas for details.	5%	Ongoing	See Canvas for details.	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Essay See Canvas for details.	30%	Week 12 Due date: 02 Nov 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 30 Nov 2025	See Canvas for details.	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Lecture Engagement: Lectures will be delivered on campus on Tuesdays. Students who engage with lectures will receive marks toward their Lecture Engagement assessment proportional to their engagement. See Canvas for full details.

Tutorial Quizzes: Students will reflect on the readings for their tutorial every week before they attend the tutorial. This helps prepare students for live discussion. See Canvas for full details.

Essay: Students will integrate results from across the research literature to construct a novel and creative scientific argument in support of their position on an important topic within developmental psychology. See Canvas for full details.

Final Exam: A two-hour closed book exam will be held after the teaching period ends. If you miss the Final Exam and are approved by Special Consideration, you will sit a Replacement Exam in the Replacement Exam period. The Final Exam is a compulsory assessment, so if you do not attempt it, you will receive an Absent Fail (AF) grade, and it is also a hurdle assessment, so students will need to meet the required standard in order to pass the unit. See Canvas for full details.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	What is developmental psychology?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Nature vs. nurture	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Behaviour genetics 1: the data are in!	Lecture (1 hr)
	Behaviour genetics 2: what do the data mean?	Lecture (1 hr)
	The early care giving environment	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Social cognition 1: implicit and explicit theory of mind	Lecture (1 hr)
	Social cognition 2: development and dysfunction	Lecture (1 hr)
	It’s in the genes! (or is it?)	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Social cognition 3: the limits of social understanding	Lecture (1 hr)
	Moral development 1: sentimentalism and conscience	Lecture (1 hr)
	Arrested or accelerated development?	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Moral development 2: moral motivation and identity	Lecture (1 hr)
	Affect and conduct	Lecture (1 hr)
	Child abuse	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Adolescence	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Working with children: research and practice	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Classic theories of cognitive development	Lecture (1 hr)
	Guest lecture	Lecture (1 hr)
	Piaget: cognitive or social development?	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Infant cognition: methods	Lecture (1 hr)
	Development of object knowledge in infancy	Lecture (1 hr)
	Development gone wrong: affect and conduct disorders	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Emergence in infancy and early development	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Abstract cognition in infancy	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Development of abstract thought	Lecture (1 hr)
	Play and exploration	Lecture (1 hr)
	Cognitive development: conceptual change	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Development of executive function	Lecture (1 hr)
	Language development 1: introduction	Lecture (1 hr)
	ADHD on trial? Is there really a disorder?	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Language development 2: nativist approaches	Lecture (1 hr)
	Language development 3: constructivist approaches	Lecture (1 hr)
	Development of gender identity	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Cross-cultural differences in learning and cognition	Lecture (1 hr)
	Child Development in Aboriginal culture	Lecture (1 hr)
	Exam Revision	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

As per Section 60(5)(c), 68(2)(a), and 68(3) of the University’s Coursework Policy, a student must comply with a Unit of Study’s attendance requirement – for this Unit of Study, a student must be recorded as having attended at least seven (7) tutorials, and if a student does not meet this requirement, they will receive an Absent Fail (AF) grade.

Also, as noted in the Assessment table, the Final Exam is a compulsory assessment, so a student who does not attend it and is not approved to miss it will receive an Absent Fail (AF) grade.

Please note, marks for the Lecture Engagement assessment can be achieved by attending lectures, so attending lectures is one way to achieve the marks for that assessment, but there is no other consequence related to lecture attendance.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate a deep understanding of the patterns of child development, and the mechanisms that explain these patterns. This will entail a consideration of a broad literature focusing on both how the social environment shapes development, how genetic factors shape development, and how the action of children themselves shape their own environment and then further development. You should be able to explain both the latest theories and findings, and traditional philosophical approaches that founded this discipline early last century
LO2. consider how experimental design and analysis licenses certain conclusions and examine the tight connections between method and interpretation in relation to scientific critical thinking
LO3. explain complex patterns of data clearly and relate them to experimental hypotheses and methods in written assignments. You should be able to effectively communicate ideas and engage in open discussion and debate
LO4. understand how basic research in child development informs applications outside the laboratory, such as in interventions to the family environment, the design of educational curricula and school structure, and to clinical practice, as well as consider the maintenance of ethical research practices.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

We have reorganised the lecture delivery to increase active engagement. In addition, we have consulted with experts to develop a new lecture on child development in Indigenous Australian contexts.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links