Child Psychology

Psychology 2076
Louisiana State University
Spring 2023
Instructor: Celeste Tevis, M.A.
Email: [email protected]
Office: Virtual (https://lsu.zoom.us/j/9563105771)
Office Hours: By appointment
Class Time: MWF 8:30-9:20
Class Location: Audubon 104

Communication Information:
The best way to contact me is via email. I will generally respond to e-mails within 48 hours
unless there is a weekend or holiday in between the email. If you would like an individual virtual
appointment, please email me with your desired date and time. Please be aware of email etiquette
practices when communicating via email. Please include your name, a clear heading in the
subject line, and a professional tone in any email correspondences.
https://www.lsu.edu/academicaffairs/cxc/files/cxc-email-etiquette-2020.pdf

Course Description
Welcome to PSYC 2076! This course is designed to provide an overview of how children
develop physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially from infancy through adolescence.
The course will cover the primary theories, research methods, and issues that have shaped the
study of child development. In this course, content is designed to be mastered through reading of
material and interactive class activities.

Course Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students should be able to:
 Identify and differentiate between theories of child development
 Understand how to interpret and communicate the results of studies related to child
development
 Explain how genetic and environmental factors interact to shape behavior in childhood
 Identify and describe common neurodevelopmental, language, and mental health
disorders that impact children

Required Course Materials

Spencer A. Rathus. (2016). Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development. (6th ed.).
Boston: Cengage Learning.

OR

Spencer A. Rathus. (2021). Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development. (7th ed.).
Boston: Cengage Learning.

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Note: Students have the option of using either the 6th or the 7th edition of the textbook for this
course. The 7th edition includes most of the material from the 6th edition with some additional
information.

Course Requirements and Grading

Unit Reflection: Students will be provided short reflection prompts at the end of each unit. The
reflection prompts will cover content from the unit (i.e., chapters 1-5, 6-10, 11-15) being
discussed in class. Students must choose one of the prompt questions to respond to in 5-6
sentences to receive full credit. Three unit reflection assignments will be submitted throughout
the semester, one at the end of each unit.

Unit reflection points will be assigned each unit based on the following rubric.
6 = learning activities completed meeting length requirements (5-6 sentences) and demonstrates
and understanding of the chapter material
3 = learning activities completed but does not demonstrate an understanding of chapter material
or meet length requirements (5-6 sentences)
0 = learning activities not completed (i.e., unit reflection not submitted)

Class Participation: Students are expected to read the assigned material prior to attending class
to ensure participation in class/group activities or that may occur during class. For 12 weeks,
students will submit one multiple-choice class participation question at the end of class. The
password to open the Moodle question will be provided in class and the question will close 10
minutes after class is over. The class will review the participation question at the end of the class
to ensure that the students present receive credit.

Note: Students will be provided with an outline and chapter learning objectives uploaded to
Moodle prior to the beginning of class. PowerPoint lecture slides will be uploaded to Moodle
following the conclusion of the chapter.

Chapter Quizzes: Students will be given short quizzes at the end of each chapter. The chapter
quiz content will be derived directly from the assigned readings and lectures for the given
chapter. The quizzes will consist of 1 T/F and 4 multiple choice questions each chapter. Chapter
quizzes should be submitted to Moodle by 11:59 on the days listed below in the Course
Schedule. At the end of the semester, one quiz will be dropped from each student’s final grade.

Note: Students will be permitted to use the lecture notes and book to answer chapter quiz
questions.

Exams: Students will be given three exams during the semester. Exams will be comprised of 15
T/F and 35 multiple choice questions (2 points each) based on content from the lectures and
readings. Each exam is worth a total of 100 points and content for each exam will focus
exclusively upon the material covered in the corresponding portion of the syllabus only. All
exams in this course will be taken in the LSU Testing Center.

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The LSU Testing Center will be utilized for exam proctoring in this course. There is no cost to
students to utilize this service. Students will schedule their exam date/time within the Moodle
course for this section. It is your responsibility as an LSU student to understand the LSU Testing
Center policies.  
To see the LSU Testing Center policies, instructions on how to schedule your exams, and
location information, please visit the LSU Testing Center – Student Information website.
Website: https://www.lsu.edu/testing/studenttestingcenter.php

Notes:

The LSU Testing Center (basement location) is not elevator accessible; however, test-takers with
short-term physical injuries who wish to take their already scheduled test at the LSU Testing
Center may do so in 102 Himes Hall. Please email or call the Office of Testing & Evaluation
Services at at least 48 business hours in advance to make these arrangements.
Phone: 225-578-1145, Email: [email protected]

Requests for accommodations for students with 3 exams scheduled by Louisiana State University
within a 24-hour period during final exam week must be made to the Dean or Director of the
College or School in which the student is registered prior to the final date for dropping courses.

Extra Credit: Two optional extra credit opportunities will be available throughout the course.
For up to 6 points per assignment, students may choose to review a journal article that
corresponds to material discussed in class. Students should select one article from the options
presented below for each assignment. Students should read the article and write a 2-3-page
summary of the research question, methods used, and major findings, as well as 1-2 paragraphs
providing your own critique and future research ideas. Please also include the reference for your
chosen article at the end of the summary. Extra credit article assignments should be submitted to
Moodle by 11:59 p.m. on the following dates: March 3rd and April 26th. Late extra credit
assignments will not be accepted.

Additionally, all students in the course may earn 1 extra credit point if 70% or more of the
students in the course respond to the online course evaluation at the end of the course through the
MyLSU Portal.

Note: Students do not have to understand or summarize all of the statistical analyses used in
some of the articles presented below. However, students should be able to apply skills practiced
in class to read and interpret the psychological journal articles. The journal article reviews should
be students’ own work and not copied directly from the article or any other source.

Extra Credit 1 Articles:

Dunlap, G., Carr, E. G., Horner, R. H., Zarcone, J. R., & Schwartz, I.  (2008). Positive behavior
support and applied behavior analysis. Behavior Modification, 32(5),  682-698.

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Phelan, S. K., Kinsella, E. A. (2012). Picture this…safety, dignity, and voice – ethical research
with children: Practical considerations for the reflexive researcher. Qualitative
Inquiry, 19(2),  81-90.

Extra Credit 2 Articles:

Mundy, P., & Newell, L. (2007). Attention, joint attention, and social cognition. Current
Directions in Psychological Science, 16(5),  269-274.

Scarinci, N., Rose, T., Pee, J., & Webb, K. (2015). Impacts of an in-service education program
on promoting language development in young children: A pilot study with early childhood
educators. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 31(1),  37-51.

Course Grade Determination

Assignment Point Value Percentage of Final Grade
Unit Reflection 18 4.5%
Class Participation 12 3.0%
Quizzes 70 17.5%
Exam 1 100 25%
Exam 2 100 25%
Exam 3 100 25%
Total 400 100%

Grade Designation
97–100 = A+ 80–82 = B– 63–66 = D
93–96 = A 77–79 = C+ 60–62 = D–
90–92 = A– 73–76 = C 0–59 = F
87–89 = B+ 70–72 = C–
83–86 = B 67–69 = D+

Note: Final grades will not be rounded up (e.g., an 89.9 is a B+).

Course Policies

Student Time Expectations:

LSU’s general policy states that for each credit hour, students should plan to spend at least two
hours working on course related activities outside of class. Since this course is three credit hours,
students should expect to spend a minimum of six hours outside of class each week working on
assignments for this course. More information on this expectation can be found here.

Academic Integrity:
All students are expected to read and be familiar with the LSU Code of Student Conduct and
Commitment to Community, which can be accessed at www.lsu.edu/saa. It is your responsibility
as a student at LSU to know and understand the academic standards for our community.
Academic dishonesty includes any act that violates the academic integrity of the university. A

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student suspected of violating the Code of Conduct will be referred to the Office of Student
Advocacy and Accountability.

Professional Courtesy and Behavioral Misconduct:

Students are asked to show respect toward peers and the instructor during class meetings and
appointments. Please be polite and maintain academic professionalism during any class
discussions and activities. Students may differ in their opinions on topics discussed in class;
however, students are expected not to interrupt, belittle, or insult peers who may have a different
perspective on a topic. For further details on the LSU Code of Student Conduct and behavioral
misconduct, please see the included link: https://www.lsu.edu/saa/students/codeofconduct.php

Accessibility Accommodations:
Louisiana State University is committed to making reasonable efforts to assist individuals with
disabilities in their efforts to avail themselves of services and programs offered. To this end,
Louisiana State University will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with
documented qualifying disabilities.

Any students seeking classroom accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, are
required to register with Disability Services in 124 Johnston Hall. To receive academic
accommodations for this class, please obtain the proper Disability Services forms and meet with
me at the beginning of the semester. All discussions will remain confidential. 
Phone: 225-578-5919, Email: [email protected], Website: https://www.lsu.edu/disability/

Diversity Statement:
LSU strives to create an inclusive, respectful, intellectually challenging climate that embraces
individual difference in race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender
identity/expression, age, spirituality, socio-economic status, disability, family status,
experiences, opinions, and ideas. For more information regarding diversity at LSU, please visit
the website for the Office of Diversity.
Phone: (225) 578-5736, Email: [email protected], Website:
https://www.lsu.edu/diversity/about_us/mission_vision.php

Attendances, Absences, and Make-Ups:

If a student does not attend class, it is the student’s responsibility to make up exams, obtain
lecture notes, and otherwise compensate for what may have been missed.

If students contact me, in advance, excused absences will be assigned based on valid reasons for
absences outlined in Policy Statement 22. Documentation of the absence should be provided. If
documentation is unable to be provided, then the absence may not be excused. If a student is
unable to contact me prior to an absence, the student must contact me within 48 hours of the
missed exam. If the student contacts me following an unanticipated absence, the email should
include:

1. An explanation indicating why the class was missed

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 2. A statement of whether documentation is available
3. The assignment that the student would like to make up

Makeup exams will only be permitted for university approved excused absences. If an exam is
missed due to an excused absence, a make-up will be scheduled. Pending the acceptance of
student documentation, the student will have one week to make up missed course material.
Exceptions may be granted in extenuating circumstances (e.g., documented prolonged illnesses).
Without an excused absence or some form of documentation, 25% of the value of the unit
reflection activities will be deducted per day that it is late (e.g., 4.5 points will be given if a unit
reflection activity is submitted one day late without an excuse).

If a student misses an appointment to make up a missed assignment, the reason for this absence
will be evaluated by the same criteria as the original absence. If this second absence is not
excused, the original assignment can no longer be made up.

Academic Success
Attending class, effective time management, adequate notes, and the development of critical
thinking and communication skills are crucial to academic success. LSU has several excellent
resources that will assist you in developing these skills. The Center for Academic Success 
(CAS) offers free resources to help students increase their academic performance. Content
specific-support includes tutoring, Supplemental Instruction (twice weekly, peer-led study
sessions), and Shell Study Groups (informal study sessions facilitated by trained peer tutors). For
help developing learning strategies, managing time, and increasing test performance, one-on-one
Academic Coaching and strategy workshops help students plan their path toward academic
success in all their classes. Communication Across the Curriculum assists students in
developing the communication skills necessary for academic and professional success. Finally,
with respect to professional success, the LSU Olinde Career Center can assist students in
choosing a major and a profession that best suits their talents and passions and help develop a
four year career plan to ensure success when you graduate from LSU.

Student Resources:
LSU Mental Health Service (MHS) is located on the second floor of the LSU Student Health
Center.  LSU students may call MHS to either set an appointment or to speak with the crisis
counselor about their situation. Students experiencing a mental health crisis may also go to MHS
during office hours to meet face-to-face with a crisis counselor.
Phone: (225) 924-5781, Website: https://www.lsu.edu/shc/mental-health/mhshome.php

The Psychology Department is offering virtual mentoring to underrepresented students. Please

see the included link for further details:
https://www.lsu.edu/hss/psychology/undergrad/advising/virtual_mentoring_2-1.pdf

CxC Writing Support services are available to provide support and feedback on writing
assignments (e.g., lab reports, personal statements, essays) to all students. Please see the included
link for further details on scheduling an appointment:
https://www.lsu.edu/academicaffairs/cxc/writing.php

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Course Schedule
Date Topic Text Assignments Due
Week 1
Monday, January 16
No Class
MLK Day
Wednesday, January 18 Course & Syllabus Chapter 1
Overview
History, Theories, and
Methods
Friday, January 20 History, Theories, and Chapter 1 Read Chapter 1
Methods
Week 2
Monday, January 23 History, Theories, and Chapter 1 Read Chapter 1
Methods
Wednesday, January 25 History, Theories, and Chapter 1 Read Chapter 1
Methods
Friday, January 27 Heredity and Chapter 2 Read Chapter 2
Conception Study for Quiz 1

Week 3
Monday, January 30 Quiz 1 (due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 2 Read Chapter 2
Heredity and
Conception
Wednesday, February 1 Prenatal Development Chapter 3 Read Chapter 3
Study for Quiz 2
Friday, February 3 Quiz 2 (due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 3 Read Chapter 3
Prenatal Development
Week 4
Monday, February 6 Birth and the Newborn Chapter 4 Read Chapter 4
Baby: In the New Study for Quiz 3
World
Wednesday, February 8 Quiz 3 (due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 4 Read Chapter 4
Birth and the Newborn
Baby: In the New
World
Friday, February 10 Infancy: Physical Chapter 5 Read Chapter 5
Development
Week 5
Monday, February 13 Infancy: Physical Chapter 5 Read Chapter 5
Development Study for Quiz 4

Wednesday, February 15 Quiz 4 (due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 5 Read Chapter 5

Infancy: Physical Study for Exam 1

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 Development Schedule Exam 1

Friday, February 17 Unit Reflection 1(due at Study for Exam 1

11:59 pm) Schedule Exam 1 during
IN-CLASS 2/22-2/24
EXAM 1 REVIEW
Week 6
Monday, February 20
No Class Exam 1: Chapters 1-5 Schedule Exam 1 during
Mardi Gras Break 2/22-2/24
Wednesday, February 22
No Class Mardi Gras Exam 1: Chapters 1-5 Schedule Exam 1 during
Break 2/22-2/24

Friday, February 24
No Class Exam 1: Chapters 1-5 Schedule Exam 1 during
Exam 1 2/22-2/24
(Testing Center)

Week 7
Monday, February 27 Infancy: Cognitive Chapter 6 Read Chapter 6
Development Study for Quiz 5
Wednesday, March 1 Quiz 5 (due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 6 Read Chapter 6
Infancy: Cognitive Optional: Work on Extra
Development Credit 1
Friday, March 3 Extra Credit 1 Due Chapter 7 Read Chapter 7
Infancy: Social and Study for Quiz 6
Emotional
Development
Week 8
Monday, March 6 Quiz 6 (due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 7 Read Chapter 7
Infancy: Social and
Emotional
Development
Wednesday, March 8 Early Childhood: Chapter 8 Read Chapter 8
Physical Development
Friday, March 10 Early Childhood: Chapter 8 Read Chapter 8
Physical Development Study for Quiz 7
Week 9
Monday, March 13
No Class
Spring Break
Wednesday, March 15
No Class
Spring Break
Friday, March 17

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 No Class
Spring Break
Week 10
Monday, March 20 Quiz 7 (due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 8 Read Chapter 8
Early Childhood:
Physical Development
Wednesday, March 22 Early Childhood: Chapter 9 Read Chapter 9
Cognitive Development Study for Quiz 8
Friday, March 24 Quiz 8 (due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 9 Read Chapter 9
Early Childhood:
Cognitive Development
Week 11
Monday, March 27 Early Childhood: Chapter 10 Read Chapter 10
Social and Emotional Study for Quiz 9
Development
Wednesday, March 29 Quiz 9 (due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 10 Read Chapter 10
Early Childhood: Study for Exam 2
Social and Emotional Schedule Exam 2
Development
Friday, March 31 Unit Reflection 2 (due at Study for Exam 2
11:59 pm) Schedule Exam 2 during
IN-CLASS 4/03-4/06
EXAM 2 REVIEW
Week 12
Monday, April 3
Exam 2: Chapters 6- Schedule Exam 1 during
10 4/03-4/06
Wednesday, April 5 Middle Childhood: Chapter 11 Read Chapter 11
Physical Development Study for Quiz 10
Friday, April 7
No Class
Good Friday Holiday
Week 13
Monday, April 10 Quiz 10(due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 11 Read Chapter 11
Middle Childhood:
Physical Development
Wednesday, April 12 Middle Childhood: Chapter 12 Read Chapter 12
Cognitive Development Study for Quiz 11
Friday, April 14 Quiz 11(due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 12 Read Chapter 12
Middle Childhood:
Cognitive Development
Week 14
Monday, April 17 Middle Childhood: Chapter 13 Read Chapter 13
Social and Emotional Study for Quiz 12
Development
Wednesday, April 19 Quiz 12(due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 13 Chapter 13

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 Middle Childhood:
Social and Emotional
Development
Friday, April 21 Adolescence: Physical Chapter 14 Read Chapter 14
Development Study for Quiz 13
Optional: Work on Extra
Credit 2
Week 15
Monday, April 24 Adolescence: Physical Chapter 14 Read Chapter 14
Development Study for Quiz 13
Optional: Work on Extra
Credit 2
Wednesday, April 26 Quiz 13(due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 14 Read Chapter 14
Extra Credit 2 Due
Adolescence: Physical
Development
Friday, April 28 Adolescence: Cognitive Chapter 15 Read Chapter 15
Development
Week 16
Monday, May 1 Adolescence: Cognitive Chapter 15 Read Chapter 15
Development Study for Quiz 14
Wednesday, May 3 Quiz 14(due at 11:59 pm) Chapter 15 Read Chapter 15
Adolescence: Cognitive
Development
Friday, May 5 Unit Reflection 3 (due at Study for Exam 3
11:59 pm) Schedule Exam 3 during
IN-CLASS 5/08-5/13
EXAM 3 REVIEW
Week 17
May 8 to May 13 Exam 3: Chapters 11- Study for Exam 3
15 (not cumulative) Schedule Exam 3 during
5/08-5/13

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