Adult Development 2500-EN-PS-EAc5-02
The course will assume a practical approach to studying adult
development. During the sessions the students will work with case study
examples, research data excerpts, and visual/video materials. The course
will also introduce students to the narrative approach.
Dan P. McAdams, whose methodology will be of special interest in the
course, argued that “we are all tellers of tales. We each seek to provide
our scattered and often confusing experiences with a sense of coherence
by arranging the episodes of our lives into stories.” (McAdams, 1985, p.
11). The narrative approach in psychology is concerned with how humans
make sense of reality; how they organise their lives and their selves; how
they construct their worlds; and how they live through the stories they
tell to themselves and to each other. Its dominant concern is with issues
of identity and self-exploration. The approach is used in research and
clinical settings and could prove useful to students interested in
qualitative research methods as well as psychotherapy.
As well as providing a description of and practice with the narrative
approach, the course will enable the students to learn about
development in adulthood. The students will have the opportunity to
follow developmental processes and transitions from young adulthood
through mid-life to old age.
The course will also address critical issues and frameworks that shape
how we understand and study adult development, such as the
characteristics of developmental stages in adulthood, transitions, critical
events, issues of health and aging, dying and spirituality.
Type of course
Learning outcomes
The students will become familiar with the main theories, concepts and issues relevant to development in adulthood. During the course the students will complete a small-scale qualitative project. They will design and conduct a life-story interview with an adult person or persons; conduct an analysis and write a report of their findings. This will allow the students to apply their theoretical knowledge and to witness theory in practice. It will also expose them to the research process as they will have to present their study.
Assessment criteria
Continuous assessment. The final grade is based on student presentation of a given topic in class (25%), participation in class (25%), and final report (50%).
The students are expected to attend all sessions. You are allowed 2 unexcused absences. If you are absent again, you will have to provide a very good reason or a doctor’s note. A third and fourth absence always means you will have to do extra work (such as write an essay on top of the required work) to pass the course. Five absences (and more) mean you will not pass the course.
Students must respect the principles of academic integrity. Cheating and plagiarism (including copying work from other students, internet or other sources) are serious violations that are punishable and instructors are required to report all cases to the administration.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: