RIABILITAZIONE AVANZATA NELLA TERAPIA OCCUPAZIONALE PER L'ETA' DELLO SVILUPPO

Module DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

1. Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the course, students will have acquired a systematic understanding of the main theories and reference models in developmental and educational psychology, with particular attention to the developmental stages of physical, motor, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, affective, and moral development across childhood and adolescence.

2. Applying Knowledge and Understanding

Students will be able to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired to the analysis of typical and atypical developmental situations, interpreting behaviors, developmental trajectories, and emerging difficulties in light of the theoretical models studied. They will be able to use concepts from developmental psychology to understand and discuss illustrative cases related to educational, family, and psycho-educational intervention contexts.

3. Making Judgements

Students will develop the ability to formulate autonomous and well-argued evaluations of developmental processes by integrating theoretical knowledge, empirical evidence, and critical reflection. They will be able to compare different theoretical models, highlighting their strengths and limitations, and to express reasoned judgments regarding the application of these models across different domains of development and education.

4. Communication Skills

By the end of the course, students will be able to communicate disciplinary content clearly, accurately, and appropriately, using adequate scientific terminology and a coherent argumentative structure. They will be able to present complex theoretical concepts, respond to questions at different levels of depth, and actively participate in discussion and critical exchange on the topics addressed.

5. Learning Skills

Students will have developed autonomous learning skills that enable them to independently deepen their knowledge of developmental and educational psychology, to update their understanding through scientific literature and study materials, and to integrate acquired knowledge into subsequent training pathways or related applied and professional contexts.

Lectures with opportunities for discussion and critical exchange with students on the topics presented during class.

No specific prerequisites are required.

Attendance is mandatory.

• Introduction to Developmental Psychology
• Physical, Motor, and Perceptual Development
• Cognitive Development
• Language and Communication Development
• Emotional and Social Development
• Moral and Identity Development

• Santrock, J. W. (2021). Developmental Psychology (4th edition). Milan: McGraw Hill Education (recommended, not mandatory).
• Course materials provided by the teacher.

The examination will be conducted in oral form.

In order to ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current regulations, students registered with CINAP who require specific support may contact the instructor by email or directly during lectures, in any case before reaching half of the scheduled teaching hours, in order to agree on any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, in accordance with the learning objectives and the students’ specific needs.

The assessment criteria adopted to evaluate learning outcomes are as follows:

• Adequacy of expression with respect to content and method
• Breadth of thematic awareness and lexical accuracy
• Capacity for critical elaboration and in-depth analysis
• Ability to establish interdisciplinary connections
• Ability to integrate and re-elaborate knowledge
• Ability to transfer knowledge to applied and professional contexts

Questions will be differentiated by level of difficulty. Some questions will be essential for passing the examination, while more advanced questions will allow students to aim for higher grade ranges. For assessment purposes, particular importance is attributed to the criteria outlined in the previous section, namely: (1) adequacy of expression with respect to content and methods; (2) ability to re-elaborate knowledge; (3) ability to organize theoretical knowledge in relation to specific objectives; (4) breadth of thematic awareness and lexical accuracy; and (5) capacity for critical elaboration, interdisciplinary integration, and transfer of knowledge to applied contexts.

For purely illustrative purposes, a number of example questions are provided below. It should be noted that the examination will cover all topics listed in the syllabus, and that this list is not exhaustive and does not include all possible questions that may be addressed during the assessment. Many additional questions are commonly asked despite not being listed here.

Examples of questions:

• The role of caregivers in cognitive, emotional, and social development
• The main theories of cognitive development
• Stages of motor development
• Language development
• Attachment styles