Cognitive Development, HCS 6331

Spring 2005 Wed. 2-4:45 pm, GR 3.402

Dr. Melanie Spence GR 4.818, 883-2206, mspence@utdallas.edu. Office Hours: Thurs 1-2, or by appt.

Goals:
This course will cover major theories and research in the area of cognitive development. Class
discussions and assignments will focus on promoting understanding of these theories, developing the
ability to compare them, and evaluating results of empirical research with respect to their support for
the various theories.

Requirements:
• Assigned weekly reading; 2 discussion questions from readings (see below)
• Ongoing participation in class discussions (5% of course grade)
• In-class presentation (10% of course grade)
• Research Summary & Class Participation on topic (15%)
• Exams (35% course grade for each)

Assigned Reading:

Bjorklund, David F. (2005). Children's Thinking: Cognitive Development and Individual

Differences (4th edition). Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, Belmont, CA. There is a Student
Companion site for the text at http://www.wadsworth.com/cgi-
wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=0534622453&discipline_nu
mber=24. This site has learning resources and weblinks to supplement the material. The text also
includes a subscription to an online resource of articles, InfoTrak.
Other Assigned Readings: Readings from a variety of books and journals are also assigned.
Copies will be available for purchase from Off-Campus Bookstore at 581 W. Campbell Rd. (972-907-
8398). Some may be available through online library resources. Additional readings will be assigned
during the semester. These assignments will be posted on the Blackboard site. YOU ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING UP WITH NEW ASSIGNMENTS POSTED ON THE BLACKBOARD
SITE.

Assignments and Participation:

It is important that you read the assigned material before each class. Classes will consist
of a combination of lecture and group discussion. Class participation will contribute 5% to your
course grade. Each week you should be prepared with at least two issues/questions that you would
like to discuss in class. You should keep a log of these questions. These questions will be turned in
on Feb. 23 and April 20.

In Class Presentations:
You are required to give one presentation to the class based on a RECENT (2000 or later)
empirical study that is related to the topic for that week. You must have your article approved by the
professor prior to your presentation. To facilitate this process, please submit a 1-page document
including your name, date of presentation, reference of paper you plan to present, abstract or brief
summary of paper. You should also provide a copy of the article to the professor 2 weeks in advance
of your presentation.
For your presentation, your task is to step into the shoes of the author of the paper that you have
chosen and present a 15 minute "snapshot" of the study to the class, just as the author probably
originally did at a professional meeting (e.g., SRCD). Your talk should provide everything that your
audience needs to know about the goals/purpose of the study, the method, the results, and any
conclusions/implications that can be drawn. Do not try to cover too much in your presentation, but
rather focus on one or two “big” points. You may find that you will end up presenting only a piece of

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the article you have chosen. For example, if the article you select presents 4 related studies, you may
find that you need to present only 1 of them in order to convey the major point you want to make.
Your goal is to tell a coherent “story” (backing it up with empirical evidence) about a key
theoretical issue in Cognitive Development. You should provide a copy of your overheads for the
professor the day of your presentation. Journals that will have relevant articles include Developmental
Psychology, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Journal of Cognition and Development, Child
Development, Journal of Child Language, Infant Behavior and Development, Infancy, Developmental
Science. This assignment will contribute 10% to your course grade.

Research Summary:
You will select an issue to research, read 3-4 papers on that issue, and write a 5-6 page
integrative review of those papers. You are required to submit a statement The paper should be
written using APA format, including a reference page with all references listed in APA format (15%
course grade). The issue addressed in this research paper may be the same as the issue you
address in your presentation or it can be different. This paper is due one week following your
presentation with the following exceptions: For students who present on April 13 or 20, papers are
due on the date of the presentation. Students should also be prepared to contribute to class
discussion on the date this topic or issue is addressed.

Exams: Exams will consist of multiple choice and essay.

Other information:

Course Website: New assignments, revisions to the syllabus, announcements, and your
exam grades will be posted on the Blackboard site, http://blackboard.utdallas.edu/. You are then
responsible for creating an account on this site and for checking this site frequently (at least
weekly) in order to remain aware of new assignments, announcements, etc. You also need to enter a
UTD email address on this account (see info below on UTD email policy). Any email to students
enrolled in this class will be sent through this service. If you change your email address during the
semester, you need to change your email address on the Blackboard site as well.

Course withdrawals: Students are responsible for knowing policies and deadlines for
withdrawals. See http://www.utdallas.edu/student/catalog/undergrad04/policies-dropadd.html

Academic Honesty: Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty;
students are reminded that cheating and plagiarism, i.e., presenting someone else’s work/writing and
ideas as your work, are subject to discipline under university regulations. University Policies on
discipline and conduct, as well as examples of scholastic dishonesty area available at:
http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/dishonesty.html.

Email: Beginning August 1, 2004, all correspondence will be sent ONLY to the student's U.T.
Dallas email address. U.T. Dallas provides each student with a free email account that is to be used in
all communication with university personnel. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of
confidence in the identity of all individuals corresponding and the security of the transmitted
information. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students
to forward email from other accounts to their U.T. Dallas address and have their U.T. Dallas mail sent
on to other accounts. Students may go to the following URL to establish or maintain their official U.T.
Dallas computer account: http://netid.utdallas.edu/.

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 DATE/TOPIC/READINGS: Schedule may be modified during semester

Jan. 12: Overview and Introduction

“How to present a professional meeting talk”
Library Research Overview

Jan. 19: Basic developmental concepts and theoretical issues; Dynamic Systems and
Contextualism Theories
Go to text website: a) Read “Nature and Nurture by R Fulkerson listed on weblinks
b) Go to Time magazine link & review the “Nurturing Nature” graphics on DNA
transcription
Bjorklund, Chpts. 1, 2
Lerner, Perkins, & Jacobson (1993). Timing, process, and the diversity of developmental
trajectories in human life: A developmental contextual perspective. In G. Turkewitz & D. Devenny
(Eds.) Developmental Time and Timing. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Gottlieb, G. (2000). Environmental and behavioral influences on gene activity. Current
Directions in Psychological Science, 9, 93-97.
Nelson, C. (1999). Neural plasticity and human development. Current Directions in
Psychological Science, 8, 42-45.
Gershkoff-Stowe, L, & Thelen, E. (2004). U-shaped changes in behavior: A dynamic systems
perspective. Journal of Cognition and Development, 5, 11-36.

Jan. 26: Piaget and the Neo-Piagetians

Bjorklund, Chpt 4
Brainerd, C. J. (1996). Piaget: A centennial celebration. Psychological Science, 7, 191-195.
Gopnik, A. (1996). The Post-Piaget era. Psychological Science, 7, 221-225.

Feb. 2: Information Processing, Connectionist Perspectives

Bjorklund, Chpt. 5

Feb. 9: Strategies , Problem Solving and Reasoning

Bjorklund, Chpt. 6, 12

Feb. 16: Representation, Spatial Cognition

Bjorklund, Chpt. 9, pp. 241-263
DeLoache, J. (2002) Early development of the understanding and use of symbolic artifacts
(pp. 206-226). In U. Goswami (Ed.). Blackwell Handbook of Child Cognitive Development. Blackwell
Publishing, Malden, MA,
Mason, M. (2005). Issue 2: Can children develop theories about other people’s minds? In
Taking Sides: Clashing Views of Controversial Issues in Cognitive Science, pp. 22-45.

Feb. 23: Representation (continued), Spatial Cognition

Bjorklund, Chpt. 8
Newcombe, Nora S. (2002). The Nativist-Empiricist Controversy in the context of Recent
Research on Spatial and Quantitative Development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13,
395-401.
Baillargeon, R. The acquisition of physical knowledge in infancy: A summary in eight lessons
(pp. 47-83). In U. Goswami (Ed.). Blackwell Handbook of Child Cognitive Development. Blackwell
Publishing, Malden, MA,

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March 2: *********MIDTERM EXAM **********

March 9: ***********NO CLASS - Spring Break**********

March 16: Perception & Cognitive Development during Infancy

Bjorklund, Chpt. 7, Chpt 9, pp. 234-240
Mason, M. (2005). Issue 4: Are we overestimating infants’ math ability. In Taking Sides:
Clashing Views of Controversial Issues in Cognitive Science, pp. 70-87.
Mason, M. (2005). Issue 5: Can infants develop abstract concepts? In Taking Sides: Clashing
Views of Controversial Issues in Cognitive Science, pp. 70-87.

March 23: Memory Development

Bjorklund, Chpt. 10
Rovee-Collier. (1993). The capacity for long-term memory in infancy. Current Directions, 2, pp.
130-135.
Bauer. P. J., Burch, M. M., & Kleinknecht, E. E. Developments in early recall memory:
Normative trends and individual differences. In R. Kail, (Ed.), (2002), Advances in Child Development
and Behavior, Vol 30, pp. 103-152.
Ceci, S. J. & Bruck, M. (1993). Suggestibility of the child witness: A historical review and
synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 113, 403-439.

March 30: Language Development

Bjorklund, D. Chpt 11

April 6: SRCD Biennial Conference: No Lecture/ Library Day

April 13: Sociocultural Perspectives: Schooling and Cognition, Intelligence

Bjorklund Chpt. 3, 14
Stevenson, H.W., Chen, C., Lee, S-Y. Fuligni, A. J. (1991). Schooling, culture, and cognitive
development. In L. Okagaki & R.J. Sternberg (Eds.) Directors of development: Influences on the
development of children's thinking. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc, Hillsdale, NJ. p. 243-268.
Wang, Q. (2001). Culture effects on adults’ earliest childhood recollection and self-description:
Implications for the relations between memory and the self. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 81(2), 220-233.

April 20: Intelligence

Course review and Discussion
Bjorklund, Chpt. 15, 16
Sternberg, R.J., Williams, W.M. & Horvath, J.A. (1995). Testing common sense. American
Psychologist, 50(11), 912-927 .
Bjorklund, D. Epilogue pp. 499-507.

April 27 *********EXAM II **********