OVERVIEW

The course will focus on typical development from pre-adolescence to adulthood

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course is aimed to promote the student’s professional training on developmental path and processes in adolescence. In this vein, the main objectives are: to provide knowledge about individual and cultural components of cognitive, linguistic, emotional, and social development during adolescence; to explore protective and risk factors in the developmental processes; to acquaint students with assessment tools for adolescents.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance and active participation in the planned educational activities (frontal and interactive lessons, discussion and exercises on the study material) and individual study will enable the student:

• to consolidate the previously acquired knowledge on the typical development in adolescence;
• to learn how the brain develops during adolescence;
• to understand how neurological changes occurring during adolescence affect cognitive functioning, the sense of self and the understanding of other people, the ability to recognize emotions,  the theory of mind, the relationships with adults and peers, the risk behaviors;
• to compare traditional conceptions of adolescence with current issues;
• to understand how to apply the acquired knowledge;
• to understand critically the path of adolescents towards adult's identity;
• to analyze in depth the risk factors in adolescence, in order to develop prevention and intervention projects.

TEACHING METHODS

The first lessons will be devoted to ascertain, through an interactive teaching methodology, the students' knowledge on adolescent typical development

The second part of the course  will focus on the monographic text. Results of research and case studies will be shown in order to stimulate discussion in the classroom and to analyze in depth the more interesting topics (about 8 lectures).

In the third part of the course students will present the results of an individual (or small-group) work concerning the application of acquired knowledge in planning prevention or intervention strategies (about 6/7 lessons).

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course program includes the presentation and discussion of the following topics:

• physical development; self and identity development; cognitive, affective, and social development in adolescence;
• parent-child relationship in adolescence;
• peers relationship in adolescence;
• brain development and developmental trajectories;
• the development of sexuality and romantic relationships in adolescence;
• risk factors in adolescence;
• adolescents from an the inside perspective;
• prevention and intervention strategies in adolescence.
• the adolescent from an inside perspective

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bibliography for attending students

- A.E. Berti, A.S. Bombi, Corso di Psicologia dello sviluppo (fourth part: adolescence) Il Mulino, Bologna, 2018.

- S.J. Blakemore (2016), Inventare sé stessi: cosa succede nel cervello degli adolescenti, tr. it. Bollati Boringhieri, Torino, 2018.

- Chapters selected from the following book and/or among the papers published by the teacher in aulaweb.

• D.J. Siegel (2013), La mente adolescente, tr.it. Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2014.

Bibliography for students who do not attend the lessons

- .A.E. Berti, A.S. Bombi, Corso di Psicologia dello sviluppo (parte quarta: l’adolescenza) Il Mulino, Bologna, 2018.

- S.J. Blakemore (2016), Inventare sé stessi: cosa succede nel cervello degli adolescenti, tr. it. Bollati Boringhieri, Torino, 2018.

- D.J. Siegel (2013), La mente adolescente, tr.it. Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2014.

- Two papers selected among those published by the teacher in aulaweb

Bibliography for students who will take the exam in English

- Blakemore, S. J. (2018). Inventing ourselves. The secret life of the adolescent brain. London: Public Affairs

- Waddell M. (2018). On adolescence. London: Routledge

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

DONATELLA CAVANNA (President)

MIRELLA ZANOBINI (President)

FABIOLA BIZZI

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September, the 24th 2019

Class schedule

ADOLESCENCE PSYCHOLOGY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

For attending students the assessment will take place in several stages.

• An initial assessment (after the first lessons) on the basic knowledge about developmental processes in adolescents . The assessment will be conducted through a multiple-choice test.
• In the last part of the course, each student (individually or in a small group) will be invited to present a report on the chosen readings: in this part an oral presentation is required, possibly with the support of video presentation;
• After the end of the course there will be a written exam with multiple choice questions, short-answer and open-answer questions on the monographic text (and on the basic manual for students who did not pass the initial test).

The final evaluation will be determined by the weighted average of the previous assessments: 25% point 1., 25% point 2., 50% point 3.

For non-attending students  the exam consists in a written test on the whole program with multiple-choice and short-answer questions (aimed at ascertaining the knowledge and understanding of the program), and an oral exam aimed at assessing the critical understanding of the topics and the ability to identify prevention and intervention strategies with respect to risk factors. Only students who have passed the written test will be able to access the oral exam. The final evaluation will be determined by the average between the written and the oral.

Students with DSA or with other regularly certified special educational needs will be able to agree with the teacher the written or oral modality in every step, communicating it to the teacher at least 7 days before. They can also take advantage of 30% additional time.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam will ascertain the learning of the topics included in the program.

Specifically, the exam aims to ascertain the following aspects of student preparation:

- ability to reflect critically on what he/she studied;

- ability to apply the theoretical concepts in planning intervention projects aimed at promoting the well-being of adolescents and the prevention of mental distress in adolescence.

Exam schedule