Curriculum : The course provides a complete examination of the change processes through which development occurs. It focuses on the major theories of cognitive development; Piaget's theory of development, information-processing theories of development, and sociocultural theories of development. Finally, the course presents the nature of the changes in language, perception, memory, conceptual understanding and problem solving that mark children’s cognitive development.
By the end of the course the students will be able to:
• Show complete understanding of the most important theoretical approaches on cognitive development
• Present understanding of how children’s thinking develop
• Have basic theoretical knowledge about the way that cognitive functions, like perception and memory, develop
• Understand the processes and mechanisms of conceptual development during infancy and childhood
• Know about the cognitive mechanisms that lead to sophisticated thinking for problem solving
• Show critical thinking about the current questions on children’s cognitive development, like the issue about developmental individuality of thinking
• Apply the appropriate principles of different theoretical approaches to explain psychological phenomena of cognitive development
• Use the appropriate research methods of cognitive and developmental psychology to evaluate children’s thinking on different developmental periods
Bornstein, M. H. & Lamb, M. E. (2000). Cognitive Development: An advanced textbook. New York: Taylor & Francis Psychology Press
Carey, S. (2009). The Origin of Concepts. Oxford University Press.
Goswami, U. (2011). The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Cognitive Development. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Siegler, R. S. (1998). Children’s Thinking. New York: Routledge Psychology Press.
Outline : The course aims to present the basic theories and the major research findings on the development of children’s thinking from infancy to adolescence.
The course provides a complete examination on the following topics:
• Introduction to cognitive development
• Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
• Information-processing theories
• Socio-cultural theories
• Development of perception
• Memory development
• Conceptual development
• Problem solving in infancy and childhood
Language of instruction: Greek. There is the option of collaborating with foreign students in English. European/International students are instructed on an individual basis in English.