The understanding of the growth and development of individuals in families across the lifespan is a common theme in several of the Human Ecology/Child and Family Studies courses. CFS students graduate having learned a vast amount of knowledge on various theories of child development. The two main theories on child development discussed in the curriculum are Piaget’s cognitive development theory and Erickson’s psychosocial development theory. Jean Piaget’s stages of cognitive development offer a “map” of the intellectual development across the lifespan of an individual. The stages are the following: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. The sensorimotor stage typically occurs during the time of birth to 18 or 24 months old. During the sensorimotor stage, infants display two major indicators, object permanence and early language development. The preoperational stage typically occurs during the time of 18 to 24 months to about age 7. During the preoperational stage, children begin to learn the concepts of past and future and further develop their language. The concrete operational stage typically occurs from age 7 to 12. During the concrete operational stage, children develop operational thinking and understand their thoughts and feelings may not be shared and known to others. The formal operational stage typically occurs from adolescence to adulthood. During the formal operational stage, individuals can understand abstract ideas and relate symbols to abstract concepts, such as math. The psychosocial developmental stages of Erik Erikson is another crucial theory CFS students understand and discuss during the curriculum. Erikson believed individuals undergo a crisis in each stage of life and by resolving the conflict, individuals can move on to the next stage. Erikson’s psychosocial developmental stages include: trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame and doubt, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. role confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, and ego integrity vs. despair. Each stage has associated age groups for the specific conflict and important events experienced during the conflict. Students in the Child and Family Studies curriculum have a thorough understanding of these two child development theories by the time of graduation.
HUEC/CFS 2050: Family Dynamics
HUEC/CFS 3055: Developmental of Young Children in Context
HUEC/CFS 3065: Adult-Child Relationships
HUEC/CFS 4051: The Adolescent and the Family
KIN 2600: Human Sexuality
PSYC 4072: Developmental Psychology of Adulthood and Aging
HUEC/CFS 2050: Family Dynamics
HUEC/CFS 3055: Developmental of Young Children in Context
HUEC/CFS 3065: Adult-Child Relationships
HUEC/CFS 4051: The Adolescent and the Family
KIN 2600: Human Sexuality
PSYC 4072: Developmental Psychology of Adulthood and Aging
PSYC 4072
Literature summary and review on misdiagnoses of Alzheimer's
(Grade: A)
Literature summary and review on misdiagnoses of Alzheimer's
(Grade: A)
PSYC 4072
Literature summary and review on contrasting chronological and functional ages
(Grade: A)
Literature summary and review on contrasting chronological and functional ages
(Grade: A)
PSYC 4072
Literature summary and review on the phases of retirement
(Grade: A)
Literature summary and review on the phases of retirement
(Grade: A)
HUEC/CFS 4051
PowerPoint presentation on the effects of family instability on adolescents’ sexual initiation
(Grade: A)
PowerPoint presentation on the effects of family instability on adolescents’ sexual initiation
(Grade: A)