HCS 6331: Cognitive Development

Course Syllabus
Spring 2007 Day/Time: Tuesdays 2:30 - 5:15 pm Location: Callier Richardson 1.212
Professor Contact Information:
Dr. Melanie Spence
Office Hours: To be scheduled or By Appointment
Office: GR4.818, (972) 883-2206, mspence@utdallas.edu, CR 1.328, (972) 883-3656

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

There are no formal prerequisites for this class, although it is recommended that students have taken the following
courses as an undergraduate: Introductory Psychology, Child or Lifespan Development, Cognitive Psychology,
Strategies or Design and Statistics for Psychology. This is a core course for the Psychological Sciences Ph.D.
program.

Course Description
This course will cover major theories and research on topics in cognitive development. Class discussions and
assignments will focus on promoting understanding and comparison of different perspectives and theories, and
evaluating results of empirical research with respect to their support for the various theories.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

1.1 Students will recognize and distinguish key milestones, fundamental concepts and theories of cognitive
development during infancy and childhood.
2.1 Students will compare and critically evaluate research findings and theories on topics such as representation,
memory development, and perception during infancy and childhood.
4.1: Students will demonstrate effective writing skills in synthesizing and communicating research findings in
cognitive development.
5.1: Students will prepare and give a class presentation of a research study.

Required Textbooks and Materials

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/cgiwadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=05346224
53&discipline_number=24. This site has learning resources and weblinks to supplement the material.

Additional required readings (listed below) will be on electronic reserve on the UTD library website
(http://www.utdallas.edu/library/services/reservesvc.htm) or on physical reserve at the library. Readings other than
those listed below will be assigned during the semester and announced on the Blackboard site. YOU ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING UP WITH NEW ASSIGNMENTS POSTED ON THE BLACKBOARD SITE.

Instructions for accessing electronic reserves for HCS 6331 (Cognitive Development)
1. Go to library catalog: utdallas.edu/library
Url for this page is: http://utdallas.docutek.com/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=194
2. Password is: cognitivedev

Assignments & Academic Calendar

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 responsible for checking this site
frequently to remain aware of new assignments, announcements, etc. You also should check your UTD email
frequently (see info below on UTD email policy). Email to students enrolled in this class will be sent through
Blackboard to your UTD address.

Reading & Class participation:

Your class attendance and participation in class discussions are critical for mastery of the material and
successful performance in this course. The assigned readings should be completed before each class. Classes will
consist of lectures and discussions. The class sessions will be about 50% lecture and 50% group discussion, so it is
HCS 6331 Syllabus: Spring 2007: 1/7/07
imperative that everyone read and study the assigned readings before class. Class participation will
contribute 8% to your course grade.

Academic Integrity Seminar: Students are required to attend one of the Academic Integrity Seminars offered by
Judicial Affairs and held in SU 2.508. The schedule is listed on the web at
http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/index.html . These seminars are only offered during January and early Feb.
Upon completion of the seminar, you will be given a certificate. Please turn in a copy of that certificate to me to
count toward your participation credit.

Weekly Questions:
Each week you will prepare at least two issues/questions for class discussion that are developed from the
assigned readings. Each student will post their discussion questions on the Discussion Board on the Blackboard
site by 5 pm each Monday. Your question should not duplicate questions already posted by other students. Please
print out and bring copies of all students’ questions with you to class. Be prepared to discuss the issues/questions
you raise as well as those of other students. Submission of weekly questions will contribute 6% to course grade.

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 email me electronic versions of 2 papers that you think are appropriate for your
scheduled topic. Also, in your email include the references for each of these papers as well as the topic and date of
your presentation. These should be sent to me early in the semester; and optimally at least 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 12 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 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 may use Powerpoint or overheads and you should provide a handout for the class
that summarizes the paper in one page (This will not be a copy of your powerpoint or overheads used.) Please
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.

Writing Exercises:
Writing exercises will be assigned that will assist in developing your critical thinking and writing skills. These
assignments are designed to help students master finding relevant journal articles, summarizing articles, integrating
literature, generating research ideas and designing studies. These assignments will contribute 26% to course
grade. More information and due dates for these will be provided early in the semester.

Exams: Two exams will consist of multiple choice and essay questions. Each will contribute 25% to course grade.

Schedule of Topics & Assignments: Assignments may be rescheduled as warranted by progress during the
semester. Readings may also be added and/or revised.
Jan. 9: Overview and Introduction
Library Research Overview

Jan. 16: Basic Developmental Concepts and Theoretical Issues; Overview of Brain Development
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.

HCS 6331 Syllabus: Spring 2007: 1/7/07

 DukeMedNews, Epigenetics means what we eat, how we live and love, alters how our genes behave.
http://www.dukemednews.org/news/article.php?id=9322.
Reik, W. & Dean, W. (2002). Epigenetic reprogramming: Back to the beginning. Nature, 420, 127 (14
November 2002) | doi: 10.1038/420127a
Nelson, C. (1999). Neural plasticity and human development. Current Directions in Psychological Science,
8, 42-45.
Johnson, M. (2001) Functional brain development in humans. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2, 475-483.

Jan. 23: 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.

Jan. 30: Information Processing, Connectionist Perspectives, Dynamic Systems

Bjorklund, Chpt. 5
Gershkoff-Stowe, L, & Thelen, E. (2004). U-shaped changes in behavior: A dynamic systems perspective.
Journal of Cognition and Development, 5, 11-36.
Thelen, E. & Bates, E. (2003). Connectionism and dynamic systems: Are they really different?
Developmental Science, 6, 378-391.

Feb. 6: Strategies , Problem Solving and Reasoning

Bjorklund, Chpts. 6, 12

Feb. 13: Representation, Spatial Cognition

Bjorklund, pp. 241-263 of Chapter 9
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,
Astington, J. W. (2001). The future of theory-of-mind research: Understanding motivational states, the role of
language, and real-world consequences. Child Development, 72, 685-687.
Bloom, P., & German, T. P. (2000). Two reasons to abandon the false belief task as a test of theory of mind.
Cognition, 77, B25-31.
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. 20: 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,

February 27: *********MIDTERM EXAM **********

March 8: ***********NO CLASS - Spring Break**********

March 13: 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. 70-86.
Mason, M. (2005). Issue 5: Can infants develop abstract concepts? In Taking Sides: Clashing Views of
Controversial Issues in Cognitive Science, pp. 88-105.

March 20: Memory Development

Bjorklund, Chpt. 10
Rovee-Collier. (1993). The capacity for long-term memory in infancy. Current Directions in Psychological
Science, 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.

HCS 6331 Syllabus: Spring 2007: 1/7/07

 Ceci, S. J. & Bruck, M. (1993). Suggestibility of the child witness: A historical review and synthesis.
Psychological Bulletin, 113, 403-439.

March 27: Language Development

Bjorklund, D. Chpt 11

April 3: Sociocultural Perspectives

Bjorklund Chpt. 3
Crowley, K., Callanan, M.A., Tenenbaum, H.R., & Allen, E. (2001). Parents explain more often to boys than
to girls during shared scientific thinking. Psychological Science, 12, 258-261.
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 10: Schooling and Cognition, Intelligence

Bjorklund Chpt. 14. 15
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.
Ambady, N., Shih, M., Kim, A., & Pittinsky, T.L. (2001). Stereotype susceptibility in children: Effects of identity
activation on quantitative performance. Psychological Science, 12, 385-390.

April 17: Intelligence

Course review and Discussion
Bjorklund, Chpt. 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 24 *********EXAM II **********

Grading Policy
See above section for percentages for each assignment. Slight changes in the percentage contributions of each type of
assignment may be made during the semester.

Course & Instructor Policies

Late Assignment Policy: Assignments are due on the designated date (see course schedule presented in this
syllabus). No late assignments will be accepted unless prior approval is given. Assignments submitted later than the
due date will receive an automatic 5% reduction in grade for every day that the assignment is late. Assignments will not
be accepted after 5 days.
Make-up exams are allowed only in the case of emergencies or sudden illness. If you have an emergency or
illness on the date of an exam, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor before the exam to discuss the situation
and you will be required to provide a doctor’s excuse. Missed exams will earn grades of 0.
No extra credit work will be available. The course requirements have been established so that there are a variety
of opportunities to contribute to the course grade.
Class Attendance is expected and attendance and participation in class discussions/activities will contribute to
course grade.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the orderly
and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student organization to be
knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information
on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all
registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and
established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents,
The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
HCS 6331 Syllabus: Spring 2007: 1/7/07
 Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are
available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students
in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is
expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and
administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such
conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of
an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is
imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for
enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own.
As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or
falsifying academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is
unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details).
This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over
90% effective.

University Policies on discipline and conduct, as well as examples of scholastic dishonesty area available
at: http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/dishonesty.html. Read this information very closely. Any
incidents suspicious of plagiarism or cheating will be referred to the Judicial Review office for
investigation. Students will also be required to attend a session conducted by the Judicial Affairs office.

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and
students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity
of each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email correspondence be
sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official
only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence
in the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each
student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The
Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail
forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses. These dates
and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the
student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or
withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in
a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic
responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the
instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the
respondent”). Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If
the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a
copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the
respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the
School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate
HCS 6331 Syllabus: Spring 2007: 1/7/07
 Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic
Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff
members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the semester’s
end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight
(8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to
remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed
automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to those of
their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are
Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to
eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom
prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind.
Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral
presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility impairments may
have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or university may need to provide special services
such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation. Disability
Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and
needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel to and
observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property tax under
Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the absence,
preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete
the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a
maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may
not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed
period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a
religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time
to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling
from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee
must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the
decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

HCS 6331 Syllabus: Spring 2007: 1/7/07