PSYC 171: Social and Emotional Development
Social and Emotional Development
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PSYC 171: Social and Emotional Development
Contact Info and Office Hours
Course Description and Objectives
The purpose of this introductory course is to explore concepts central to human social and
emotional development from infancy through adolescence. The course will focus on continuity
and change, individual and environmental determinants of social and emotional development,
and the diversity of children’s lives. Students will: (1) gain a broad knowledge base about several
aspects of social and emotional development, (2) become familiar with key developmental
theories in this area, (3) be introduced to methods and approaches to research in developmental
psychology, and (4) synthesize material and apply key concepts.
Components of the Course
To meet these learning goals, each topic covered in this course will include an instructor-led
lecture and activities, a section of the textbook, and a comprehension quiz. There are three non-
cumulative exams over the course of the semester. There are many opportunities to interact with
the professor and TAs during office hours.
Classes: This course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm. Each meeting
includes a lecture and activities (see the schedule below). The purpose of the lecture is to offer an
in-depth look at a topic within social and emotional development, with lots of examples and
illustrations. The purpose of the short activities throughout the lecture is to help you understand and
apply key concepts. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
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Copies of the lecture slides will be posted on Blackboard. These slides will not have all of the
information that will be presented in class; they are not a substitute for attending class and taking
notes. Moreover, research shows that students learn more when they take their own notes.
Readings: Each meeting has a matching section of the textbook (see the schedule below). The
purpose of the textbook readings is to give you a wider breadth of exposure to each topic. The
textbook is:
Parke, R. D., Roisman, G. I., & Rose, A. R. (2019). Social Development (3rd edition). Hoboken,
NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
You can buy it at Barnes & Noble in College Town, and there are copies on reserve at Rush
Rhees Library. Do not use the 1st or 2nd edition.
Comprehension Quizzes: A comprehension quiz corresponding to each class meeting will be
posted on Blackboard concurrent to the meeting time. These quizzes cover some (but not all) key
points from the lecture, activities, and readings. The purpose of the comprehension quizzes is for
you to check your own understanding. There are points associated with each quiz, but you are
encouraged to take each quiz as many times as you want. Only your highest score on each quiz
will be counted.
Each comprehension quiz will be available to take, on Blackboard, for a period of one week.
After one week, you will still be able to see the quiz questions, but you will not be able to start,
continue, or submit a quiz.
You might consider taking the quizzes a few days after their corresponding class meetings.
Research shows that recalling (rather than, for instance, rereading) helps students retain
information longer. It is your choice; you may complete a quiz at any point during its one-week
window of availability.
Exams: There are three non-cumulative exams for this course. There is no final exam during the
final exam period. The three non-cumulative exams cover material from the lectures, activities,
textbook, and comprehension quizzes. Question formats are multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-
the-blank, and short answer, to allow for multiple means of demonstrating knowledge. The
purpose of the exams is for you to demonstrate what you have learned.
You will take these exams online, on Blackboard. Each exam will be available to take for a
period of 24 hours. However, once you start the exam, you will have 2 hours to complete it. This
means that you may choose to take your exam at any point during its 24-hour window of
availability, but once you click “start” you must finish everything in 2 hours. After 2 hours, the
exam will lock and you will not be able to start, continue, or submit it.
On average, students take about 1 hour to complete each exam. The time limit of 2 hours gives
students plenty of time to demonstrate their knowledge, even accounting for potential internet-
related delays.
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You may use course materials while you are taking the exams. You may not use other students or
other information on the internet as resources while you are taking the exams. To be clear, you
may access the lecture slides, comprehension quizzes, textbook, and your own notes while you
are taking the exams. However, you may not communicate with other students about any part of
the exams, and you may not use other things on the internet for any part of the exams.
Note that, although you may use course materials, it is very unlikely that you will do well on an
exam just by rapidly searching through course materials while you are taking it. You need to
study regularly throughout the semester.
If you have a clarifying question during an exam, email Professor Elenbaas and all of the TAs.
We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Office Hours: You have the opportunity to interact directly with the professor and TAs, in
person, at multiple points during each week (see times and locations above). You might consider
visiting office hours to ask questions or seek out more information about anything from the
course. You might also have questions about grading or exams.
Your success in this course is important to us. We look forward to seeing you in office hours. If
you cannot attend your assigned TA’s office hours, feel free to visit another TA’s office hours.
Anyone can visit the professor’s office hours.
Grading
Final grades for this four-credit course will be calculated as follows:
All comprehension quiz scores together = 50%
All exams scores together = 50%
Final Grade: Final grades will be assigned using the following scale:
A = 93-100 B+ = 88-89 C+ = 78-79 D+ = 68-69 E = 59 or lower
A- = 90-92 B = 83-87 C = 73-77 D = 60-67
B- = 80-82 C- = 70-72
Policies
Health and Safety: All coronavirus-related safety guidelines that apply to the University of
Rochester also apply to this class. Check this page regularly for updates.
Class Climate: By participating in this course, the professor, TAs, and students agree to
maintain a positive learning environment based on open communication and mutual respect.
Blackboard Communications: In addition to all of the components of the course described
above, any changes, updates, announcements, or reminders regarding the course will be shared
through Blackboard. Grades will be posted on Blackboard.
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Emergencies and Extensions: This class is designed for maximum flexibility. It is important to
keep up with the schedule. However, if you are dealing with (a) illness, (b) a family emergency,
or (c) official university business, and it is interfering with your capacity to meet course
requirements, contact your TA to discuss an extension within seven calendar days of the relevant
due date. Extension requests for reasons other than the three outlined above and/or received more
than seven calendar days after the relevant due date will not be considered. For example, your
TA will not grant you an extension on an exam if it happens to fall on the same date as an exam
for another class, and your TA will not grant you an extension on a quiz from the third week of
the semester during the thirteenth week of the semester.
Writing Assistance: Writing skills are an essential part of a college education. Exams will be
graded with the expectation that students will be able to clearly convey their message. All
students are invited to visit the Writing and Speaking Center for individualized assistance.
Extra Credit: This course accepts SONA credits (see Blackboard for details). An alternative
means of earning extra credit is also provided (see Blackboard for details). Note that extra credit
policies differ from course to course. In this course, earning eight extra credits will move your
final grade from one passing grade to the next highest grade (e.g., B+ to A-). Earning fewer than
eight credits will have no impact on your final grade. This course-specific policy takes
precedence over any general guidance regarding SONA or any other form of extra credit. For
this class, you may combine extra credits from SONA and the alternative route in order to reach
eight extra credits.
Fourth Credit Hour: This course follows the College credit hour policy for four-credit courses.
Academic Honesty: All activities associated with this course must be performed in accordance
with the University of Rochester’s Academic Honesty Policy. Academic study is both an
intellectual and an ethical enterprise. Studying together, discussing material, and receiving
support from the Writing and Speaking Center or the Learning Center are all acceptable and
encouraged.
Pay close attention to the policy outlined above regarding what you may and may not do during
exams in particular. To recap, you may use course materials during exams, but you may not use
other students or information on the internet. You will compete an honor pledge before each
exam to remind you of this policy.
Do not post or receive materials from this course (e.g., quiz questions) anywhere online other
than the course Blackboard site. Both posting and receiving materials on unauthorized places are
violations of the academic honesty policy. The TAs regularly search common repositories (e.g.,
chegg.com) for materials from this course and report violations to the Board on Academic
Honesty for investigation.
If you have a question about anything from this course, ask the professor or the TAs. If you have
questions about academic honesty, ask the professor, the TAs, or the Academic Honesty Liaison.
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Disabilities: The University of Rochester respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds and
abilities. In the event you encounter any barrier(s) to full participation in this course due to the
impact of a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Resources. The access coordinators
can meet with you to discuss the barriers you are experiencing and explain the eligibility process
for establishing academic accommodations.
Optional Upper-Level Writing Component
PSYC 171W is a 0.5-credit tag-along upper-level writing course. To participate, you must be a
senior psychology major enrolled in PSYC 171 who has not yet fulfilled the two-course upper-
level writing requirement for the major. PSYC 171W has a separate syllabus and set of
requirements, and the grade is independent from PSYC 171.