GERO 320: Psychology of Adult Development



Course Syllabus

GERO 520: Lifespan Developmental Psychology

Time: Monday 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Location: GERO Auditorium (for live lectures)

Note: This is a “blended” class. Therefore, some students will attend the “live” classes and other students will watch the videotaped classes online on the GERO 520 Blackboard page. The “live” portion of the class is two hours long and will run from 11:00 to 1:00 on Mondays. In addition, all students are required to participate in weekly cyber discussions. The cyber discussion participation should take approximately one hour per week and will account for the final 50 minutes of class time each week. Because cyber discussions are an integral part of this class, participation in the cyber discussions will count for 25% of the final course grade. Each student is expected to post one original comment and to respond to at least two other student comments per week.

Instructor: David Glassmire, Ph.D.

Phone: (909) 425-6573 (Tuesday – Friday); (909) 856-6391 (Mondays)

Email: glassmir@usc.edu (preferred method of contact)

Office Hours: Mondays 10:00 – 11:00 p.m. (Please call ahead to schedule appointment)

Required Book

Keyes, C. L. M., & Haidt, J. Eds. (2003). Flourishing: Positive psychology and the life well lived. Washington DC: American Psychological Association.

Additional Required Readings

Achenbaum, W. A. (2004). Wisdom’s vision of relations. Human Development, 47, 300-303.

Ardelt, M. (2004). Wisdom as expert knowledge system: A critical review of a contemporary operationalization of an ancient concept. Human Development, 47, 257-285.

Ardelt, M. (2004). Where can wisdom be found? Human Development, 47, 304-307.

Baltes, P. B., & Staudinger, U. M. (2000). Wisdom: A metaheuristic (pragmatic) to orchestrate mind and virtue toward excellence. American Psychologist, 55, 122-136.

Baltes, P. B., & Kunzmann, U. (2004). The two faces of wisdom: Wisdom as a general theory of knowledge and judgment about excellence in mind and virtue vs. wisdom as everyday realization in people and products. Human Development, 47, 290-299.

Bargh, J.A., Chen, M., & Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 230-244.

Carstensen, L. L., Isaacowitz, D. M., & Charles, S. T. (1999). Taking time seriously: A theory of socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist, 54, 165-181.

Carstensen, L. L., & Mikels, J. A. (2005). At the intersection of emotion and cognition. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 117-121.

Cate, R. A., & John, O. P. (2007). Testing models of the structure and development of future time perspective: Maintaining a focus on opportunities in middle age. Psychology and Aging, 186-201.

Ebner, N. C., Freund, A. M., & Baltes, P. B. (2006). Developmental changes in personal goal orientation from young to late adulthood: From striving for gains to maintenance and prevention of losses. Psychology and Aging, 21, 664-678.

Hess, T. M., & Hinson, J. T. (2006). Age-related variation in the influences of aging stereotypes on memory in adulthood. Psychology and Aging, 621-625.

Jopp, D., & Smith, J. (2006). Resources and life-management strategies as determinants of successful aging: On the protective effect of selection, optimization, and compensation. Psychology and Aging, 21, 253-265.

Mancini, A. D., & Bonanno, G. A. (2006). Marital closeness, functional disability, and adjustment in late life. Psychology and Aging, 21, 600-610.

Schultz, R., & Heckhausen, J. (1996). A life span model of successful aging. American Psychologist, 51, 702-714.

Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 797-811.

Sternberg, R. J. (2004). Words to the wise about wisdom: A commentary on Ardelt’s critique of Baltes. Human Development, 47, 286-289.

Yang, L., Krampe, R. T., & Baltes, P. B. (2006). Basic forms of cognitive plasticity extended into the oldest-old: Retest learning, age, and cognitive functioning. Psychology and Aging, 21, 372-378.

Grading

Paper 1 25%

Paper 2 25%

Paper 3 25%

Cyberclass Participation 25%

Brief Course Description

This course will provide students with an overview of the psychology of adult development. Students will learn about research and theory bearing on cognitive, personality, adaptive, and social processes throughout the adult life span, and about applications of current research and theory to practical matters in the field of gerontology. Basic knowledge will be ascertained from topics covered in the lectures. These topics will be explored in more depth with the readings from the textbook and relevant scholarly journal articles. The majority of additional readings are recent research and theoretical articles representing current trends in the field of adult development. Please note that although the lectures will sometimes overlap with the readings, a significant amount of material from the lectures is not covered in the readings. Therefore, students are expected to attend/view all lectures and to complete all assigned readings in order to make the cyber discussions fruitful.

This class is intended to facilitate three distinct yet interrelated processes. First, students are expected to learn course content that is presented in the book, assigned articles, and class lectures. Second, it is hoped that students will use the course content to facilitate and further develop their critical thinking and scholarly writing skills. Finally, this course is intended to encourage students to begin thinking about successful aging at an early point in their own lives. The course will heavily cover research literature from the emerging subfield of positive psychology and will address the application of this material to the concept of successful aging. Class discussions will frequently include information about lifestyle choices that can facilitate successful aging across the lifespan.

COURSE OUTLINE

8/27/2007

Topic

• Introduction to the Psychology of Aging

• Myths about aging

• Movie: Harold and Maude

Readings

• Flourishing Foreword and Introduction (p. xi - 12)

9/3/2007 Labor Day (No lecture this week. Please use this week to get ahead on required readings.)

9/10/2007

Topic

• Defining Successful Aging

• Research Issues and Methods in the Psychology of Aging

Readings

• Jopp, D., & Smith, J. (2006). Resources and life-management strategies as determinants of successful aging: On the protective effect of selection, optimization, and compensation. Psychology and Aging, 21, 253-265.

• Schultz, R., & Heckhausen, J. (1996). A life span model of successful aging. American Psychologist, 51, 702-714.

9/17/2007

Topic

• Stereotype Threat

• Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC)

Readings

• Bargh, J.A., Chen, M., & Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 230-244.

• Hess, T. M., & Hinson, J. T. (2006). Age-related variation in the influences of aging stereotypes on memory in adulthood. Psychology and Aging, 621-625.

• Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 797-811.

9/24/2007

Topic

• Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

Readings

• Carstensen, L. L., Isaacowitz, D. M., & Charles, S. T. (1999). Taking time seriously: A theory of socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist, 54, 154-181.

10/1/2007

Topic

• Memory Across the Lifespan

Readings

• Yang, L., Krampe, R. T., & Baltes, P. B. (2006). Basic forms of cognitive plasticity extended into the oldest-old: Retest learning, age, and cognitive functioning. Psychology and Aging, 21, 372-378.

10/8/2007—PAPER # 1 DUE TODAY

Topic

• Intelligence, Social Cognition, and Wisdom Across the Lifespan

Readings

• Baltes, P.B., & Staudinger, U.M. (2000). Wisdom: A metaheuristic (pragmatic) to orchestrate mind and virtue toward excellence. American Psychologist, 55, 122-136.

• Carstensen, L. L., & Mikels, J. A. (2005). At the intersection of emotion and cognition. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 117-121.

10/15/2007

Topic

• Wisdom Part II: A Reconsideration of Baltes et al.’s Model

Readings

• Achenbaum, W. A. (2004). Wisdom’s vision of relations. Human Development, 47, 300-303.

• Ardelt, M. (2004). Wisdom as expert knowledge system: A critical review of a contemporary operationalization of an ancient concept. Human Development, 47, 257-285.

• Ardelt, M. (2004). Where can wisdom be found? Human Development, 47, 304-307.

• Baltes, P. B., & Kunzmann, U. (2004). The two faces of wisdom: Wisdom as a general theory of knowledge and judgment about excellence in mind and virtue vs. wisdom as everyday realization in people and products. Human Development, 47, 290-299.

• Sternberg, R. J. (2004). Words to the wise about wisdom: A commentary on Ardelt’s critique of Baltes. Human Development, 47, 286-289.

10/22/2007

Topic

• Personality and Relationships Across the Lifespan

Readings

• Mancini, A. D., & Bonanno, G. A. (2006). Marital closeness, functional disability, and adjustment in late life. Psychology and Aging, 21, 600-610.

• Flourishing Chapter 6

10/29/2007

Topic

• Social, Cultural, and Environmental Issues Impacting Aging

• Personal Goal Orientation

• Future Time Perspective

• Turning Points

Readings

• Cate, R. A., & John, O. P. (2007). Testing models of the structure and development of future time perspective: Maintaining a focus on opportunities in middle age. Psychology and Aging, 186-201.

• Ebner, N. C., Freund, A. M., & Baltes, P. B. (2006). Developmental changes in personal goal orientation from young to late adulthood: From striving for gains to maintenance and prevention of losses. Psychology and Aging, 21, 664-678.

• Flourishing Chapter 2 - 3

11/5/2007—PAPER # 2 DUE TODAY

Topic

• Mental Health Issues: Anxiety and Depressive Disorders in Late Life

Readings

• Flourishing Chapter 1

11/12/2007

Topic

• Optimism Throughout the Lifespan

Readings

• Catch up week

11/19/2007

Paper Due Today

Topic

• Maintaining Happiness and Life Satisfaction in Old Age: Vital Engagement and Personal Goals

Readings

• Flourishing Chapters 4 & 5

11/26/2007

Topic

• Maintaining Creativity and Productivity Across the Lifespan

Readings

• Flourishing Chapters 7, 8, & 9

12/3/2007—PAPER # 3 DUE TODAY

Topic

• Positive Aging Through Interdependence and “Doing Good”

Readings

• Flourishing Chapters 10, 11, & 12

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