Welcome to PSY 236 Adolescent Psychology
Narratives for Discovery
University of Louisiana Psychology Department and NOVA Online Psychology Faculty
The purpose of the course is to provide the student with a comprehensive understanding of the methods, theories, and main
concepts related to adolescent development. The course offers scientific and practical guidance to those who:
1) work with, care for, or raise adolescents,
2) design prevention and health promotion programs for adolescents and
3) provide opportunities for adolescents to thrive.
There will be a special emphasis on the theories of development, offering descriptions and explanations
of cognitive, motor, social, linguistic, emotional, personality, and moral development. The conditions and environments within
which development takes place will be discussed, including an emphasis on those factors which promote positive development.
A major goal of the course is for students to demonstrate an understanding of the interaction between the adolescent and a
continually changing world.
- Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Summarize and explain the major theories of adolescent development (e.g., behavioral, social-emotional, cognitive). - Identify and explain important topical issues (e.g. family relationships, academic achievement, morality and aggression, and identity formation) in modern adolescent development.
- Describe the basic biological and contextual/cultural influences on adolescent development.
- Explain the bidirectional interactions between the developing adolescent and a dynamic environment
- Describe and interpret typical and atypical development in cognitive, emotional, social, and moral domains.
- Identify the factors that foster development, as well as be able to identify factors that are related to less than optimal development.
- Articulate how social and cultural differences impact adolescence
This Open Educational Resource was adapted for Northern Virginia Community College’s PSY 235 courses. Special thanks to the University of Louisiana Psychology Department who developed this Open Educational Resource, supporting not only affordable access to higher education but also scholarship to the field.
