Adolescence sometimes has a bad reputation—teens are often seen as impulsive, hormonal, irresponsible beings who talk back, do drugs, have risky sex, and drive too fast. In this class, we will flip this belief. Backed by the science of adolescent brain development, we will discuss adolescence as a time of malleability, social engagement, resilience, identity development, emotional spark, and creativity. We will discuss the causes and drawbacks of adolescent risk taking, but also the benefits of risk taking. We will discuss how the adolescent experience is influenced by culture and policies.
Learning Outcomes:
1: Students will be able to describe adolescence as a unique developmental period with its own strengths and weaknesses, moving beyond the view of adolescents as simply not yet mature.
2: Students will be able to form their own opinions on issues of debate in adolescent development (for example, voting age or high school start times) and communicate those opinions in writing and verbally.
3: Students will be able to apply their knowledge of adolescent development to better promote their own development and/or the development of the adolescents in their lives.
Delivery Method: Remotely accessible
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
M/Th 1:40PM - 3:30PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 15
Course Frequency: Once a year
Categories: All courses , Psychology , Remotely Accessible
Tags: Developmental Psychology , Neuroscience