Welcome to Developmental Psychology (DEP2004).
My name is Feihong Wang, with a Ph.
D. in developmental psychology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
My expertise in this field revolves around parent-child relationship in the early years,
family dynamics, social behavioral outcomes of children and child engagement.
I have published at different developmental journals such as the Journal of Applied Developmental
Psychology, Attachment and Human Development, and Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
As we proceed during the semester, we will get a chance to discuss all these developmental
topics and I will invite you to critique my research publications to exercise your critical
thinking and extend your learning.
I hope this semester will be fun to you because human development is fascinating itself!
No matter you like it or not, from the start of conception, development happens, every
day, every hour, every moment.
Development happens at each level, e.g., physiological, biological, behavioral, and social levels.
Development also happens within as well as across contexts, e.g., intra-individual contexts,
families, schools, peers, societies, and cultures.
See the collage here by a 13-year-old teenager.
Do you sense his development in the past and his envisioned development down the road?
in this course, we will learn and discuss major theories and principles of life-span
development from conception to death, including both theories and applications.
I will also highlight the impact of culture and diversity on human development as we learn
about each developmental phase during the life span.
Through this course, you will gain insights into the interrelationships that exist among
physical, cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial aspects of development which help you understand
the cognition, behaviors, emotion and personalities of yourself and others better.
A fun and successful semester cannot be achieved without efforts.
Please pledge to be active learners in this course, actively pre-read and review lecture
materials, participating in course discussions, do all the quizzes and exams and as well as
the extra credit assignments that are designed to consolidate your learning!
And anytime if you have questions, don’t hesitate to email me, or schedule an appointment
with me.
One big tip in being successful in my class is turning in work on time.
The semester will go by very fast!
So, no procrastination, please!
So makes sure you keep track of all the deadlines!
On the other hand, I pledge to be your helpful, approachable, inspiring and fair professor
who validates your efforts, facilitate your development in learning throughout this semester,
and foster your vision on your future life and career development, as well as your understanding
of others’ developmental stages, trajectories, and outcomes.
I would also like to promote a classroom dynamic that everyone enjoys sharing insights and
contributing perspectives such that we all learn from each other’s experiences, observations,
and reflections.
Together, Let’s make it a fruitful semester!