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Psychology (PSYC): PSYC 258 Developmental Psychology

This guide is intended to help students with research assignments about psychology.

Explore this page for research help specific to PSYC 258: Developmental Psychology.  Find topic ideas, learn search strategies, and see highlighted resources from our library collections and recommended websites.

Theorists (Erikson, Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, and Freud) - Highlighted Resources from the Library's Collections

Prenatal to Infancy - Topic Ideas

Prenatal Growth (Conception, Embryonic Period, Fetal Period) Physical & Motor Development Infants with Special Needs
Environmental Influences on Prenatal Development: Maternal Age & Health, Prenatal Health Care, Teratogens Environmental Influences on: Learning Processes, Social Learning, Socialization, Acculturalization Gibson's Differentiation Theory
Chromosomal & Genetic Abnormalities Nature vs. Nurture Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
Childbirth: Alternative Approaches to Childbirth, Social Environment Surrounding Birth Sensory & Perceptual Development: Vision, audition, taste, smell, touch, sensory integration Vygotsky's Theory
Birth Complications (Anoxia, Low Birth Weight, etc.) Attachment, Separation Anxiety, Stranger Anxiety Transition to Parenthood
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Language Development Parents, Mothers, Fathers
Infant Nutrition & Malnutrition Breastfeeding vs. Bottle feeding Siblings or Grandparents

Prenatal to Infancy - Highlighted Resources from the Library's Collection

The Oxford Handbook of Perinatal Psychology

Available online and in print at Bethlehem

Teaching and Learning with Infants and Toddlers

Available at Bethlehem and Monroe

Handbook of Infant Development

2 volumes
Available at Bethlehem

The Infant Mind: origins of the social brain

Available at Bethlehem and Monroe

Learning and the Infant Mind

Available at Bethlehem

Toddlerhood to Middle Childhood - Topic Ideas

Development of the Self Autonomy and Discipline Trust and Nurturance
Motor Skills Development Preoperational Thinking Memory and Memory Strategies
Emotional Development (Fear, Anxiety, etc.) Play Numerical Reasoning
Moral Development Aggression Social Skills and Social Cognition
Self-Concept Self-Esteem Information Processing
Critical Thinking Attention Span (ADD, ADHD, etc.) Learning Disorders
Physical Growth and Change Social Cognition (Piaget, Kohlberg, Gilligan, Eisenberg) Friendship and Peer Groups
Intelligence Testing (Standford-Binet Scale, Wechsler Scale, IQ scores, etc.)
 Parental Employment (Day Care and Child Care)

Gender (standards, differences, cultural myths, stereotypes, behavior, androgyny
Language and Literacy Expanding Grammar and Language (Influence of Parents' Language Use, Children's Conversations, Bilingualism, Learning Perspective, Nativist Perspective, Interactionist Perspective) Family (Parenting Styles, Sibling Dynamics, Discipline, Divorce, Child Abuse, Adoptive Families, Gay and Lesbian Families, Remarriage and Blended Families

Toddlerhood to Middle Childhood - Highlighted Resources from the Library's Collection

Adolescence & Emerging Adulthood - Topic Ideas

Physical Growth & Change Puberty Body Image

Anorexia and Bulimia

 Sexuality Risk-Taking (Drugs, Alcohol, Delinquency)
Teenage Parents Independence and Interdependence Identify Formation
Leaving Home Dating Cliques

Adolescence & Emerging Adulthood - Highlighted Resources from the Library's Collection

Young to Late Adulthood - Topic Ideas

Young Adulthood

Social Norms Physical Development (Fitness and Health, Fertility) Sexuality

College Years

 Self-Actualization Adult Friendships
Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love Couple Formation and Development Family Life Cycle
Transition to Parenthood Single Parenthood Occupational Cycle

Middle Adulthood

Prime Time Midlife Crisis Midcareer Assessment
Tasks of Middle Age Health Habits Menopause
Divorce and Remarriage Relationships with Adult Children Relationships with Aging Parents
Grandparenting    

Late Adulthood

Ageism and Stereotypes Changing Body Sleep, Health, Disease and Nutrition
Theories of Aging Retirement Cognitive Decline
Widows and Widowers Lifestyle Options for Older Adults Elder Abuse

 

Young to Late Adulthood - Highlighted Resources from the Library's Collections

Death and Afterlife - Topic Ideas

Fear of Death Denial of Death Death as Final Stage of Development
Stages of Adjustment Hospices Right to Die

Bereavement

 Grieving Rituals and Customs

Death and Afterlife - Highlighted Resources from the Library's Collection

Search Strategies

Search Keywords

Choosing the right search words or keywords or combination of keywords can help you find the most useful sources for your topic quickly. 

SpartaCat, the library's catalog, searches in the title, summary, publication details, and table of content information for your search keywords. It does not search the text or content of the items themselves. Thus, searching for something too specific may not give you a lot of results. Searching for major concepts and broad ideas like BEREAVEMENT will lead you to books that you can then use the table of contents and indexes of to find more specific information about your topic. 

In library databases, the more specific you can be with your search, the better. Keyword searches there look for any instance of that word in the title, summary, publication information, or full-text of articles and information sources. Being precise and exact with your search keywords makes a difference. Searching for something too general, like BEREAVEMENT might get too many results.

Ask yourself, what do you want to know about your topic? Is there a certain group of people or even a location that you can concentrate on? A better search strategy would be something like: BEREAVEMENT and YOUNG ADULTS and SUICIDE.

Search Filters

In library databases, be sure to always choose the Full-Text option, so that you can access and read the full article immediately. You may also choose to check the Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) option, if your instructor requires you to find scholarly articles. Other search filters, like Publication Date or Source Type, might also help.

Remember that the APA PsycARTICLES database allows you to choose an Age Group in addition, which is especially helpful for this class. Remember that the APA PsycARTICLES database allows you to choose an Age Group in addition, which is especially helpful for this class. For more about this database, see the Articles in Library Databases page of this guide.