Humans are deeply social creatures. In this module, we will discuss the origins of sociality in young children. We will cover key topics in social cognitive development such as imitation, prosocial behaviour and group membership.
Module learning outcomes
Give an account of the major findings in each of the topics covered, including the development of prosocial behaviour, imitation and intergroup bias.
Describe the relative merits of different methods for studying social cognitive development
Discuss the role of learning in bringing about mature social cognitive abilities
Describe cultural variation in children’s social behaviour
Recognise the implications of major findings in social cognitive development for psychology and society
Module content
Social understanding
Imitation
Prosocial behaviour
Social evaluation
Group membership
Social motivation and autism
Cultural differences in social behaviour
Assessment
Task
Length
% of module mark
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) Social Cognitive Development
5 hours
100
Special assessment rules
None
Reassessment
Task
Length
% of module mark
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) Social Cognitive Development
5 hours
100
Module feedback
The marks on all assessed work will be provided on e-vision
These marks will be accompanied by module feedback which will be circulate by e-mail.
Students will meet supervisors in wk 6 in AuT, SpT and wk 9 in SuT to discuss their marks.
Indicative reading
Sample Reading:
Chevallier, C., Kohls, G., Troiani, V., Brodkin, E.S., Schultz, R.T. (2012). The Social Motivation Theory of Autism. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(4) 231-239.
Dunham, Y., Baron, A.S., & Carey, S. (2011). Consequences of ‘minimal’ group affiliations in children. Child Development, 82(3), 793-811.
Martin, A., & Olson, K. R. (2015). Beyond good and evil: What motivations underlie children's prosocial behavior. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10, 159-175
Over, H., & Carpenter, M. (2013). The social side of imitation. Child Development Perspectives, 7, 6-11.