Developmental Psychology

The Developmental Psychology program at Florida State University will provide students with in-depth training in the area of developmental psychology, with opportunities for both basic and applied research.  The goal of the program is to prepare students for future positions as professors in universities and colleges, researchers in government and private-sector laboratories, and as educators. The program is guided by the view that the best way to become a researcher is to carry out research, so continuous involvement in research projects is stressed. The curriculum has core course requirements, but maximizes opportunities for specific seminars and individual research opportunities that fit a training program designed by the student and his or her major professor.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must satisfy all admission requirements and policies set by the university.  In addition, the department requires a broad undergraduate preparation, a grade point average of 3.0 or better during the junior and senior undergraduate years, a combined score of at least 1000 on the verbal and quantitative portion of the aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examination, at least three references from former professors in support of the applicant, and a statement of purpose by the applicant.  About 12 semester hours in psychology, including a laboratory experimental course and a course in statistics are desired.  Developmental psychology applicants who demonstrate an interest and experience in research and who express interest in the research areas of the developmental faculty are given priority.

Program Requirements

The principle underlying the course requirements for the Developmental Psychology major recognizes the need for certain common experiences in all students along with opportunities for the development of special expertise in more narrowly defined interest areas.  A central value of the program is the preservation of maximum time to conduct independent research and develop special expertise. Thus, the requirements (which are subject to change) are to be regarded as a common minimum core.   It is expected that students will take a variety of courses in order to create the special competencies they desire. 

Required courses are identified in three areas, the psychology content core, the research/experiential core, and the statistics/methodology core.  A specific number of courses must be taken from each of these areas. No distinction is made here between requirements for the master's and Ph.D.  The only specific requirements for a master's degree are those listed as departmental or college requirements.   It should be noted that the requirement for the master's involves thirty semester hours (18 of which must be those in which a letter grade is assigned). Students are expected to attain a doctoral degree; the master’s degree is obtained in route to the Ph.D.

Psychology Content Core

All Developmental Psychology students are expected to take DEP 5165 Developmental Psychology.  In addition, students are expected to take at least one additional course from among those designated by the psychology department as the departmental core:  EXP 5508 Cognition and Perception, SOP 5053 Social Psychology, PSB 5056 Biological Psychology, EXP 5406 Conditioning and Learning, PPE 5055 Personality Theory.

Four advanced courses.  These may be either seminars or regularly offered courses that are not listed as part of the department wide core.  Other courses used to satisfy this requirement (e.g., courses offered by other departments) must have the approval of the student's major professor and supervisory committee.

Research/Experiential Core

       PSY 5917r  Supervised Research - 2 hours

       PSY 5973r  Master's Thesis - 6 hours minimum, and no maximum

       PSY 6656r  Preliminary Examination Preparation - Minimum 3 hours, maximum 9 hours

       PSY 6980r  Dissertation - Minimum 24 hours

In addition to these required courses, students may wish to gain additional hours of supervised research/experience by signing up for PSY 5908r (Directed Individual Study), which may be repeated for a maximum of 16 hours.

Statistics/Methodology Core

Students must take one of the following courses:

       EDF 5401  General Linear Model Application

       EDF 5410  Nonparametric Analysis

       STA 5206  ANOVA and the Design of Experiments

       STA 5207  Applied Regression Methods

       STA 5225   Sample Survey

       STA 5507  Applied Nonparametrics

       STA 5856  Time Series and Forecasting Methods

    In addition, students must take two additional courses either from the list above or from the following list.

       EAB 5796  Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis

       EDF 5402  ANOVA applications

       EDF 5406  Multivariate Analysis

       EDF 5411  Factor Analysis

       PSY 6919r Multivariate Applications: Observable Variables

       PSY 6919r Multivariate Applications:  Latent Variables

       PSY 6919r Design and Analysis in Psychology

       PSY 6919r MetaAnalysis

Faculty

Neil H. Charness, Ph.D., 1974, Carnegie Mellon University. Expertise/skill acquisition and aging (chess, bridge, word processing); age and human factors (computer interfaces and training, computer - based cognitive assessment).

K. Anders Ericsson, Ph.D., 1976, University of Sweden at Stockholm. The acquisition of expert performance through deliberate practice in domains, such as music, science, golf and darts. The structure and acquisition of Long-Term Working Memory. Thinking, reasoning and planning that mediate problem solving, learning and skilled performance. The structure of cognitive processes and attention revealed by the analysis of think-aloud protocols and retrospective verbal reports.

Frank Johnson, Ph.D., 1989, University of California at Riverside. Research encompasses regulation of critical periods for learning and neural plasticity, development of sex differences in brain and behavior, regulation of neuron survival over the life-span, mechanisms of neuronal cell death.

Kaschak, Michael, Ph.D., 2003, University of Wisconsin - Madison. Role of learning and memory in language processing; Embodied cognition, particularly the relationship between language and systems of perception and action; How language comprehenders process idiosyncratic and creative language; The influence of idiosyncratic syntactic structures on the course of language acquisition.

Janet Kistner, Ph.D., 1981, State University of New York at Binghamton.   Developmental psychopathology; children's responses to stress and failure; problematic social interactions of children; learning and behavior problems of children.

Chris Lonigan, Ph.D., 1991, State University of New York at Stony Brook.  Early intervention (language/literacy) and its effects on cognitive, behavioral, and social development. Developmental psychopathology: principal focus on emotional and motivational influences on the development of psychopathology.  Other interests include: PTSD in children; language acquisition; and language and behavior disorders of children

Ralph Radach, Ph.D., Humboldt-University of Berlin, 1995. Cognitive and developmental reading research; visual perception, attention and eye movement control; acquired and developmental reading disabilities; cognitive neuropsychology with a focus on visual and oculomotor functions; human factors and internet usability.

Natalie Sachs-Ericsson, Ph.D., 1985, Southern Illinois University. Psycho-social factors that influence the onset and course of psychiatric disorders and health problems; Racial, ethnic and gender differences in protective and vulnerability factors that influence psychiatric disorders; Childhood physical and sexual abuse and its affect on the psychological, social, and health functioning of adults.

Chris Schatschneider, Ph.D., 1995, Case Western Reserve University. Developmental psychology, learning disabilities, quantitative methods and research design, reading and language comprehension.

Joseph K. Torgesen, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1976. Psychology of reading and prevention of reading disabilities; cognitive characteristics of children with learning disabilities; assessment practices with children; computer assisted instruction in basic academic skills.

Richard K. Wagner, Ph.D., Yale University, 1985. The acquisition of complex cognitive knowledge and skills. The role of reading-related phonological processing abilities in normal and abnormal development of reading skills, and in the prediction, prevention, and remediation of dyslexia. The role of practical knowledge and intelligence in intellectual performance manifested outside the classroom setting.

Ward, Paul, Ph.D., Liverpool John Moores University, UK, 2003. Identifying the mechanisms and representations responsible for expert performance in professional, occupational, and sporting domains through the use of process-tracing methods (i.e., verbal reports, eye movements, psycho-physiological responses, and motion analysis). Fundamental issues of interest include how experts acquire, refine, control or automate their performance.