The module examines developmental opportunities and challenges that occur throughout adolescence and across the physical, moral, emotional, and psychosocial domains. Specifically, the module examines debates over the elongation of adolescence as a stage of life, the stereotypes surrounding adolescence, the context-specific psychosocial effects of puberty, adolescents’ ability to think abstractly (e.g., thinking about thinking), and adolescent peer group popularity and rejection. Distinct emphasis is put on the psychosocial domain and particularly on issues relating to adolescents’ self-conception and identity development, emotional and behavioural autonomy, and attachment and intimacy. The module concludes with an overview of prevalent externalizing (e.g., antisocial behaviour) and internalizing (e.g., depression, anxiety, self-harm) problems in adolescence.
Teaching methods include lectures with embedded interactive activities, flipped classroom methodologies, and a variety of self-reflection opportunities. Students’ assessment comprises of coursework and a written examination as follows: Coursework: Research proposal (30%) and Final assessment: Written examination (70%).