Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies

In this course, you will learn how to define human development and family studies, identify the stages of human development, examine lifespan developmental tasks (physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional) from individual and family life theoretical perspectives, and apply contemporary research and course content to individuals and families.

What aspects of ourselves change and develop as we journey through life? We move through significant physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes throughout our lives—do these changes happen in a systematic way, and to everyone? How much is due to genetics and how much is due to environmental influences and experiences (both within our personal control and beyond)? Is there just one course of development or are there many different courses of development? In this module, we’ll examine these questions and learn about the major stages of development and what kind of developmental tasks and transitions we might expect along the way.