Developmental psychology seeks to understand human mind and behavior by examining the origin and progression of such processes throughout the life span. The field investigates two central questions; it attempts to describe human abilities at various points in development, and to explain what mechanisms account for the changes that take place over time.
At UC Merced, the developmental psychology faculty has strengths in a range of topics, including cognitive development, language, social cognition, health risk behaviors, and infant object manipulation and action planning. Courses, graduate training, and supervised research opportunities are available in all these areas. We currently have a heavy cognitive component to our program; because of this, our developmental psychology area makes connections with cognitive science; in addition, through its close focus on change throughout the lifespan, our program also fosters bridges to education and health psychology.
Developmental Psychology Faculty:
- Michelle Chouinard
- Yarrow Dunham
