Family and Development

Code:

MTP10

Acronym:

FD

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Psychology

Instance: 2025/2026 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	http://https://sigarra.up.pt/fpceup/pt/ucurr_geral.ficha_uc_view?pv_ocorrencia_id=407604
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Psychology Themes

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MTP	7	Official Curricular Structure	1	-	6	54	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

This course aims to contribute to the scientific training of practitioners in the family and parenting domain, enabling them to contact with theoretical perspectives and empirical studies. In a more specific way it is intended to sensitize students to:

1. The family's role in determining children’s development and adjustment
2. The complexity of parent-child interactions and their impact on children’s development and adjustment
3. Evidence-based interventions.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the semester students should be able to:
1. Discuss human development based on the most relevant theoretical models.
2. Assess the quality of the family environment using a standardized instrument.
3. Discuss the role of temperament in determining human development.
4. Characterize evidence-based practice.
5. Characterize evidence-based programs.
6. Discuss the role of the implemention of evidence-based programs in the observed outcomes.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. The concept of Human Development


2. Theoretical models explaining child development




1. Attachment theory


2. Sociogenetic approach


3. The bioecological model of human development




3. Quality of family environment and its evaluation


4. Child temperament and its interaction with rearing environment


5. Evidence-based practice


6. Evidence-based programs


7. Implemention of evidence-based programs.

Mandatory literature

Asmussen Kirsten; The^evidence-based parenting practitioner.s handbook. ISBN: 978-0-415-60993-7
Bornstein Marc H. 340; Handbook of parenting. ISBN: 0-8058-3778-7 (vol.1)
Cruz Orlanda; Parentalidade. ISBN: 978-989-8148-83-4

Teaching methods and learning activities

. Lecture
. Discussion of problem situations
. Discussion of homework activities

keywords

Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Psychology > Developmental psychology
Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Psychology > Educational psychology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	80,00
Trabalho escrito	10,00
Trabalho de campo	10,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	96,00
Frequência das aulas	54,00
Trabalho de campo	6,00
Trabalho escrito	6,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Students must be present in, at least, 75% of the classes and present the written essays.

Calculation formula of final grade

Final grade is based on the student’s achievement in the following three components (weights in parenthesis):

Final exam (80%)
Written essays (20%).

Grades will be presented on the 0 to 20 scale.

The student must have at least 8 points in each component.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Any situation involving a special assessment should be presented by students and reviewed by professors at the beginning of the semester.

Classification improvement

Only applicable to the final exam.