Prospectus

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Psychology (research): Developmental Psychology

Description

Students who choose to take the Research Master’s track Developmental Psychology acquire in-depth knowledge of emotional and cognitive development during childhood and adolescence, including normal development and the development of psychopathology. The development of emotion and cognition, and the relationship to the developing brain, lie at the forefront of scientific enquiry. Key questions are: How does intelligent behaviour emerge over the course of early childhood and adolescence? How do cognition and emotion interact and affect behaviour across development? How does autism or deafness affect emotional development? How does the brain develop to shape our mind, thoughts and behaviour? How can we perform research on gender differences that is societally relevant?

Methods

Emotion, cognition, and their interaction, are manifested at various behavioural levels and in different brain systems. Hence, multi-method approaches are used to address the complex and dynamic interplay between emotion, cognition and the developing brain. Students will gain hands-on experience with various assessment procedures: self-report, behavioural observation, experimental manipulations, psychophysiological assessment (skin conductance, heart rate, cortisol, etc.), EEG, and fMRI. Master’s programme – Track Developmental Psychology

Research programmes:

The multi-method approach in the training programme is realized in the context of four research programmes.

  • Developmental cognitive neuroscience

Program leader: Berna Guroglu

  • Social stress and anxiety in adolescence: Developmental, neurobiological and clinical perspectives

Program leader: Michiel Westenberg

  • Emotional functioning and regulation in typically and atypically developing children

Program leader: Carolien Rieffe

Curriculum

General coursework

Eight obligatory general courses (40 EC) are taken by students of all four tracks. These courses cover the research skills needed in the empirical cycle. Students learn how to design an empirical study, how to collect data, how to analyse data with advanced statistical techniques, and how to report and present their findings.

Track coursework

The obligatory coursework consists of four advanced-level theoretical courses which will provide the basis for understanding changes in cognitive and affective systems across childhood and adolescence. These modules can be combined with elective courses from other programmes (see below), allowing an interdisciplinary perspective on development.

Electives

Students can further specialize in their area of interest by choosing 20 EC from a wide range of relevant courses offered in the other three tracks of the Research Master’s program and/or from courses offered in the one-year MSc in Psychology. Research master students have access to all extensive courses offered in the one-year MSc program, and to intensive courses on the condition that there are places available for additional students. Students who wish to take electives outside the Institute of Psychology (or outside Leiden University) are required to ask approval from the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Psychology. Students are responsible for verifying whether an elective course fits into their schedule of obligatory coursework.

Internship and master thesis

In their second year, students acquire hands-on research experience. In their Research Internship (20 EC), they become acquainted with various research designs and/or methods of data collection and analysis. In addition, they carry out a relatively independent project to gain experience with all phases of empirical research in psychology, including the writing of a Master Thesis (20 EC) in the form of a research article. Students are encouraged to conduct the research for their Research Internship and/or Master Thesis at a research institute abroad.

First Year

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Compulsory coursework

Scientific Writing 5
Evaluating an Empirical Study 5
Experimentation I: Programming Psychological Experiments 5
Experimentation II: Neuroscientific Research Methods 5
Applied Multivariate Data Analysis (fall and spring) 10 (2 x 5)

Track-specific compulsory coursework

Developmental Psychophysiology and Psychopathology 5
(A)typical Emotional Development: Autism, Deafness and Somatisation 5
Dynamic Assessment 5
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience 5

Relevant track-specific electives

Overview of all electives from the 1-year-MSc programme in Psychology and the profile Brain and Cognition

Behaviour Training with Children 5
Solution Focused Therapy 5

Relevant general elective

Research Apprenticeship Psychology 5

Second Year

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Compulsory coursework

Responsible Research in Practice 5
Presenting Your Research 5
Master Thesis in Research Master Psychology 20
Research Internship Psychology (RMSc) 20

More info

Additional information

Contact

Mentor

Dr. Anne Miers

Student representative

Find your student representative in the overview of programme committee members: Student representative

Post-master vocational training

If students wish, they can combine the Research Master’s track Developmental Psychology with the programme of the one-year MSc specialisation Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, in order to qualify for post-master vocational training in the field of mental health care. Successful completion of this extended programme results in one master diploma (RM) with additional certificates to prove that the student meets the requirements for post-master vocational training.

Career Perspective

A master's degree in Psychology at Leiden University combines theoretical knowledge with academic and professional skills, making you an attractive candidate for many employers.

After graduation, you will be able to conduct research, analyse data and be able to write scientific papers in the field of Developmental Psychology. You will be able to review relevant literature, apply your knowledge in the field of Developmental Psychology and know how to present your findings.

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