Overview

The final project for this course is the creation of an analysis paper . The paper should demonstrate your understanding of one of the nine developmental stages.

Analyze your chosen topic within the framework of one of the nine developmental stages. The final product represents an authentic demonstration of competency because it allows you to demonstrate understanding, application, and critical evaluation of the major concepts presented in this course. You should demonstrate knowledge of how your particular topic unfolds within the chosen developmental stage. The topic must differ from your short paper topics.

The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules One, Three, and Five. The final submission will be in Module Seven.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

- Articulate and illustrate the typical path of human development using key biological, cognitive, and social-emotional terms and concepts.

-  Assess the impact of various influences on the developmental process using contemporary theories and themes of development.

- Apply the scientific methodologies of developmental psychologists to the analysis and interpretation of real-world research findings.

- Examine conventions about growth and change over the life span through critical, collaborative inquiry that reflects a sense of responsibility for the wider implications of various viewpoints.

-  Draw and illustrate connections between the principles and themes of developmental psychology and their applications to current issues, contemporary problems, and one's own life.

Prompt

Develop your own individualized final paper topic, which you should be able to cover thoroughly in 1,000-1,500 words. Some topic examples include how exposure to certain hazards during the prenatal period can affect a person at a particular stage of life; gender and cultural development; the effects of peer relationships on development; and the psychosocial considerations of aging throughout the life span. After choosing a paper topic, choose a stage of development (e.g., prenatal) that you will focus on when you write about your chosen topic. For example, if you were to choose "development and role of attachment" and "infancy," your final paper would focus mainly on the development and role of attachment during infancy. More specifically, it might describe and discuss parent-infant attachment styles and how secure versus insecure attachment styles develop. You would also explore ways attachment may unfold or progress in later stages of development as well as the role or influence attachment can play (e.g., relationship development) in later stages of development.