Question: Selecting an Age Group/Developmental Stage for the Final Paper

This week, you will begin preliminary work on your final assignment in the course, Integrating the Field of Developmental Psychology: A Review of the Literature, which is due in Week Six. To begin, select an age group/developmental stage from the list below:

• Infancy and toddlerhood (0-3 years)

• Childhood (3-12 years)

• Adolescence (13-18 years)

• Young Adulthood (18-40 years)

• Middle-Late Adulthood (40+ years)

In your paper, clearly identify the age group and developmental stage selected. Describe the important physical, emotional, cognitive, and social features of that age group. Analyze that developmental stage from the point of view of at least three developmental theorists (For example, but not limited to the viewpoints of; Piaget, Freud, Erickson, etc.). Summarize the theory you find most useful to explain that developmental stage.

In the creation of the paper, support your selections and conclusions with reasoned arguments. A minimum of three peer-reviewed articles are required for this paper.

The paper: • Must be three to four double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center .

• Must include a separate title page with the following:

o Title of paper

o Student's name

o Course name and number

o Instructor's name

o Date submitted

• Must use at least three peer-reviewed sources. These may include the required articles for the assignment.

• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Program Proposal Presentation: Prior to beginning this interactive assignment, please review the Federal Program Inventory and select one program that would meet a need for your community, a group of people you would like to work with in the future, a group of people that you work with now that could benefit from that program, or a group that you are aware of that could benefit from the program.

For this interactive assignment, you will create a presentation of up to 7-10 minutes in length. You may use any screen-casting and/or presentation software you choose (Power point, Prezi, Thinglink, etc.). Quick-Start Guides are available for Prezi, Screencast-O-Matic, and Thinglink for your convenience.)

For your presentation include the following:

• Title Information:

o Program title and agency sponsoring the program

o Target population and developmental stage

o Geographic location

• The purpose of the program:

o Briefly describe the program and its' introduction to your community. Include a short analysis of any ethical considerations for the deployment of the program using elements of developmental psychology research and practice to support the suggested implementation.

o Describe why your program is necessary and appropriate for the chosen group.

o Explain the expected outcome(s) from your program and at least one method you will use to assess the outcome(s).

o Briefly explain any developmental theory that applies to the utility of this program and the particular group involved.

o Evaluate the research that supports the success, or lack of success, for this program?

• Program Modification:

o Describe modification you would make to the program to improve its' suitability for your selected group.

o Defend why these modifications would improve the program. Include research to support your claims.

Use a presentation tool of your choice to create a visual presentation that includes the required information as well as compelling imagery related to your program. Each image must be retrieved and cited based on current copyright laws. You may wish to use the PSY605 Where to Get Free (and Legal) Images guide for assistance with accessing freely available public domain images and/or images licensed through Creative Commons. Keep in mind that the goal is to persuade others that this program is both necessary and creative. Regardless of the mode in which you create your presentation, eye-catching visuals can be very powerful. You are encouraged to be creative and choose images you feel help to highlight the positive aspects of your proposed program.

Create a script for your verbal portion of the screencast, in which you walk your audience through the important points of your program. Include APA citations within the body of the script. Utilize a screen casting tool of your choice to record a screencast of up to 7 - 10 minutes displaying your visual presentation as you read your prepared script. It is highly recommended you practice reading through your script while displaying your visual presentation before recording your final product.

Submit both your presentation and the script. If you use an online presentation software such as Prezi, please include a link to the presentation in the comment section of Waypoint when you submit the assignment.

Final Paper: Integrating the Field of Developmental Psychology: A Review of the Literature

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review the age group / developmental stage you selected in Week Two of the course. Remember, you must use this age group / developmental stage.

You will then review the Developmental Psychology literature examining findings for that age group / developmental stage in terms of the physical, emotional, cognitive, social dimensions, and how they impact development and can best be used to meet developmental needs. Additionally, create a summary of the developmental stage as viewed through the lens of one developmental theory we have studied across the course (Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development, Freud's Psychosexual Theory, Erickson's Psychosocial Theory, etc.).

In your paper,

• Examine the physical changes associated with the selected developmental stage.

• Examine the cognitive changes associated with the selected developmental stage.

• Examine the emotional changes associated with the selected developmental stage.

• Examine the social changes associated with the selected developmental stage.

• Evaluate the developmental changes and appraise the effects of the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social environments.

• Integrate developmental and environmental factors into an assessment of developmental needs.

• Create a summary of the developmental stage as viewed through the lens of a selected developmental theory.

• Propose solutions for areas not addressed by the theory.

• Analyze the ethical considerations for research and practice with the selected developmental stage.

The Integrating the Field of Developmental Psychology: A Review of the Literature

• Must be 8 to 10 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center .

• Must include a separate title page with the following:

o Title of paper

o Student's name

o Course name and number

o Instructor's name

o Date submitted

• Must use at least five scholarly sources in addition to the course text.

o The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.

• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.