Child DevelopmentFall Semester, 2009

Psychology 273 Topic Paper

Below are 6 essay topics with a starter reference for each (this reference must be included in your paper). To help you begin, I will provide a link to each of the starter references on the course website. For this class you are required to write a 7-9 page essay (double-spaced, 1 inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman font; page count excludes cover page and reference list) on one of the topics. For each topic, you should go beyond the starter reference and review recent literature (1995- present) on the topic you have chosen. You should consult a minimum of 5empirically based references (this means academic journal articles) and at least 2 of these must be research studies. This number is a minimum number of references and DOES NOT include the starter reference that I provide. The final number will typically be greater than 5, depending on the topic and the approach you take in your paper.

You are expected to consult the scientific literature (i.e., journal articles from print or electronic journals, book chapters summarizing research) and to consider a range of research literatures that may be relevant to your topic if applicable (e.g., various ages of subjects, cross-cultural research, non-traditional families). Make sure that you comprehensively address the issues raised in the question.

The most efficient and effective means of researching your chosen topic is to use PsychINFO (a database available on the UPS library website). If you do not know how to do a literature search with PsychINFO, please see me in office hours or ask a librarian to show you how to do this. You will also be given a short tutorial that covers this for one of our class periods. However, you can begin as soon as you desire. Do not rely on developmental textbooks for your paper. More importantly, do NOT use material that you have obtained from web-sites or from “popular” books/magazines (e.g., those targeting parents). You can use these sources to educate yourself on the topic, but they should NOT be used as primary sources of information in your papers. The simply are not reliable sources.

Your reference list should be done in proper APA format (see examples below and consult Chapter 4 of the 2001 edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Two copies of this are available in the “Reserves” section of the UPS library, reference number:BF76.7 .P83 2001. Any reference librarian should be able to help you find it. Also, I will be providing a short handout that also explains the basics of APA format.

There are three important Dates to remember for this Paper:

10/9-Topic with “potential” references due.

11/13- Rough draft of your paper due. On the front of your paper, you will need to write 1 paragraph about your paper stating where YOU think it still needs work.

12/7- Paper Due- 100 pts

Requirements for an “A” paper (full 100 pts)

clear and direct answers to the question/topic at hand. This does not mean that you cannot have complex answers – it simply means that you must directly address the questions that are being asked of you.

critical evaluation of the literature and evidence that you clearly understand the material, even if you do not agree with it

Requirements continued..

where relevant, evidence demonstrating the weakness of a point of view should be presented as well as evidence which supports it (i.e., presenting both sides and then drawing a conclusion).

no random tangents. If you have written something that doesn’t directly address the question/topic or support your argument, then delete it. While your personal opinion is important, this paper is not intended to examine that. Hence, points will be taken off for excessive use of opinions or off topic writing (If it is really important to you, though, you could put it in a footnote)

Briefly describe the studies you are citing, what they did, what they found and how their results relate to your position or thesis statement.

no unsubstantiated claims. Any statement of “fact” must be backed up with evidence (i.e. refer to research evidence from journal articles as much as possible)

all sources accurately acknowledged i.e., proper citation within your paper and a referencelist (not a bibliography). See the APA publication manual or the handout that I provide to the class for information on citing references in the text of your paper and how to present your reference list.

no typos, spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors

essay is well structured i.e., the essay is in the form of paragraphs that proceed in a logical order, there is a progression of ideas/evidence, and there are smooth transitions between paragraphs

  • The general framework should be:
  • Introduction: Comprehensively introduce the topic in a few pages. What are the issues that are central to this topic? Is there a controversy? If so, have you explained both sides and explained how they are supported? Are there fundamental theoretical perspectives that contribute to the topic/issue? You will want to explain them if there are.
  • Support: What evidence is there that addresses this/these issues/theories? Is the evidence sound? Are there any flaws in the research? Are there topics that simply haven’t been covered in the research (be careful here. If you state that a topic/issue has no research support, you better be sure).
  • Conclusion: Based on the available research, what can you conclude with regards to this topic?
  • Though, you will not be penalized if you do not follow this exact framework (the three previous bullets). You will be penalized if the essay seems unstructured and disorganized however.

adherence to the essay guidelines (e.g., page limit, font, etc.)

Potential Topics (6 total)

  1. Can the environment affect our IQ or is intelligence entirely heritable (genetics)? Examine the literature on this important nature/nurture question.
  2. Plomin, R., Spinath, F. M. (2004). Intelligence: Genetics, genes, and genomics.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 112-129.

  1. Working parents frequently are forced to confront the prospect of putting their children into some form of day care. However, the question remains, “Is daycare harmful to healthy child development”? Critically evaluate the literature with respect to this question.
  2. Vandell, D. L. (2004). Early child care: The known and the unknown. Merrill-

Palmer Quarterly, 50, 387-414.

  1. Which is/are more important to child development: Parents or Peers? In 1994, Judith Harris published The Nurture Assumption, a book essentially claiming that parents served a relatively minor role in child development. Examine this theory and evaluate whether or not the scientific community supports it.
  2. Harris, J. (1995). Where is the child’s environment? A group socialization theory

of development. Psychological Review, 102, 458-489.

  1. Teenage pregnancy is routinely scrutinized in the media as a major problem in industrialized nations. Critically evaluate the literature with regards to the developmental outcomes of being raised by a teenage mother. Keep in mind, this topic should focus on the outcomes on the child and less on the mother.
  2. Harden, K. P., Lynch, S. K.., Turkheimer, E., Emery, R. E., D'Onofrio, B. M.,

Slutske, W. S., Waldron, M. D., Statham, D. J., Martin, N. G. (2007). A behavior genetic investigation of adolescent motherhood and offspring mental health problems. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116, 667-683.

  1. Is breastfeeding necessary? There are conflicting reports on the necessity of breast feeding for the healthy development of a child. Examine the literature on breastfeeding and come to a conclusion about whether the benefits are necessary for healthy development.
  2. Jensen, J., de Weerth, C., Riksen-Walraven, M. (2008). Breastfeeding and the

mother-infant relationship: A review. Developmental Review, 28, 503-521.

  1. Are video games and/or computer use harmful to child development? Or do the benefits outweigh the costs? Choose a side of this controversy and defend it with empirical support.
  2. Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2001). Effects of violent video games on

aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: A meta-analytic review of the scientific literature. Psychological Science, 12, 353-359.