PSY 304 Outline and Final Paper
PSY 304 Outline and Final Paper
a. Required Text
Shriner, B and Shriner, M. (2014). Essentials of Lifespan Development: A Topical Perspective. Bridgepoint Education: San Diego, CA.
b. Topic:How much credit or blame do parents deserve for the way we are? Select at least one of the main domains of human development (physical, cognitive, or social-emotional) for your answer.
Once you have chosen your topic, examine the various theories of human development learned in the course and choose one or two that best assist you to understand the issues involved in your topic.
Examine various theories of human development, describing relevant terminology, and addressing how the theory assists in the understanding of issues involved in the selected topic.
• Identify and describe at least two domains of human development (physical, biological, emotional, cognitive, and/or social) and how they are impacted by the chosen topic.
• Identify and describe the stages of development that are affected by the chosen topic.
• Describe the cultural and historical perspectives of the chosen topic, demonstrating an understanding of how the topic has been perceived over time and by other cultures. Provide relevant examples.
Writing the Outline for the Final Paper
1. Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and reference pages), and formatted according to APA style
2. Must include a title page with the following:
a. Title of paper
b. Student’s name
c. Course name and number
d. Instructor’s name
e. Date submitted
3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
a. Begin with an introduction to the selected topic in which you define all concepts that will be discussed in the paper.
b. For example, if you select “How do memory and intelligence change as we age?”, as your topic, then you will need to define the terms memory, intelligence and aging.
4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
a. Conclude with an answer to the selected question. Did the evidence you surveyed answer the question satisfactorily? Include your analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the available evidence.
b. If possible, suggest the course that future research should take if answers to the selected question are less than conclusive.
6. Must use at least five scholarly sources, all of which must come from the Ashford University Library or Google Scholar.
a. It is important that you ask yourself if the articles specifically address the selected topic. It is not always easy to find the right articles. Thus, give yourself some time to search before you finalize your selection.
b. You may reference your textbook and other required materials from the course; however, these will not fulfill the resource requirement.
7. Must briefly summarize each article including the purpose of the investigation, its methodology, and results.
a. If possible, select peer-reviewed articles that summarize the evidence available in a given field of study (e.g., meta-analysis combines the findings of different studies to uncover trends, commonalities and differences).
b. Order the articles in the way you think you will discuss them in your paper. Then develop a summary of the scientific evidence that answers the question you selected.
8. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
9. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
a. The reference section will be the final page of the paper.
The Final Topic-How much credit or blame do parents deserve for the way we are? Select at least one of the main domains of human development (physical, cognitive, or social-emotional) for your answer.
Once you have chosen your topic, examine the various theories of human development learned in the course and choose one or two that best assist you in understanding the issues involved in your topic. In your assignment address the following:
• Identify some of the major domains of human development and how they are impacted.
• Examine the physical, biological, emotional, cognitive, and/or social factors that are affected.
• Identify the stages of development that are affected and describe the cultural and historical perspectives of partitioning the lifespan that influence the interpretations of the available data on the topic.
• Describe the influences of family, culture, and environment and the roles they play.
Be sure to examine current the available research in human development before completing this assignment.
Writing the Final Paper
1. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and reference pages), and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Must include a title page with the following:
a. Title of paper
b. Student’s name
c. Course name and number
d. Instructor’s name
e. Date submitted
3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
a. You may use the introduction you developed during the Week Four assignment or a revised version if changes are deemed necessary.
4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
a. Conclude with an answer to the selected question. Did the evidence you surveyed answer the question satisfactorily?
b. Include an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the available evidence.
c. Illustrate how each source fits specific sections of your Final Paper. The goal is to demonstrate that supporting evidence exists for statements that are made in the paper.
d. If possible, suggest the course that future research should take if answers to the selected question are deemed less than conclusive.
6. Must use at least five scholarly sources, all of which must come from the Ashford University Library or Google Scholar.
7. Must summarize each article including the purpose of the investigation, its methodology, and results.
a. Rely on the brief summaries of the articles (including the purpose of each investigation, its methodology and results) that you developed during Week Four to construct an organized summary of the scientific evidence that answers the question you selected.
b. If possible, select peer-reviewed articles that summarize the evidence available in a given field of study (e.g., meta-analysis combines the findings of different studies to uncover trends, commonalities and differences).
c. Order the articles in the way you think you will discuss them in your paper. Then develop a summary of the scientific evidence that answers the question you selected.
d. You may reference your textbook and other required materials from the course; however, these will not fulfill the resource requirement.
8. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
9. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
a. You may use the reference section you developed in the Week Four assignment as the final page of the paper.