Psychology
Each student is expected to prepare a term paper on a topic connected with relations between the home environment and children’s development.The paper should be in the form of a critical evaluation of the topic that includes three sections: (1) a rationale for the topic’s importance, (2) a critical review of literature, and (3) a set of recommendations for future studies. The paper should be from 12 to15 pages (double-spaced) in length, include at least 8-10 references from scientific journals, and follow APA guidelines.
NOTE: Part of being a professional is being able to express oneself clearly and effectively in writing. Therefore, all written work will be judged on both style and content. Papers will be evaluated based on the quality and organization of ideas and arguments presented, clarity and effectiveness of style, grammar, and punctuation. Papers must conform to standards in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition). Students should be familiar with writing style, formatting, citation, and reference guidelines.
Things to Consider:
1. Do the authors make clear why the topic is important?
2. Do the authors present relevant theoretical framing for the topic or study?
3. What are the central arguments regarding the relation of this “experience” to child development/adaptive functioning?
a. identify pertinent theories (how convincing are they?)
b. identify presumed mechanisms connecting experience / practice to development. (how plausible do they seem?)
4. What evidence is there to support these hypothesized relations? How consistent are findings? How persuasive is the evidence?
5. To what extent to relations vary by:
a. age
b. gender
c. SES
d. Culture
e. family configuration
f. geography
g. other environmental factors
h. other child characteristics
6. Is the sample used in the study limited in significant ways (i.e., in ways the limit how generalizable the findings are to other populations?
7. How strong were the measures of home experience? To what extent may the findings reflect differences in measures used across studies or measurement deficiencies?
8. What were the greatest surprises in the findings?
9. What were the greatest disappointments in the manuscripts reviewed?
10. How confident do you feel regarding the knowledge currently available on the topic? What are the key disagreements? What are the key gaps in knowledge?