PSY 206-Developmental Psychology

Literature Review Guidelines-Due:  August 19, 2010

This assignment requires that you choose a topic related to developmental psychology that you would like to learn more about.  Examples of topics include moral development, identity development, gender or cultural identity development, emotional regulation, impact of divorce, the grief process, influence of media on development, etc.  

Your task is to locate five journal articles or academic/professional  books (these are books that cite their sources and are written by experts) related to the one topic you choose.  Please do not use magazine or newspaper articles and avoid popular psychology books.  There are several data bases available in the library (or through the college website from an off-campus computer with internet access) that will be helpful for this assignment-ProQuest Research Library or Academic Search Complete are good places to start.  Ask the reference librarian for assistance if you need help-they are a really great resource and can help you become more efficient in your search process.  You should use the most recent articles you can find, preferably within the last five years.  Your paper should be word-processed, in 12 point font, double spaced and 8-10 pages in length.

Your completed paper will include the following:

1.      An introduction to the topic, including the basic question of your review, relevant theories and concepts, and definitions of key terms.  Include also the basis of your interest in the topic.

2.     The body of the paper, which will include a summary of each article, conclusions drawn by the authors, questions that remain unanswered, next steps in the research of the topic and a critique of the research. 

3.     Your informed reflection on the topic, similarities and differences among the articles, and significance of the information..

4.     A reference page following APA format (handouts available in the library).
 

Grading Criteria