For this final paper, you can chose any topic in Child Psychology and research about it. Use Psychology books and journals and discuss what you find. No unreliable sources please! Examples of unreliable sources: magazines, Wikipedia, any .com website. The librarians will help you find good Journals. These are important to consider, because they provide empirical evidence to support your findings. For example, you can use books to explain concepts and theories related to your topic, and the empirical evidence from journals to support or deny those theories. E.g. “Piaget found…. However, the study conducted by X and Y in 2003 does not support these findings, given that…”

*TIP* Go through your textbook and find topics that you like. Write down all the authors of theories and Psychology studies that the book cites, find them at the end where the ‘references’ are, and try to find those at the library. You can repeat the process when you read those other books and journals, go to their cited references to find more information.

I would be happy to help you find your topic, sometimes it’s the hardest part! You can send me a message detailing a topic you are interested in, and I can help you narrow it down.

Grading Criteria:
Content (accuracy of information)
Critical Thinking (discussion, being able to use empirical studies to support or deny statements, question an empirical study’s methodology if applicable)
Structure/Organization of ideas (Introduction/Conclusion, ideas organized by paragraphs, consistency throughout the essay)
Writing (be sure to proof-read, write in the 3rd person, be objective and use formal language)

(**Being objective and using critical thinking at the same time can be tricky. You are using critical thinking when you use studies to support or deny a claim made by a researcher or theorist. You are NOT being objective when you just express a personal opinion about the matter. The way you word ideas is key: Avoid personal statements such as: “I think this theory is outdated”. Instead, be objective: “Research by X and Y (year) has provided new evidence that contradicts…”

I would be willing to read the outline/essay plan or first draft and give you feedback, to make sure you are on the right track.