LIFELINE PROJECT: THE CASE STUDY OF DEVELOPMENT

The purpose of this assignment is for the student to apply developmental theories to real life scenarios. Throughout our textbook, you have learned about several theories (e.g., Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory, Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, etc.). Remember that theories were created to explain how children develop – is it through experiences? Is it due to genetics? Is it due to the way children process information or mimic others? Perhaps certain aspects are developed due to unconscious thoughts? We have learned about several theorists who offer their points of view.

TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR OWN LIFE

For this assignment, you will have the opportunity to explain these theories as they relate to your own real-life experiences. Your first task is to take the position of a researcher who will now present a case study (i.e., a process or record of research in which detailed consideration is given to the development of a single person). As a researcher, what questions do you have about your participant’s childhood as it relates to each domain and each period of time in your life? You will write a set of questions you will answer for each area. For example, under the domain of cognitive, during the early childhood period of time, you might ask, “Did my parents ask me open-ended questions and allow me to explore and experience things without being corrected?” You will write several questions down so that you begin to create an outline in which you will have much to write about when you begin to create your paper.

LIFELINE

For this lifeline project, you will work toward understanding your own development over these periods of time: Sensory-motor years (0-2 years old,); The Early Childhood Years (3-5 years old); The Elementary/Middle School Years (6-12 years old), and Adolescence (12-25 years old). You will be focusing on the three developmental domains we study within each period: cognitive, psychosocial, and physical development.

You will organize your paper into sections using these developmental domains! You’ll want to review the developmental domains and when focusing on one (e.g., physical development), you’ll want to ask participant/yourself (or someone who can answer the questions about you) about your experiences growing up as it relates to that domain – like PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT. Start with one period at a time and gain as much detail. How old were you when you first walked? What was your nutrition like? When did you first go through puberty? Ask questions about each period of time focusing on that ONE DOMAIN. When you get to questions about a different domain (e.g., psychosocial development), you’ll ask different questions about each period of time (e.g., Did your mom breast feed? How close were you to your mom throughout your childhood? Did you have a good self-esteem as an adolescent?)

THEORY TO PRACTICE

Each section is a collection of great stories and examples from your participant = YOU! Then, using a variety of theories to analyze the stories (i.e., experiences, behaviors, thoughts, and emotions). In fact, you must have a minimum of two theories/theorists represented throughout your paper. You will be asking yourself questions about Psychosocial development and may remember being dropped off at school and when you weren’t looking, your mom would sneak out without saying goodbye. You would cry and cry. Write about that experience and provide an example of a theory that explains your behavior. For example, what would theorist, Eric Erikson say about this behavior?

STRUCTURE OF YOUR PAPER

Let’s review the structure of your paper and how you will present your case study.

SECTION 1: THE PARTICIPANT, YOU

Demographics: Background of the participant – Provide a name, age, cultural background, and city in which you resided in as a child.

Other Background: Where did you grow up? Who did you live with? Include who raised you, any siblings, and the neighborhood. If you are comfortable, your socio-economics growing up. This is just your general background. We will get into much more detail within the other sections.

SECTION 2: PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provide detailed examples of your childhood experiences as it relates to your physical development within each period of time. Each period of time will be a subsection of Section 2. And after each of these examples, you will share what you have learned from your readings and the theories that help understand these experiences. You should have examples/experiences for each period of time and a theoretical analysis for each of those experiences, this section should be at least one page long.

SECTION 3: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provide detailed examples of your childhood experiences as it relates to your cognitive development within each period of time. Each period of time will be a subsection of Section 2. And after each of these examples, you will share what you have learned from the course readings and the theories that help understand these experiences. You should have examples/experiences for each period of time and a theoretical analysis for each of those experiences, this section should be at least one page long.

SECTION 4: PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Provide detailed examples of your childhood experiences as it relates to your psychosocial development within each period of time. Each period of time will be a subsection of Section 2. And after each of these examples, you will share what you have learned from the course readings and the theories that help understand these experiences. You should have examples/experiences for each period of time and a theoretical analysis for each of those experiences. Be sure to describe the theory and how it relates – in detail! This section should be at least one page long.

SECTION 5: YOUR EXPERIENCE / REFLECTION OF ASSIGNMENT AND PROJECT CONCLUSION

PART A: PROVIDE ONE- TWO WELL DEVELOPED PARAGRAPHS ABOUT WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM THIS ASSIGNMENT. YOU HAVE HAD THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY SOME IMPORTANT THEORIES TO REAL-LIFE SCENARIOS. WAS IT HELPFUL? DO YOU HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEORY TO PRACTICE? DISCUSS YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE HERE.

You must use references from the modules and online textbook to support your experiences, see modules for information and textbook lists (free access to textbooks)

Only use information in the modules or textbooks that are listed on Canvas for this assignment – NO OUTSIDE WEBSITES OR RESOURCES.