Psychology
Essay assignment #5: Review of the semester
Your assignment is to think back over the semester of PSY 230 and identify the most important research finding or psychological concept that you learned. You will write a four-paragraph essay to address the following prompts.
In your opinion, what is the most important research finding that you learned? (This needs to be an important finding that you learned in class. Describe the specific research finding or psychological concept. You must reference your textbook or the chapter notes. Be specific – what chapter and page discusses this? This needs to be something that really is important. There are many right answers but there are also some wrong answers. I will not accept vague or obvious statements.)
Why is it important to know this? Explain for the reader why it is important to know this research or concept.
You will be graded on the choice of something that is important, plus the accuracy of your description and your explanation of why it is important.
Cite your source in the text and reference it at the end. If you do not cite the source (which can only be the textbook OR the class notes in Canvas), you will earn a 0.
Include an introductory and a concluding paragraph.
Write as if you are teaching this information to somebody who has never heard it before.
Save your essay as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file. Submit it through the Canvas submit button.
ANSWER
The most important research finding from PSY 230 for me this semester has been about the process of growth, change, and consistency in the course of a lifespan and its effect on feeling, thought, and behavior (Slater 2003).
In human beings, these stages refer to the different phases of life in which different milestones are achieved. Among them includes prenatal, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and old age (Burman 2016). Prenatal is of interest to a psychologist because this period affects all the other stages. How fetuses respond to stimuli tells a lot about can tell a lot about (Burman 2016). Early childhood looks at physical, emotional, and cognitive growth. Parents and health practitioners are always on the lookout to ensure that children at this stage receive proper nutrition, growth, and achieve cognitive milestones. Middle childhood marks the achievement of major social growth and how a child relates to others and their sense of self. Adolescence can be summarised as the stage where a child discovers who they are and who they want to be (Burman 2016). Early adulthood is marked by the formation and maintenance of relationships and affinity for bonding and intimacy. Middle adulthood is marked by contribution to society, while old age is viewed as the stage of deterioration in health and cognitive capacity (Burman 2016).
It is important to understand the concepts of theses stages because it explains human nature in its very basic state. Through the topic and knowledge gathered, people can be well equipped to face developmental challenges, which we all face at some point and enable us to maximize our potential. Other than physical changes as the years pass, developmental psychology goes beyond to examine the mind and how it changes during different periods (Garber 2009).
References
Burman, E. (2016). Deconstructing developmental psychology. Taylor & Francis.
Garber, B. D. (2009). Developmental psychology for family law professionals: Theory, application, and the best interests of the child. Springer Publishing Company.
Slater, A. E., & Bremner, G. E. (2003). An introduction to developmental psychology. Blackwell publishing.
