T1 - University Library - University of Saskatchewan

PSYCHOLOGY 213.3 61 (T1)
Child Psychology (CRN: 80889)
Department of Psychology
Regular Session 2011-2012
Place: STM: 200
Time: MWF. 10:30am - 11:20am.
Instructor: Dr. G. R. Farthing
Office: Room 136, St. Thomas More College
Phone: 966-8925 (if I am not there, please leave a message)
E-mail: gfarthing@stmcollege.ca or gerald.farthing@usask.ca
Office Hours: MF: 1:30-3:00p.m. (or by appointment).
STM Psychology Department Head: Dr. Tammy Marche (phone 966-8076; room 440 at STM
and email tmarche@stmcollege.ca ; Acting Head for this term is: Dr. Brian Chartier (phone 966-
8948; Room STM 131 and email bchartier@stmcollege.ca .
Pre-requisites: To be properly enrolled in this class, you must have completed Psychology 110
at our University or an equivalent course from another institution which has been approved by
our University. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the proper background course. If
you are uncertain about your pre-requisite, you must consult your academic advisor in the college
in which you are enrolled.
Library website for this course: Angie Gerrard (phone 966-6004 or email
angie.gerard@usask.ca ) is the Librarian for Psychology. She has created a website for the class:
The URL is: http://libguides.usask.ca/psy213
Please note, students can also get to all of these course support pages via the library homepage> Choose
Find Resources, then Subject pages, Psychology – Courses .
The Coordinator for psychology library services (Angie) will come to one of our classes early in
the term (Wed Sept 21 at 10:30) to describe library help for your research assignment.
PAWS
1

• The IT department at the University of Saskatchewan has recently made changes to the
course tools in PAWS. For help navigating it, go to videos and documentation
http://www.usask.ca/its/courses/coursetools/help_student.html
• The new tools provide an opportunity to give exams and assignments on line and to have
them marked on line as well. Since the new tools have been running for only 3 days now,
I did not get a chance to use this feature but might do so as the semester progresses.
However, I may have to have two options for students as I do not know if all can bring
laptops to class. I will address this issue in class.
Course Objectives:
1. The primary objective of this course is to acquaint you with a range of topics within the major
areas of child psychology by:
a) Surveying the nature and course of normal development from conception to early
adolescence with respect to the child psychology areas of biological, cognitive and
personality growth;
b) Teaching basic methods of investigation in the content areas;
c) Reviewing research findings in support of theoretical understanding;
d) Discussing applications of current knowledge to child rearing and educational
practises; and
e) Inviting a critical analysis of child psychological assumptions, limitations and
investigations.
2. A second objective is to acquaint you with data gathering strategies, library research and
writing skills in child psychology by assigning a term paper.
3. A third objective is to interest you in applying your knowledge about child psychology to
everyday life difficulties by:
a) Discussing human action and experience;
b) Discussing interpersonal relationship implications of knowledge.
Required Text:
1. Berk, Laura E. & Roberts, William L. (2009) Child Development: Third Canadian
Edition Toronto: Pearson Education Canada, Inc.
There is a companion website to accompany the text. It is www.mydevelopmentlab.com . Please
check the Preface for more information.
I have placed a copy of the 2 nd and 3 rd edition of the textbook in the STM library. You check on
them online by following the links below in order:
University Library then Tool and Services (left hand column), then Course reserves, then
Information for Students, then Course Reserve Lists, then in Course Name Search, Search
for, write psy 213. You will then Read Materials and see that each in on a four hour reserve. It
will tell you if someone else is using the material at the moment and when to expect it back.
2

Suggested supplement: For those who desire a hard copy of some of the resources that are
available, you may order through the Bookstore, a student guide, entitled:
1. Berk, Laura E., Christensen, Claire G., Harris, Sara, Ashkenaz & Carioni, Jessica (2009)
Grade Aid for Child Development (8 th Edition). Toronto: Pearson Education Canada,
Inc.
(Note that the Grade Aid for the Third Canadian Edition is the same as it is for the 8th Edition).
Unless directed otherwise in class or by the class syllabus, you will be responsible for all of the
material in the textbook even though some of that material may not be discussed in class. Exam
questions may come from the material in the text that may not be covered in class.
Examinations:
Please note the University Examination Regulations (for the complete documents, see your Paws
link to University Regulations. Note that in cases of incomplete course work, absence from final
examinations and late withdrawal students must be assigned a numeric final grade. The
regulations stipulate that the calculation of the final grade in these cases will assign a ZERO for
all missed components and that the maximum numeric grade that can be assigned is 49%. Note
also that you must make an application at the College of Arts and Science Main Office for a
Deferred Examination. And note that there is a minimum performance standard in course work
for you to be eligible to write the final or the deferred final examination. The standard is that
30% toward you final grade has been contributed by your performance in course work and by the
midterm examination up to the date of the final examination. Note also that you may be refused
to take the final examination if your professor deems that you have not attended a sufficient
number of the classes. Excepting legitimate medical/compassionate leave, my expectation is that
you attend 85% of the classes. After the first week of classes, I will assemble a seating plan and
will expect you to sit in the same seat. I hope to use the information to learn your names.
No computer, ipod and/or cell phone or any other electronic aid will be permitted during any
examinations. There are two major examinations in this course. The first examination, the
midterm, will be on Oct. 17, 2011 during the regular class time and will have different versions
such that the probability of anyone around you having the same exam will be very low. It will be
an in-class closed book examination and will contain up to 60 multiple choice questions on
Chapters 1-7 of the course and depending on the number of students in the course it may contain
short answer questions. I will hand out your computer grade sheet, approximately 10 days later
(depending on the demand for computer marking) and you will have an opportunity to go over
your exam during office hours if you choose to bring your computer grade sheet. The exam will
contribute up to 20% of your final grade.
The final examination will be held on a date and at a time determined by the Registrar. It, too,
will be a closed-book examination and you will have three (3) hours to complete it. It will likely
have two parts. The first part could be up to 120 multiple choice questions, approximately 60 -
3

70% of which will be on Chapters 8-15 (thus, not covered by the previous exam). The remaining
multiple choice questions will come from Chapters 1-7. The second part of the final exam will
be definitions, differentiation of concepts and/or short answer essay questions from the entire
course. The value of the final exam is 40% towards your final grade. Completion of both
examinations is required for students to be eligible to obtain a final grade higher than 49%.
Assignments:
There are two assignments for this course. The first assignment is a preparation for the second. It
is due on Oct. 3, 2011, is entitled, Working Toward a Thesis, and has a contributing value of
10%. The second assignment, due on Nov. 21, 2011, is a library research and essay assignment
(thesis paper) which has a contributing value of 30% toward your final grade. See Appendix B
for a description of the Assignments. Completion of both assignments is required to for
students to be eligible to obtain a final grade higher than 49%. APA writing style is
required. See the library web site for information about APA writing style.
Evaluation:
Your final grade, using the percentage system, will be determined by a weighted summation of
all variables contributing to the grade and by the relationship of your overall mark to the class
average. Each task is graded using the percentage system. No “re-writes” of your term paper or
examinations will be permitted. No penalty-free term paper extensions will be given without
medical certification of illness or documentation of a compassionate reason. As indicated earlier,
the final grade formulation is as follows:
a) Midterm examination on Oct. 17. 20%
b) First assignment, due Oct. 3. 10%
c) Second assignment, term paper, due on Nov. 21 30%
d) Final exam - sometime in Dec. 40%
e) Bonus for attending 85% of the classes = 3%
Summation for your grade is as follows:
Grade=.2(Midterm) + .1(First assignment) + .3(Second assignment) +. 4(final
examination). Example: If your Midterm=70%; Assignment #1=80%; Assignment#2 =
75%; and final=75%, then your Grade = .2(70) + .1(80) + .3(75) + .4(75) = 74.5%.
Assuming that the class average is between 70 and 74 your mark will be bumped to 75%. If the
class average is higher or lower, I am required by Department Policy to either explain the
variance to the standard range (i.e., an exceptionally brilliant class which happens about once in
10 years) or adjust the marks on a fair basis such that the average falls within the acceptable
range (e.g., use a curve adjustment). Marks that are given in the percentage system represent the
application of literal descriptions in the U of S Regular Session Calendar. Therefore, if I find that
you have had 3 very good marks (e.g., on two assignments and one exam) and another mediocre
mark, I have the right to treat the mediocre mark as non-typical of your performance and adjust
4

your grade accordingly. This outcome frequently happens with the midterm which is a learning
experience for most students. The bonus will be applied at the end of classes.
Missing Examinations or Assignments:
If you are unable to write an exam or to turn in an assignment on time, please contact me as soon
as possible and be prepared to document your reason for being absent or late (e.g. medical
certificate or statement from the office for students with disabilities). Without careful
documentation, I will accept late term papers with the penalty of 2% per day late up to a
maximum of 5 days at which time your grade for the assignment will be zero. However, in
order to obtain a grade for the class higher than 49% the assignment will still have to be
handed in. Thus you still have to hand in a term paper whether it is late or not.
These expectations are carefully outlined here and you must therefore develop good study habits
to meet your deadlines. If you are ill (with certification) for the midterm examination, please
contact me for a remedy. If you are ill for the final examination, you must apply for a deferred
examination through the Dean’s office. In order not to delay feedback to other students, I reserve
the right to construct remedies which consist of essay questions (e.g., 4 for the mid-term) or (in
the case of a few days) to delay feedback to any until all students have written. You are asked not
to discuss the content of any examination until the instructor gives permission to do so.
Students with a valid medical/mental health certificate who have not competed the course
work by the end of the regular class period will be assigned a grade of INC which is regulated by
University policy and procedures obtainable at the Dean’s office.
Students without a valid medical/mental health certificate and who have passed the deadline
(including the penalty) will be given a score of 0% for the missed work and will not be entitled to
receive an INC, according to the University policy and procedures. Given the requirement that
both exams and assignments must be completed, it will be impossible for such students to
earn a grade higher than 49%.
If you miss an examination and/or assignment due to employment, military service, or
competitive sports-related commitments, you are asked to provide a note from your employer,
commanding officer, or coach (on letterhead) who identifies the time and duration of the duty
that can not be rescheduled. If you have made a plan to be on a vacation via a pre-booked mode
of travel (plane or train, etc.), you must remedy (e.g., adjust your travel when the examination
schedule comes out or apply for a deferred examination at the Dean’s office) the situation
immediately. Please note the university regulations about these matters.
Students with disabilities:
“If you are a student who is registered with the Office of Disability Services for Students, you may
apply for unique services or arrangements to complete the requirements for this course. Normally,
these services will be provided through the DSS office. If you have not yet registered with that
office, please do so as quickly as possible.”
5

General
I am circulating these expectations during the 1st class. I welcome any questions of clarity and
comments regarding the expectations. By the end of the first class, I assume that all concerns
have been raised and all expectancies made clear. However, if you experience unexpected
difficulties during the academic year, please discuss these with me. I will assist you within the
confines of my ability and university regulations.
Course Structure:
A traditional lecture format supplemented with class activity/demonstrations, films/videos (when
available at the time I need them), Think-Jot-Share discussion periods, and Exit Slips or the like
may be used in this class. Lectures pertain to the material outlined in the syllabus for a particular
week. At least one chapter of the text is covered per week. The lectures are intended to clarify
your reading, to introduce new material and to present new approaches to the content in your
textbook. I expect that you will have read the assigned chapters prior to class and therefore
to be fully prepared to participate in the activities, Think-Jot-Share exercises and Exit
Slips. I will post mini power points (i.e., brief titles of topics with key words missing) prior to the
week in which they will be used. You must attend class to obtain the key words. To be ready for
the examinations, I expect that you will have re-read the chapters following coverage of the
material in class. Students who do not re-read the chapters will likely do poorly on the
examinations. Not all of the material (i.e., material in other-than- White Background material) in
your textbooks will be covered in class. Questions on your exams may come from lecture
material not covered in your texts. Thus, to obtain a good grade in this course, you are
encouraged to attend a great majority of the lectures. Up until the registration deadline after
which no new student will be added to the class, I do not keep track of attendance. Thereafter, I
do spot checks because I am responsible to refuse to give you a final examination if I deem that
you have not attended a sufficient amount of classes. If you must miss a class, I expect an email
either before or after (in an emergency) indicating your absence. Failure to do so will result in a
forfeit of your bonus mark. Also, please try to obtain a copy of notes from your fellow students
by paying them to make copies. A loss of notes could be invaluable whereas money can be
replaced. I will not distribute my notes. I will begin lectures promptly. If you should happen to
be late, please enter as quietly as possible. Similarly, if you must leave early, please do so
quietly.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty: (see the quote below from Faculty Council):
“St. Thomas More College follows the rules regarding Academic Dishonesty as delineated in the
University of Saskatchewan Calendar. Of these, plagiarism is a particularly serious offence that
involves presenting another person’s writing, ideas or creative work as your own. When quoting,
paraphrasing, describing, presenting, summarizing or translating the work of others, you must
acknowledge the source of the information you use, which includes ensuring that the reader can
differentiate between your words and the words of others. Sources may come in print, electronic,
digital, visual or oral form, and may be provided by a published author, fellow student, artist, or
Internet site. Purchasing papers is not permitted. It is your responsibility to understand what
constitutes plagiarism; when in doubt, consult your professor.” For further information see
www.usask.ca/honesty/.
6

Research experience:
It is customary to ask students in second year classes of psychology to volunteer as participants in
psychological research. The usual procedure is for the subject pool committee to come to a class
early in the term to get some basic information from you (i.e., If you wish to volunteer, your
name and where you can be reached for scheduling). I expect this to happen and have been asked
to use part of a lecture for such purposes. I encourage you to volunteer and participate. Your
contribution can enhance our knowledge about psychological functioning and about methods
used to attain such knowledge. In addition, the experience can be valuable to you especially if
you go on to plan some investigating yourself. You will know what participants experience.
It is important that you understand the voluntary status. No one will force you to enter an
experiment. If you should decide to volunteer, you can change your mind at any time during the
process. You can request a clear description of the study and what will be expected from you.
After it is finished, you can request information about the findings of the research.
A clear honest participation is expected from you. If you feel like playing a "cat and mouse"
game with the researcher, say no rather than confound good research. Also, if you find the procedure
confusing or your actions in the research complicated, say so. It is very important that you
give good feedback to research designers so they can make necessary improvements. Again,
please note that the research participation is strictly voluntary. There are no penalties for
not doing it.
Appointments:
Please note my office hours. Since I am teaching other classes and have administrative duties, I
may not be in my office if you drop by. I invite you to make use of office hours to inquire about
any aspect of the course, to identify and solve assignment problems, to review your progress, etc.
You may come in groups if you wish. If another student gets there before you, you may have to
wait. If you need to reach me at other times, please call and if I am unable to answer your call,
please leave a message on my answering machine. You may also e-mail me if you include your
name and course number in each e-mail that you send. Note that I will not respond to
anonymous e-mails. I respond to approximately 200 e-mails per term so you may have to wait a
few days for a response. The busiest times for student e-mail inquiries are the week prior to
examinations and to assignment due dates. I answer them on a first come first serve basis so if
you want to ensure that I respond prior to the examination or assignment due date, you will have
to send your message to me as far in advance as possible. It may be better for you to speak to me
after class or contact me by telephone.
E-mail: All email correspondence using PAWS is preferred. Use only the STM e-mail address
provided on this course outline for any correspondence regarding this course. The university
computer use policy is given in the Calendar. Please read it so you are not surprised by
interruptions in computer usage.
7

Teaching Assistant: I will be using the services of a teaching assistant in this course. The
assistant will help me keep track of your work, grade the assignments and manage the
examinations. The assistant will be chosen based on experience with these tasks.
Class Cancellation:
If for any reason a class must be cancelled, I will notify you through PAWS.
8

Appendix A: Class Syllabus
Week or day Topic Reading
1. Sept.7 Class outline & History, theory, etc. Berk (B), ch. 1
2. Sept. 9 History, and Research Strategies B, ch. 2
3. Sept. 12 Bio. Foundation, Prenatal dev., and birth B, ch. 3
4. Sept. 19 Infancy/Physical Development B. ch. 4&5
The Librarian will come one day in Sept. (to be announced)
5. Sept. 26 Cognitive Development/ B, ch. 6
Oct. 3 First Assignment due.
6. Oct. 3 Cognitive Development/Information Processing B, ch. 6&7
7. Oct. 10: Thanksgiving
7. Oct. 12 Information processing / Intelligence B, ch. 7&8
Oct. 17: Midterm examination (Chapters 1-7)
8. Oct. 19 Intelligence/Language Development B, ch. 8&9
9. Oct. 24 Language/Emotional development B. ch. 9&10
10. Oct.31 Self & social development B, ch. 11
11. Nov. 7 Moral development B, ch.12.
12. Nov. 16 Sex differences and Gender roles B, ch. 13.
13. Nov. 21 Family / Peers, media and schooling B, ch. 14 & 15
Nov. 21: Term paper due (Second assignment)
14. Nov. 28 Peers, Media and Schooling & windup B, Ch. 15.
THE FINAL EXAMINATION IS SCHEDULED BY THE REGISTRAR.
9

Appendix B: Assignments
A. First Assignment (10%): Working toward a thesis.
Your first assignment is intended to be a bridge toward your second assignment which is a
term paper. Below, I give a definition of a thesis, demonstrate a plan of working toward a thesis
statement, elaborate by giving examples and then give your first assignment.
Definition of a thesis: A persuasive thesis is a declarative statement or proposition which is
advanced for consideration, especially one that is to be proved or maintained against objections.
The author is taking a stand, is making an argument, and is hoping to form the reader’s
understanding of research (in our case, a developmental phenomenon). It is an idea that controls
and shapes your paper. It is exactly what your paper is about. It is what you intend to demonstrate
and everything in your paper should contribute toward your intention. It helps you set aside
interesting but not centrally relevant ideas. At the end, the reader should be prepared to change
his or her views about the topic or develop a view if, indeed, no view was had before the
argument.
Remember that, before they have read very far, readers of academic papers want to know what
the paper argues as well as how the author plans to make the argument. The academic reader
likely thinks, “This author is trying to convince me of something. Either I am already convinced
or unsure. In any case I am interested to see how I might be further convinced or change my
mind.”
A thesis is not a topic. It is not a fact. It is not an opinion. It can not be answered by a simply
“yes” or “no”. It has two parts: a) what you plan to argue and b) telegraph how you plan to argue
it (or what kind of support is going to appear where in your argument).
Steps in Constructing a good thesis:
1. Carefully analyze your primary sources. Look for tensions, ambiguities, contradictions,
controversies or deeper meanings. Document them.
2. Write down your thought as soon as you think them. Your next idea may wreck your idea
or cause you to lose concentration. Writing forces you to think clearly, logically, and
concisely. You can revise your writing anytime. Revision clarifies thinking even more.
3. Make your thesis prominent in your introduction of your paper. A good place in 10-15
page papers is at the end of the first paragraph. Academics are used to finding theses there
so they anticipate it well. They usually pay more attention to the last sentence of the
introductory paragraph.
4. Try to anticipate counter-arguments to your thesis. What might be said against it? What
arguments might you need to refute later in you paper. Remember that every argument
has a counter argument or it would not be an argument! Instead it would be a fact,
opinion or a topic.
10

Some Caveats about a thesis:
1. It is never a question. Questions do not present arguments which are of the essence.
2. It is never a list. Lists lack controversy or tension and are not arguments.
3. It is never vague, combative or confrontational. A statement that “Video games are evil to
children” lacks argument and may suffer due to a poor definition of evil, to being
regarded as moralistic or judgmental, and to inciting a defensive reaction.
4. It has a definite, defensible, arguable claim. One variable in child development plays a
more important role than does another one. Your reader is likely to want to know why?
5. It should be as clear and as specific as possible. Over used and general terms like “due to”
are not likely to be clear or specific.
Examples of a process for moving toward a thesis statement:
Example 1: Title: Impact of Father Absence on Child Development
Statement of Fact: In today's society, 40-50% of children grow up without the advantage
of a continuous father.
Announcement of purpose: I intend to show how father absence affects both male and
female children. I intend to form your believe that father absence is a serious detriment to
children.
Thesis: Research marks serious deficits in children which are traceable to the absence of
a continuous father during critical childhood years. For girls, the deficit is relating to
males in only the singular dimension of "cuteness." For boys, the deficit is inadequate
development of leadership skills.
Example 2: Title: Music videos and Childhood Depression
Statement of Fact: Music videos are readily available to all children.
Announcement: What follows is an argument that the music videos have become such
an important part of our culture that they control children's mood states and therefore
have the potential to both cause and alleviate childhood depression.
Thesis: Music videos supply ready made identities for children who suffer negative selfimage,
negative self-esteem and negative experiences about their role in society which
either exacerbates or alleviates depression depending on the type and amount viewed.
Example 3: Title: Intelligence Tests and Educational Placement.
Statement of Fact: Intelligence tests are used extensively in classrooms to determine
educational opportunity.
Announcement: The arguments that follow will show that intelligence tests are too
inaccurate and therefore should not advance privilege in a multi-cultural society. They,
therefore, can lead to huge errors in judgement about the use of educational resources.
Thesis: Intelligence test scores are inaccurate representations of a child's overall
intelligence in that they are not sufficiently sensitive to children's socio-economic or
cultural background and in that they do not measure a child's intelligence beyond the
academic context.
11

First assignment, Part I (2 marks):
Choose #6 and if you do not have one, choose, from #1-5, one of the following Titles and
formulate (either invent or read something about the topic) a clearly worded Statement of Fact,
Announcement and Thesis:
1. Children’s memory
2. Video games and Problem solving skills
3. Children who build virtues
4. Gender differences in Bullying in Saskatoon Schools
5. Conditions for children to give eyewitness testimony.
6. Your favourite observation about child development or favourite research topic in child
development .
Note what is required is the correct form as indicated in the examples and not the correctness of
content.
First Assignment, Part II (4 Marks):
Using the material on thesis statements above, analyse 4 of the following 6 thesis statements.
Explain why they do not qualify as effective thesis statements.
1. In the pages that follow, I will examine the use of intelligence tests to issue privilege in the
schools.
2. The development of the Montessori method of child education.
3. How to parent a child through school violence.
4. Stimulation of children by mobile toys in Day Care Centres benefits some but is has
drawbacks.
5. The age of emancipation is steadily decreasing in single parent homes.
6. Sigmund Freud was a physician, a scientist and a Jew.
First Assignment Part III (4 marks):
Choose a tentative topic for your term paper (you may carry it to your second assignment if you
wish), find 4 empirical articles on that topic and create a thesis statement which could be
supported by those empirical articles.
1. Choose a topic:
From Child Psychology topics about which there is literature in our library, you may get an idea
of what topic to choose. From papers of students in the past, a sample list of suggested Topics is
as follows: Victimization of Children, Parental Burnout and its impact on children’s emotional
health, Child maltreatment, Daily life hassles in children, Sports and children, Impact of
Marriage or divorce on children, Poverty in children, Religion/ spirituality in children,
Psychological sense of community in children, alternatives to Day Care, Home schooling.
Depending on your interest and your perusal of our textbook, other topics may be more relevant
to you.
It is to your advantage to choose your topic as soon as possible. Note that our library holds one
12

copy of several journals and has electronic access to others. About 200 people per term from Psy
213 alone will use those journals. Examples of relevant journals are: Journal of Child
Psychology and Psychiatry, American Journal of Othopsychiatry, Developmental
Psychology, Pediatrics, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.
2. Find empirical articles. Empirical means derived from or guided by experiment or by
experience. For an empirical study, one designs an experiment and/or observes variables under
carefully controlled conditions or interviews people first and then analyses the data obtained in
order to determine the effects of the variables.
Use the Library resources to obtain 4 empirical studies. Cut and paste the Abstracts of the 5
studies into Word as part of your assignment. A sample Abstract of an Empirical article (i.e.,
one invented by me) is as follows:
Abstract
Findings are presented of a cross-sectional study of children raised in mother lead single parent
families. Twenty -five boys and 25 girls of mother-lead single parent families matched with the
same in an intact family were interviewed at age 10 years of age. Standardized interviews were
used to obtain data on interpersonal relationship skills, on family characteristics and on the
child's gender role behaviour from both the children and their mother and the Perceived Social
Support (PSS) scale was used to collect data on interpersonal relationship experiences. Although
children from single parent families were more likely to initiate interpersonal interactions as
indicated by the PSS, children from intact families were less likely to report stress or conflict
from their interpersonal interactions. The results support the contention that children from single
parent families are interpersonally less skilled as compared with those from intact families.
Note that the Abstract contained key information which identifies it as an empirical study. First
a population to study was identified. Second a research question was specified. Third methods of
collecting experience were noted (interviews and the PSS). Fourth, results were summarized and
finally a conclusion was presented. Make sure the articles you find have these ingredients in
the Abstract.
3. Create a thesis statement:
Using the definition above and building on your experience with the first two parts of the
assignment above, propose a thesis statement. For example, from the topic area of childhood
cognition, the following illustrate possible thesis statements:
(a) There is very little recent support for specific claims from Psychologists about children's
use of the availability heuristic. (This would indicate that the articles you found do not
support what the psychologists claimed.)
(b) Recent research evidence on the mid-childhood population adds a new understanding to
the availability heuristic which was not covered by current theory. (In this case you would
have found more recent knowledge about adolescent's use of the availability heuristic and
the new evidence questions the existing theory.)
13

4. Using Word summarize one (1) of the empirical articles using the six questions provided
below.
Your summary of one of the five articles should use the following categories of themes for your
paragraphs:
1. The research question or hypothesis which was investigated and the theory behind it was .....
2. The method of obtaining empirical data was ...... (explain the population sampled, the research
design, the measures of psychological phenomenon and procedures necessary to obtain the data)
3. The results of the study are ...
4. The limitations as identified by the authors are ......
5. The conclusions of the researchers are .....
6. What I thought about the research is... (Can you trust the research to give good empirical
evidence).
5. Include the abstracts of all four articles you found. Select the references, have them formatted
and download them into Word.
14

B. Second Assignment (30%): Term paper (Thesis paper)
Your term paper (second assignment) is to write a 10-15 page double spaced 12 point font
persuasive thesis paper ( no less than 3500 words, formatted to APA style and printed on a good
quality printer) on a topic of central relevance to child psychology. Remember that a thesis paper
makes a specific claim about what has been discovered in research on the particular topic of your
choice and examines the evidence in support of that thesis. Thus you must examine 4 empirical
articles from journals which publish empirical research pertaining to child psychology. Make
sure that each of the articles reports an empirical study on a topic having to do with children’s
behaviour and development pertaining to the topic of your choice. Note that a review article or
an opinion paper (journalist piece) will not be appropriate for this assignment. Following
the paragraph stems above, part of your assignment is to prepare a summary of the problem,
method, results, discussion and conclusions of the four articles. Thus, your summary of each
empirical article must include a description of the research question or hypothesis which was
examined in the study, a description of the method used to investigate the research question, a
description of the measures of psychological phenomena under investigation including evidence
for their reliability and validity, a description of how the data were collected, a description of
what was discovered (i.e. which hypotheses were supported or what answers were obtained for
the research questions) and a discussion of the limitations of the study (i.e., to what population
can we generalize the findings, are there competing explanations for the findings or are there
variables that need to be taken into account in subsequent studies, etc.)
At the beginning of your thesis paper, you must introduce your topic by defining it and locating it
within the general field of psychology. You must then present a specific thesis or proposition
about a concept, a discovery or theoretical idea for which you hope to provide evidence. You
must provide a summary of each of four empirical articles you choose and show how each of the
articles supports your thesis. You must give your critique of the research articles (i.e., indicate
why you trust the evidence given in the studies and determine whether the inevitable flaws in the
research studies cause you to be cautious about your claim of support to your thesis from the
evidence given in those articles.) Be sure to discuss any possible threats to internal and external
validity posed by the research design(s) used (see Chapter 2 of our text.). Your conclusion must
indicate how well the research you quoted supports the thesis of your paper. You must hand in a
copy of the Abstract of each of the empirical articles you choose. (Some of all of these
abstracts maybe from your first assignment).
The main body of your paper develops the thesis and provides references to your library research
sources to back up your claim. Be careful to document the ideas and references. Please note that
it is an academic offence, called plagiarism, to use another's (including students who have written
papers in preceding years) ideas without acknowledging them. Important points are:
1. Spelling, grammar, neatness and organization are crucial.
2. Your title page must include the title, author, class, and date and running head.
3. On the second page must appear an Abstract which is a summary of your thesis
statement, a summary of your library research regarding the thesis and a summary of
your conclusion. It should resemble the abstracts of the research studies you found.
15

4. The third page must begin with an introduction to your topic, a statement of purpose, a
definition of important terms (with reference to a psychological dictionary or other source
for the definition) and your thesis statement. You must clearly identify your thesis
("The thesis of this paper is ..."
5. The body of your paper develops your thesis. You will reference the articles you
found in your library research by describing the research problem identified therein,
summarizing the methods used to obtain research observations and summarizing the
conclusions of the researchers as indicated above.
6. The ending must identify your conclusions regarding your thesis.
7. The last page is a reference list of all works cited in your paper. In following the APA
style, you do not use footnotes. Instead in your text you identify ownership of ideas by
author and date as follows: "Fisher and Byrne (2003) stated that..."
8. You must hand in a copy of the Abstract of each of the empirical articles you
choose.
9. You must attach the Evaluation Sheet which appears at the end of this outline.
10. Please submit two copies of your paper, one of which is electronic. One will be
returned to you with your evaluator’s comments. The other will be kept as a backup
for possible appeals and checks on plagiarism. Note that the electronic submission
will be used for checks for plagiarism.
You must attach the Evaluation Sheet which appears at the end of this outline.
Twenty percent of the grade for your paper will reflect the mechanics of writing in psychology.
Use the resources on the Library Website for this class as the guide against which you evaluate
your own writing. Eighty percent will reflect the content, development of your thesis, and
conclusions. Your paper will be graded according to the following criteria:
1. Abstract, introduction, statement of purpose, definitions, and thesis statement: (5 points)
2. Review of relevant empirical articles. Summarize and critique (can we trust the evidence from
the studies?) each of the articles in turn. In other words, do the inevitable flaws in research cause
us to be cautious about what the authors claim to be the findings from their research? (10 points
– 2.5 for each of 4 articles).
3. Critique, limitations of the studies, relevance to your thesis (5)
4. Statement of support for your thesis found in each of the articles and conclusion, suggestions
for future research (5 points)
5. Mechanics and evaluation of your writing (5 points) (Use of the APA writing style and unity;
support; coherence, effective sentence skills and logical development of your points).
The following evaluation sheet serves as my guide to the criteria for grading your term paper.
You must hand this Evaluation Sheet as the last page of your term paper.
16

Psychology 213:Student Evaluation: Term paper
(Attach to the back of your paper)
Student's Name:
A. Term Paper (30%):
1. Abstract, introduction, statement of purpose, definitions and thesis statement (5):
2. Summary of 4 relevant research articles (theory, hypotheses, method, findings, conclusions
(10 points -2.5 for each of 4 empirical articles):
3. Critique, limitations of the studies, relevance to your thesis (5)
4. Your claim of support for your thesis, conclusions and suggestions for future research which
might help support your thesis (5):
5. Evaluation of your writing (APA Format):
a. unity (1):
b. support (1):
c. coherence (1):
d. effective sentence skills (1):
e. logical development of your points (1):
7. Total: /30
G. Farthing
17