Essay PSY 304 Week 2 Discussion 1 Cognition Development Across the Lifespan

PSY 304 Week 2 Discussion 1 Cognition Development Across the Lifespan

WK2_Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan

Before completing this discussion, review Chapter 5 of your text as well as the Piaget’s Concrete Operational Stage Revisited video. You may also want to review the following recommended resources: “Piaget’s Enduring Contribution to Developmental Psychology,” “On Major Developments in Preschoolers’ Imagination,” “Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky (1896-1934),” and “Jean Piaget (1896-1980)” articles, After examining the research in human development, choose and complete one of the following options:

Option A: Piaget’s theory on cognitive development has contributed a unique perspective to our understanding of how children think, reason, and solve problems. Examine and identify the main tenets of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development (i.e., schema, assimilation, and accommodation) describing them in your own words.
Examine the cognitive factors Piaget presents in relation to human development. Briefly identify and describe his stages of cognitive development by illustrating the cognitive tasks that infants, children, or young adults are capable (or not capable) of performing.

Alternatively, instead of describing the stages, you may create a chart in which the abilities that define cognitive development in Piaget’s theory are plotted against the age at which they are acquired. Identify at least one aspect of Piaget’s theory that has been criticized and mention the evidence upon which this criticism is based.

Option B: Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development has contributed a unique perspective to our understanding of how children think, reason, and solve problems. Examine and identify the main tenets of Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development (i.e., zone of proximal development, scaffolding, relationship between language and thought) describing them in your own words. In addition, you will need to examine the cognitive factors Piaget presents in relation to human development. Briefly identify and discuss Vygotsky’s view of cognitive development by illustrating the cognitive tasks that infants, children, or young adults are capable (or not capable) of performing. Identify at least one aspect of Vygotsky’s theory that has been criticized, and mention the evidence upon which this criticism is based.

Your initial post must be at least 300 words and use a minimum of one scholarly source located in the Ashford University Library or on Google Scholar that is cited and referenced according to APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts. Provide a substantive response to at least two of your peers in a minimum of 200 words. Respond to a post that examines Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development and one that examines Piaget’s theory. Identify at least one aspect/factor that makes these theories different. Report the scientific evidence that supports one theory over the other for the aspect/factor you selected.

PSY 304 Week 3 Discussion 1 Intelligence and Its Controversies

WK 3_D1_ Intelligence and Its Controversies

Before completing this discussion, be sure to review Chapters 6 and 7 of your text as well as the Environmental and Genetic Influence on Intelligence and Multiple Intelligence videos. You may also awnt to review the “Brain Based Learning and its Relation with Multiple Intelligence”, “Intelligence: Foundations and Issues in Assessment”, and “Rising Scores on Intelligence Test”, articles from the recommended resources, After examining the research in human development presented in your required resources, complete the following discussion:

The definition of intelligence is controversial. Briefly contrast different views of intelligence, making sure you take into account the content of at least one of the videos. Discuss one of the controversies that surround the definition of intelligence, the measurement of intelligence, or the sources of individual differences.

Your initial post must be at least 300 words and use a minimum of one scholarly source located in the Ashford University Library or on Google Scholar that is cited and referenced according to APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center which reports the scientific evidence that supports or weakens the opposing views of the controversy you selected.

Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts. Provide a substantive response to at least two of your peers in a minimum of 200 words. Respond to a post that examines a controversy that is different from the one you selected and one that examines the same controversy. Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the content of each post. Be sure that you cite scientific evidence to support your views.

PSY 304 Week 2 Assignment Lifespan Development Topic One

Lifespan Development Topic One. Below is a list of options from which you are to select a topic for the Week Two assignment. These same topics will be featured in subsequent weeks. Make sure that the topic you select for this week is different from the topic you intend to select for the Week Three assignment and the topic you intend to utilize for the Outline of the Final Paper and the Final Paper (Weeks Four and Five, respectively). Examine one of the following topics on lifespan development connecting research and life.

What do twin and adoption studies tell us about the effects of nature (i.e., genetic influences) and nurture (i.e., environmental influences) on human development? Select at least one of the main domains of human development (i.e., physical, cognitive, or social-emotional).

How much credit or blame do parents deserve for the way we are? Select at least one of the main domains of human development (physical, cognitive, or social-emotional) for your answer.

To what extent are the lives of adolescents and young adults shaped by parental and peer influences?

Why do we have a need to belong (to affiliate with others)?

How do our bodies and minds change from early to late adulthood?

What are the factors that affect our well-being as middle aged and older adults?

Why are some people attracted to members of their own sex whereas others are attracted to members of the opposite sex?

How do memory and intelligence change as we age?

Does an infant’s temperament shape his/her cognitive and socio-emotional development?

Are babies pre-wired for survival?

Are adolescents more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior than older adults?

Can physical exercise affect cognitive performance in old age? Consider the time of occurrence of

physical exercise (i.e., earlier in life or during old age) in your answer.

Are there personality traits related to longevity?

Does bilingualism improve brain functioning?

Why do students in the United States tend to under-perform in math and science?

Once you have chosen your topic, examine the various theories of human development learned in the course and choose one or two that best assist you to understand the issues involved in your topic.

For this assignment address the following:

Examine various theories of human development, describing relevant terminology, and addressing how

the theory assists in the understanding of issues involved in the selected topic.

Identify and describe at least two domains of human development (physical, biological, emotional,

cognitive, and/or social) and how they are impacted by the chosen topic.

Identify and describe the stages of development that are affected by the chosen topic.

• Describe the cultural and historical perspectives of the chosen topic, demonstrating an understanding of how the topic has been perceived over time and by other cultures. Provide relevant examples.

Writing the Assignment

The Assignment:

Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and references pages), and formatted

according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Must include a title page with the following:

Title of paper

Student’s name

Course name and number

Instructor’s name

Date submitted

Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.

Begin with an introduction to the selected topic in which you define all concepts that will be

discussed in the paper.

For example, if you select “How do memory and intelligence change as we age?” as your topic,

you will need to define the terms memory, intelligence and aging.

Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.

Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.

Conclude with an answer to the selected question. Did the evidence you surveyed answer the question satisfactorily? Including your analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the available evidence.

If possible, suggest the course that future research should take if answers to the selected question are less than conclusive.

Must use at least two scholarly sources, all of which must come from the Ashford University Library or Google Scholar.

It is important that you ask yourself if the articles specifically address the selected topic. It is not always easy to find the right articles. Thus, give yourself some time to search before you finalize your selection.

You may reference your textbook and other required materials from the course; however, these will not fulfill the resource requirements.

Must include an annotated bibliography which briefly summarizes each article including the purpose of the investigation, its methodology, and results.

If possible, select peer-reviewed articles that summarize the evidence available in a given field of study (e.g., meta-analysis combines the findings of different studies to uncover trends, commonalities and differences).

Order the articles in the way you think you will discuss them in your paper. Then develop a summary of the scientific evidence that answers the question you selected.

Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford

Writing Center.

a. The reference section will be the final page of the paper.