Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Final Paper

Final Paper

Below is a list from which you will select one topic for the Week Two
assignment, another topic for the Week Three assignment, and a third
topic for both the Outline of the Final Paper and the Final Paper.  The
topic you select for your Outline of the Final Paper and this Final
Paper must be different from the topics you select for the Week Two and
Week Three assignments.
The topics include:

• 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 (physical, cognitive, or social-emotional)
  for your answer.
• 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 in understanding the issues involved in your topic. In your
assignment address the following:

• Identify some of the major domains of human development and how they are impacted.
• Examine the physical, biological, emotional, cognitive, and/or social factors that are affected.
• Identify the stages of development that are affected and
  describe the cultural and historical perspectives of partitioning the
  lifespan that influence the interpretations of the available data on the
  topic.
• Describe the influences of family, culture, and environment and the roles they play.

Be sure to examine the available research in human development before completing this assignment.

Writing the Final Paper

The Final Paper:

1. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length (excluding
   title and reference pages), and formatted according to APA style as
   outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Must include a title page with the following:
   1. Title of paper
   2. Student’s name
   3. Course name and number
   4. Instructor’s name
   5. Date submitted
3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
   1. You may use the introduction you developed during the Week
      Four assignment or a revised version if changes are deemed necessary.
4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
   1. Conclude with an answer to the selected question. Did the evidence you surveyed answer the question satisfactorily?
   2. Include an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the available evidence.
   3. Illustrate how each source fits specific sections of your
      Final Paper. The goal is to demonstrate that supporting evidence exists
      for statements that are made in the paper.  
   4. If possible, suggest the course that future research should
      take if answers to the selected question are deemed less than
      conclusive.
6. Must use at least five scholarly sources, all of which must come from the Ashford University Library or Google Scholar.
7. Must summarize each article including the purpose of the investigation, its methodology, and results.
   1. Rely on the brief summaries of the articles (including the
      purpose of each investigation, its methodology and results) that you
      developed during Week Four to construct an organized summary of the
      scientific evidence that answers the question you selected.  
   2. 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).
   3. 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.
   4. You may reference your textbook and other required materials
      from the course; however, these will not fulfill the resource
      requirement.
8. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
9. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
   1. You may use the reference section you developed in the Week Four assignment as the final page of the paper.