PAPER – DEVELOPMENTAL LIFE STORY
This paper is your “Life Story” from a developmental perspective. In this version of your life story, you must include the theories, concepts, and behaviors for each life stage that are described in the textbook. Please follow the outline below, giving each of the sections a heading. Make sure that you address each area (taking into consideration that your parent(s) may not be able to or willing to share information on all questions) and that you follow a clear organizational structure. If some parts of your story are not available to you or you wish not to share aspects with me, you may elucidate the theories and concepts indicated in the outline without including your personal information.

Format and suggested length: Papers that do an adequate job of covering the outline are generally a minimum of 6-8 pages of word-processed text, double spaced. If you have any photographs of yourself and other people and aspects of your life that you would like to use to illustrate your story, you are welcome to use these but they are not required (or to create your own illustrations). However, the papers must be at least 6-8 pages of text. To the extent possible, the papers should be in APA style. Your citations and references should include at minimum the theories indicated in the guidelines below. This means that you describe EACH theory indicated on the outline and cite EACH using APA style. Please see APA style help posted under course documents. Points will be deducted for not referencing the theories, for not fully explaining the theories, and for not including a theory. Please speak with me if you have any issues regarding this assignment. If you do not wish to include personal information that is your choice. You must still include all the theories and concepts on the outline below but in the form of a term/review paper. Paper is due on or before April 9, 2017. The paper must be submitted via the designated assignment area on Blackboard.

This is also your opportunity to demonstrate to me that you understand the theories. Please include enough information to indicate that you fully understand the theory.

Stage 1: Newborn and Infancy
Were you breast or bottle fed? What were your mother’s reasons for choosing one over the other? Please include information on what the experts recommend as discussed in your textbook.
Referring to the interactionist’s approach to language development that promotes the idea that innate ability (Chomsky) and rich linguistic and social environment combine to promote language development, describe your environment and how it could have contributed to your language development (p. 129)
Discuss your development of attachment using the four attachment patterns (p. 137-139). Include a brief of summary of each of the four attachment patterns and describe which patterns best describes your attachment pattern and why.
Describe the temperament types (pp. 142-144). How would you classify yourself and why?
Who took care of you? Did you stay at home? Did you attend childcare? Using the information provided on pages 145-147, indicate whether or not the daycare you attended was a quality facility. If you did not attend daycare, discuss the possible benefits and drawbacks of not attended daycare.
Stage 2: Preschool Years
Describe your growth during this time. What was your general health like?
Use Piaget’s theory as a framework and describe your thinking and playing. Refer to Piaget’s Preoperational Stage discussion on pages 160-163.
Use Vygotsky’s social-cultural theory and describe your language and your schooling during this stage (pp. 166 168).
Describe the formation of your gender identity (pp. 176-177). Do you remember when you realized you were a boy/girl?
Discuss your caregivers’ child rearing styles (Baumrind, Maccoby & Martin, p. 181-182). Include a description of the style that best suits you parent(s) and why you chose that style.
Who did you play with? What were you like to play with?
Did you suck your thumb or have a favorite “blankie?” When did you give these things up? Was it traumatic for you?
Stage 3: Middle Childhood
Describe your health, motor development and play at this stage (see/refer to pages 198-203.
What kind of student were you? Was school a positive experience during this time?
Refer to your resolution of Erikson’s stage of industry vs. inferiority.
Using Kohlberg’s moral development theory, at which level would you have characterized your level of moral reasoning at this age (pp. 233-236)? What did you choose the level you did? If you are a female, you may want to refer to the work of Carol Gilligan.
Refer to the discussion of intelligence on pages 219-225 and discuss what you think your level or type of intelligence was at this age. For example, would one of the newer conceptualizations of intelligence better described your intelligence such as the work of Howard Gardner? Or would the traditional view of intelligence better captured your type of intelligence?
Describe your friendships and which stage of friendship you were in (pp. 237-239). Would you have been considered high or low status? Why?
Describe family influences on your development (parent(s), siblings and/or other relevant family members, pp. 243-247).
What do you remember most about this time?
Stage 4: Adolescence
Describe your experiences of puberty and the effects that it has on your life (pp. 255-258). Where you an early or late mature? How would you describe your body image?
Describe how your experiences fit into Erikson’s theory of Identity vs. Identity confusion.
Describe your adolescent identity status according to James Marcia’s theory (pp. 282-283).
Refer to the imaginary audience and personal fable during your adolescence (pp. 272-273). Describe an example of how this manifested itself in your life.
Describe and comment on the influence of your peer group (pp. 291-295). Were you popular? Were you part of a clique or crowd? Did you give in to peer pressure or did you try to pressure others?
Did you experiment with drinking/smoking/other drugs (pp. 263-265)? What types of intervention occurred as a result (if any)?