Putting it together

Putting it together

Complete the worksheet to deepen your understanding of research methods and ethics when studying adult development, as well as to develop key skills related to creating a research plan.

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Introduction

Adulthood spans many decades of life. Developmental psychologists identify emergingadulthood as a period of life that comes directly after adolescence, as the teenager transitions into adult roles and an independent lifestyle. Early adulthood lasts the next couple of decades and is a life stage characterized by growth in intimate relationships, family, and career. Middle adulthood begins in an adult's 40s and is a time marked by generativity and early recognition of the aging process. Late adulthood begins around the 7th decade of life and, despite stereotypes about aging, is often a time of positive emotional well-being and reflection as the adult experiences milestones like retirement, grandchildren, and more. From studying the impact of family and career on adult well-being, to investigating predictors of health and satisfaction in late life, research plays a pivotal role in helping us understand the factors that most impact adult growth and development and can help us debunk myths of the aging process. It is important to learn to find and understand psychological research to stay updated with the most current information in the field.

A variety of different perspectives exist on adult development. Some researchers focus on the physical aspects of the aging process while others emphasize ebbs and flows in cognitive or social experience. Theorists often try to understand how multiple environmental factors (family, culture, politics, and more) influence our growth in adulthood. You will want to keep these multiple perspectives in mind as you work through the course and study development in adulthood.

Preparation

1. Download and review the Putting It Together [DOCX] worksheet.
2. Then, read Sharifian et al.’s 2019 article, “Social Network Characteristics and Cognitive Functioning in Ethnically Diverse Older Adults: The Role of Network Size and Composition,” which can be found in your Assessment Resource reading list.

Instructions

To fill out the worksheet, work your way through each of the four sections:

• Part 1: Source Review.
• Part 2: Connecting Concepts.
• Part 3: Values, Ethics, and Interpersonal Relationships.
• Part 4: Project Management.

Additional Requirements

Submit your completed worksheet as your deliverable.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Apply key concepts, principles, and themes in adult development.
  • Relate developmental psychological terminology, concepts, and research to mental processes.
• Competency 2: Describe basic psychological research.
  • Describe research methods and quantitative data used in research.
• Competency 3: Describe how individual differences, social identity, and worldview may influence beliefs, values, and interactions with others.
  • Describe the need for positive personal values in building strong relationships with others.
• Competency 4: Use project management skills.
  • Describe how to find information needed to complete the second assessment including process, strategies, and solutions to possible problems.
• Competency 5: Write using a clear purpose, organization, tone, and sentence structure.
  • Use APA style format for a reference and citations.
  • Create a text in the third person, adhering to conventions of academic tone.

  Library Skills: Research

  To complete the assessments in this course, you will need to find sources in the Capella library. To help with that, you need to learn some key library search skills. Start by reading how to create a research plan. This will help you set up a timeline, focus your search efforts, and organize your research efforts.
  • Making a Research Plan.
  Learn about choosing the right databases.
  • Select the Best Databases.
  The “key” to successful library searches are your keywords. Read about how to select effective keywords to use in your search.
  • Selecting the Best Keywords.
  Find out how to build and develop a library search. Read great tips from the Capella Library for building your search.
  • Building Your Search.
    • Take some time to explore the Search Builder tool. This tool will help you learn how to combine your search terms in more advanced ways using Boolean Logic. This approach will allow you to get more relevant and targeted results.
  Read about ways to refine your search (since it’s rare for the first try to be absolutely perfect).
  • Refine Your Search.
  Next, take some time to explore RefWorks. This is a tool you can use to keep track of your sources and more easily create reference lists for your assessments.
  • RefWorks: Getting Started.
  • RefWorks: Exporting From the Library Databases.

  Writing: Tone

  When writing, we look to the acronym, POETS:
  • Purpose.
  • Organization.
  • Evidence.
  • Tone.
  • Sentence structure.
  These five writing elements serve as the foundation for how we write effectively. Within this course, we will take a deeper look at how Tone appears in academic writing. Get started by reading about what we mean when we refer to tone in our writing.
  • Tone.
  Read an overview about tone and its role in academic writing.
  • Academic Writing.
  Find out when it is appropriate to write in first person vs. third person.
  • First, Second, and Third Person.
  Learn how to write in active voice.
  • Active and Passive Voice.
  Part of writing academically in the proper tone is being concise. Read these tips on how to write concisely.
  • Concision and Direct Language.
  Learn about anthropomorphism, which is the application of human behavior to inanimate sources. Please read more on how to avoid anthropomorphism in your academic writing.
  • Academic Writer: Anthropomorphism.

  APA Resources

  This course will expect that you create APA style citations and references. The resources in your APA Resources reading list will help you. As will the following interactive and practice tool:
  • APA Citation: Citing a Website.

  Adult Development and Aging Psychological Concepts

  The following chapters describe theories and concepts related to adult development and aging. With subjects spanning many decades of life, these chapters explore developments in different domains as adults navigate new social experiences and experience changes in their cognitive skills. Review the chapters below to enhance your knowledge of different perspectives during adulthood.
  • Bjorklund, B. R., & Earles, J. (2020). Journey of adulthood (9th ed.). Pearson. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
    • Chapter 4, “Cognitive Abilities.”
    • Chapter 5, “Social Roles.”
    • Chapter 6, “Social Relationships.”

  Psychological Ethics

  Read the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct in your Ethical Principles reading list to learn about the ethical guidance that shapes psychology professionals' behaviors.

  Research Methods in Adult Development and Aging

  The following chapter discusses the research methods used in adult development and aging.
  • Bjorklund, B. R., & Earles, J. (2020). Journey of adulthood (9th ed.). Pearson. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
    • Chapter 1, “Introduction to Adult Development.”
  • In your Assessment Resource reading list, read Sharifian et al.’s 2019 article, “Social Network Characteristics and Cognitive Functioning in Ethnically Diverse Older Adults: The Role of Network Size and Composition.”