First, you will select and explain a specific stage (early or middle adulthood) in terms of its typical age range and major developmental milestones (biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, and social).

Part

Description

Top Tips for Success

Part I. Developmental Stage

Reflect on which phase of adult development is most interesting to you:

• Early adulthood
• Middle adulthood

Choose ONE stage to focus on for this capstone.

First, create a header for this section (e.g., Developmental Stage).

Then, in one paragraph: Articulate your selected developmental stage using a strong topic sentence. Then, in 3-4 sentences that follow, explain the major developmental milestones (i.e., biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, and social milestones) that occur during your selected stage.

Be specific in this paragraph–make sure to be very clear when articulating and explaining your chosen developmental stage.

Define and give concrete examples of each type of milestone (biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, and social).

Part 2. Construct of Interest

Think about the key characteristics of your chosen developmental stage. What aspect is most interesting to you (biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, social)? Now consider a construct (e.g., a specific behavior, emotion, or experience) that piques your curiosity. Select ONE construct that has relevance to your chosen developmental stage.

First, create a header for this section (e.g., Construct of Interest).

Then, in one or two paragraphs: Explain the construct in detail. Define and discuss your chosen construct in 3-4 sentences. Then, in another 3-4 sentences, explain why this construct is important to your chosen developmental stage by exploring how it relates to biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, and/or social growth during this time.

This part of the capstone asks you to do two things. Be sure to fully explain the construct AND discuss how it impacts development during this time.

Be sure your construct is not too vague or general. “Physical development” would be too general, but “declining physical strength” may be specific and interesting enough to design a study about.

Part 3. Developmental Theory

Think about the major theories of development you have learned about so far in this course:

• Erikson’s theory
• Information processing theory
• Attachment theory
• Behavioral theory
• Observational learning theory

(Remember: do not choose Piaget or Vygotsky). Which theory seems to have the most relevance for your developmental stage and the construct of interest you have selected? Do any of the theories help you understand why this construct is so important to development during this time?

First, create a header for this section (e.g., Developmental Theory).

Then, in one paragraph: Describe the major ideas of your chosen theory in 3-4 sentences. Then, in another 3-4 sentences, discuss how this theory (and its major ideas) relates to your construct of interest. Be specific in your discussion.

Remember that Part 3 requires you to define AND discuss a theory.

Your theory definition will be academic and will rely on textbook content. Your discussion of how the theory applies to your experience will require your own creative thinking as an extension of the textbook content you review.

Feel free to leverage a theory that may point you to new research questions about your construct.

Part 4. A New Research Study

Considering your stage, construct, and theory, reflect on what you do NOT yet know about the construct from the textbook. Let your creativity emerge, and allow yourself to wonder. What are you curious about? What does your selected theory tell you (or not tell you) about the construct?

Create a research question and hypothesis. Think about the type of participant sample you would need to recruit. What characteristics do you want them to have? How will you recruit them?

Look at your research question and hypothesis. What variables do you need to measure in order to answer this question?

Finally, think about why this study is important to conduct and what it will add to the scientific literature on your topic.

First, create a header for this section (e.g., A New Research Study).

Then, in 2-3 paragraphs (of at least 3 sentences each): Articulate your research question as an actual question. Explain your hypothesis (what is your expectation about the study results?). Discuss the type of research design you will use to address your question. Describe the sample and how it will be recruited. Explain the variables you will measure (and how you will measure them). Discuss why the study is important and what it will add to the literature.

Read the instructions carefully! Do not skip any aspect of this section.

If you are unclear about what a research question, hypothesis, study design, sample, and/or variable is, look up this information in your textbook.

Be sure to get specific about why the study is important to conduct and what it will add. Just “because it’s interesting” or “new” is not sufficient.