The development of attachment in infancy and early childhood

1.General topic area for this assignment: The development of attachment in infancy and early childhood

2.Research and focus:

a) Step 1: Explore a number of sources (e.g., professional journals, books*, news magazines*, and the Internet*) to get some ideas that relate to the general topic stated above. *Note: Sources other than professional journals are simply places where you might get a good idea for the focus of your paper; they are not acceptable source material for this paper.

b) Step 2: Narrow your topic to focus on a particular issue or question within the area of attachment and search the appropriate psychology databases for primary research articles published in professional journals. Try to limit your search to APA journals.

c) Step 3: Select a minimum of 10 articles (publication date must not be before 2008) that focus on your selected issue or question. A minimum of 8 of your sources must be primary sources (i.e., journal articles from professional journals in disciplines such as psychology, education, medicine, business, etc.) and no more than 2 should be magazines, books, or general web sites. Do not use your textbook or any other standard psychology textbook as a source. They will not be counted and will lead to a point deduction.

d) Step 4: Develop a thesis statement for your paper.

3. Writing the paper

Your written paper must consist of the following parts:
a)An introduction that focuses the reader on your topic in general and the specific purpose of your paper in particular.

b)The end of your introduction should consist of a clear thesis statement which foreshadows the organization and the main points of the body of your paper (i.e., argument, comparison, introduction of most cutting-edge research on a topic, selected literature from the past 10 years on a specific topic etc.).

c)The body of your paper must present a discussion of the information you found in support of your thesis points. On the whole, the body of your paper should be more than just a list of summary statements. I am looking for depth of processing, development of your thesis, and analysis of the information. Your paper must not only be organized in a logical manner that supports your thesis, it must also flow from one section to the next; choppy organization or annotated-bibliography-style writing will lead to point deductions.

d)The last page of your paper should be a reflection (conclusion) on your topic (e.g., What have you learned from your research? Where does the knowledge about this topic lead from here? What are some interesting research questions that future studies might examine? What applications could be developed for the information you reviewed? …….)

e)References (separate page) in APA style, complete with name, title, and year of publication (or web site name and complete URL). Consult the APA Publication Manual or the APA web site (www.apa.org) if you have questions about APA style references. Do NOT use the Purdue website as a guide to APA style!

4.Requirements and suggestions:
•The paper should be 4-5 pages (5 pages are recommended—this includes introduction (1/2 page) and reflection/conclusion (3/4 to 1 page).
•If you have questions about writing style or mechanics, please consult a Writing Handbook or your APA Publication Manual.
•Remember that you may also consult with a writing coach at the CU Writing Center.
•Your paper must be grammatically, mechanically, and technically sound. Remember that your audience is your teacher. This means the paper must be solid college-level writing.
•Last but not least, use direct quotes only if you find it absolutely necessary. Usually, paraphrasing (and of course the proper citations) is preferred. The maximum number of directly quoted text must not exceed 50 words.
Remember that direct quotes are limited to a maximum of 50 words for this paper.