Name: _____________________

AP Psychology
Developmental Psychology Project
For this unit, you will have the freedom to pick which assignments you want to complete to practice and
demonstrate your knowledge of the various domains of development.

You must pick one assignment from each row, and the assignments you pick should add up to 5 or more
points (i.e., you must pick at least one 2-point assignment).

Circle the options you chose on this page and use it as a cover sheet to submit your assignments.

Cognitive New Examples of Moral Dilemma: Toy Design

Piagetian Concepts hypothetical responses (2 pts)
(1 pt) (1 pt)

Psychosocial (Erikson) Create a visual Grandparent interview Mini-documentary: The

representation of each (2 pts) one-question interview
stage (1 pt) (2 pts)

Attachment/Parenting Attachment Styles in Parenting Styles in Pop Meme Creator

Styles Pop Culture Culture (1 pt)
(1 pt) (1 pt)

Culminating Circle of life song “The Care and Keeping Child observation +
Assignments parody of Your Adolescent” reflection (live or home
(1 pt) Manual videos)
(2 pts) (2 pts)
Cognitive: New Examples of Piagetian Concepts

Explain each of the following Piagetian concepts in your own words. Then, come up with a NEW example
that would demonstrate each concept; it should not be the one from your book or class, though they
may be similar.

Concept Definition/Description Example

Schema

Assimilation

Accomodation

Disequilibrium

Scaffolding*

Sensorimotor Ages:

Object
Permanence

Preoperational Ages:

Conservation

Egocentrism

Animism

Parallel Play

Symbolic Thinking

Concrete Ages:
Operational

Formal Ages:
Operational
*Vygotsky, not Piaget
Cognitive: Moral Reasoning

Create or find a moral dilemma (similar to the one discussed in class). You ​may​ use a scenario that you
find online, but you must cite it appropriately.

Imagine that this dilemma is posed to three people, each in a different stage of moral development
according to Kohlberg’s framework (pre-conventional, conventional, or post-conventional). Make sure to
note the likely age of each of these people.

Next, write out imaginary replies to the dilemma from each of these stages. How would they reason
through it? A brief paragraph is fine; the assignment should fit roughly on one page.
Cognitive: Toy Design
Design an age and developmentally appropriate educational toy for a human baby/child. This toy
should be realistic, and should not be a copy of a toy that is currently available. Consider what the
consumer will find interesting/engaging base as well as their abilities.**
**The toy could also be designed for a child with a developmental disorder, such as Autism.
Your final product should include:
● A mock-up of the toy (detailed sketch/diagram or digital image)
○ *Bonus points are available if you construct an actual prototype of the toy
● A written explanation of your toy, including…
○ The target age group
○ How the toy is intended to be used
○ Why the toy is developmentally appropriate (again, consider perception (if relevant),
motor abilities, cognition, and social aspects).
■ Make sure to include a discussion of where your target consumer fits into the
various stage theories we have discussed
■ A toy that exceeds expectations will actually ​assist​ development (think
Vygotsky)
■ Another way to exceed expectations would be to research language
development (the last module of unit 7) and consider that as well
○ The explanation should be 1-2 double-spaced pages as a minimum

The following design-thinking framework may be helpful:

Psychosocial: Grandparent Interview
The Interview

Interview one of your grandparents, or someone of your grandparents’ age. The aim of the
interview should be to listen and encourage the telling of stories more than it is to obtain answers to
specific questions. Ask them to tell you the story of their life, gathering information about each
developmental stage.

For instance, you can ask them to describe their earliest childhood memories, to describe what
their family was like, and where they grew up. You might want to ask how their childhood experiences
influenced the person they became. Ask about school experiences and the kinds of things that they and
their friends did. Then, ask your grandparent about his or her adolescence. Ask about school, friendship,
dating activities, family relationships, part-time jobs, and historical events. Ask for specific examples and
anecdotes that illustrate their descriptions. You can also ask about their most nagging problems as
teenagers and you can ask what they think of today’s teenagers; for instance, how do they see your life
as a teenager compared to their own experience?

Ask about early adulthood and their transition to adult responsibilities. Did they go to college?
graduate school? did they marry? have children? work? What did they enjoy about these phases of life?
What was stressful or challenging? Looking back, do they wish they had done anything differently?

Eventually, ask your grandparent to describe his or her life now. How is their health? What is
their relationship like with their grandchildren? How do they spend their time? As they look back on
their lives, what would they consider to be the best time in their lives? The worst? How do they feel
about their lives, as a whole, when they look back? Do they think about death? If so, what do they think
about? How do they hope that people will remember them? What advice, what wisdom, do they have to
offer you? What do they wish they had known when they were your age?

The Assignment

Write a ~4 page paper reflecting on your interview. Discuss your experience of listening to their story.
What information was new to you? In what ways are your experiences different? Similar?

Discuss whether or not Erikson’s stage model is applicable to your grandparent’s experience. In
particularly, look for stories that may demonstrate how he or she navigated stages 5-8 (reviewed on
the next page).

While the focus of the reflection should be social development, you may include a discussion of physical
or cognitive development if that seems relevant or interesting.

Other things to consider: How did the context of a particular time and culture shape his or her
experience? How does this interview affect your thoughts about the aging process?

**While you may certainly use quotes or stories from your interview to illustrate your points, the bulk of
the paper should ​not​ just be a summary of their biography.
Review of Erikson’s Stages 5-8

Stage 5​: Erikson described Adolescence as occurring between the ages of 12 to 18 and organized
around the tension of ​Identity vs. Role Confusion​. Erikson identified this as a stage in which we
transition from being dependent on what is done to us to our experience depending primarily on ​what
we do​. Our task is to discover who we are as individuals separate from our family of origin and as
members of a wider society. A significant task for us is to establish a philosophy of life and--in this
process--we tend to think in terms of ideals more than we do in terms of reality. It is also a time in our
lives when we can develop strong devotion to friends and causes.

Stage 6​: We then have Young Adulthood (18-35) in which the tension revolves around ​Intimacy
vs. Isolation​. This is a time in which we try to find mutually satisfying relationships, primarily through
marriage and friends.

Stage 7:​ Following this is Middle Adulthood (35 to 65) in which the tension revolves around
Generativity vs Stagnation​. Erikson observed that middle-age is when we tend to be occupied with
creative and meaningful work and with issues surrounding our family. It is also a time when we’re
expected to “be in charge” and transmit values of the culture through the family. Our strength during
this stage comes through care of others and production of something that contributes to the betterment
of society (which Erikson called “generativity”). Our feared experience during this stage is inactivity,
meaninglessness, and a lack of purpose

Stage 8​: Erikson described the final stage as “Late Adulthood” which extends from the late 50s
to death. The tension of this stage revolves around ​Integrity vs. Despair​ and the basic strength of this
stage is wisdom. Older adults look back on their lives and wonder whether or not they are fulfilled, and
whether or not they feel that life has meaning, and that they’ve made a contribution. Erikson felt that
how we evaluate our lives at this point influences how we think about death. Do we fear it? Do we feel
good about the lives we’ve led?
Psychosocial: Visual Representation of Each Stage

Create a visual representation of each of Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. They can be
drawings/cartoons or you can use the computer to make a collage/graphic. If you use the computer, you
should not just copy and paste a single image. You will not be graded on artistic ability, and your
drawings do not need to be colored in.
Psychosocial: Video Interviews

In this assignment, you will create your own version of the video we watched in class where people of all
ages were asked to answer the question, “what is your goal in life?” You may use this same question or
pick a different one. If you pick a new question, it should be one that you think will give you information
that you can relate to Erikson’s stages.

Part 1: Filming

Film your one-question interviews. Try to get between ​15-20 people ​to answer your question, and make
sure to record their age. Aim for a ​good cross section of ages​ just like in the video, although you do not
need to have someone of EVERY age. If you interview an adult/teacher and they do not want to tell you
their precise age, it is okay to go with the decade (e.g. “30s” or “early 30s”).

Part 2: Editing

Stitch your clips into a single video that proceeds in ​chronological order,​ in the style of the one we
watched in class. If possible, have the person’s age show up as text on the screen.

Part 3: Reflection

In a paper of 1-2 double-spaced pages, reflect on the video. How well did people’s answers align with
Erikson’s stages? Does your video support his framework, or challenge it? Pick a couple of responses to
analyze more in-depth. Include a brief conclusion where you discuss something you learned from this
assignment, a limitation of the assignment, and your feedback on the assignment (should I do it again
next year? What should I change?).
Attachment/Parenting Styles: Attachment in Pop Culture

Find an example of each attachment style in pop culture. It can be from a book, tv show, movie, etc. If
possible, include a video or text excerpt of a scene that demonstrates the character’s attachment style.
In a brief paragraph, explain what attachment style the excerpt represents and how you know. If you are
unable to find a specific scene or clip, explain the book/show/character in enough detail that someone
who hasn’t read that book/seen that show can understand how the character demonstrates that
particular attachment style.

There are videos on YouTube that mimic this assignment. It is a violation of the honor code to find one
of those videos and repurpose it for this assignment.
Attachment/Parenting Styles: Parenting Styles in Pop Culture

Find an example of each parenting style in pop culture. It can be from a book, tv show, movie, etc. If
possible, include a video or text excerpt of a scene that demonstrates the parenting style. In a brief
paragraph, explain which parenting style the excerpt represents and how you know. If you are unable to
find a specific scene or clip, explain the book/show/character in enough detail that someone who hasn’t
read that book/seen that show can understand how the character demonstrates that particular
parenting style.

There are videos on YouTube that mimic this assignment. It is a violation of the honor code to find one
of those videos and repurpose it for this assignment.
Attachment/Parenting Styles: Memes

Create ​(don’t just find an existing one) a meme for the following:

Parenting Styles (pick two)

● Secure
● Avoidant
● Anxious-Ambivalent
● Disorganized

Temperament (pick two)

● Easy
● Slow to warm up
● Difficult

Parenting Styles (pick two)

● Authoritative
● Authoritarian
● Permissive
● Uninvolved

You can use a ​meme generator​ online to help you. To clarify, you may used an existing meme (e.g.,
“Overly Attached Girlfriend”), but you should come up with new text for it.

You may include a caption that explains your meme if you feel it necessary, but it is not required. The
meme can stand on its own.
Culminating: Child Observation & Reflection

Piaget formed his theory of cognitive development largely by carefully observing his own children’s
behavior. For this assignment, you will observe a child and interpret his or her behavior in light of the
frameworks we have learned about.

1. Find a child**. He or she can be any age from 0 to 12, but you may find that you have the most
to talk about with a child in the range of 2 to 7 years. Studying a child right on the borderline age
of Piaget’s stages might be interesting. ​Make sure to obtain the parent or guardian’s consent to
observe and interact with the child, and ask the parent whether they would like you to use a
pseudonym when you write up the assignment​. Here are some sources to consider to find a
child:

a. Taft faculty children.

b. Family if you are a day student

*Picking options A or B allows you to see how the child interacts with his or her
caregiver, which could give you insight into attachment and parenting styles

c. The Child Development Program, i.e. the Taft daycare by the day student parking lot.
They are open Monday - Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. To schedule a visit, you can call
860-945-1595 and ask for Sarah.

*Picking this option allows you the chance to be more of a fly on the wall and observe
children interacting with their peers.

2. Prepare a list of things you want to look for, questions you want to ask the child or his/her
caregiver, and materials you may need to bring.

3. Spend about 30 minutes observing and interacting with the child. ​You may consider interacting
with the child in intentional ways to elicit key information (e.g., performing the A not B task,
playing peek-a-boo, testing conservation). ​Do your best to take notes as you are observing. You
may also ask for the parent or guardian’s permission to record the session. ​ ​Note the following
things:

a. How old is the child?

b. A brief physical description of the child

c. What sorts of motor skills does the child display? Are there motor skills that still seem to
be lacking?

d. What is the child’s temperament like?

e. How does the child interact with his or her caregiver? Do you see any clues as to what
attachment style they might have? Are there any clues as to what parenting style the
child is being raised with? (*If you are observing at the pre-school, you can note the
“parenting” style used by the staff).

f. How does the child interact with his or her peers? What is he/she like socially?
 g. What cognitive milestones/tasks is the child meeting or failing? (

h. To what extent is the child being gendered by his or her caregivers? What
gender-related behaviors does the child enact? (e.g., is a female wearing a dress and
being told how cute she is, is a male choosing to play with trucks and not dolls)

4. Ask adults who know the child better what he or she is like, but try to avoid asking leading
questions. Consider whether the caregiver’s description is similar or different from what you are
observing.

5. In a reflection, address the following, using specific ​anecdotes/stories​ from the observation to
support your claims. Think of yourself as part storyteller, part analyzer.

a. Introduce the reader to the child. This could be straightforward (giving the child’s name,
age, and physical description), or you can be more artistic, starting with a demonstrative
story and including physical details as you go along.

b. Interpret the child’s development in the following realms and situate him or her within
any relevant frameworks (e.g. which of Piaget’s stages is the child in? What is his or her
attachment style?) You will of course have limited information to go off of, so make your
best guess.

i. Physical/Motor

ii. Cognitive

iii. Social

iv. Gender

c. You do not have to go in that order. Your discussion of cognitive and social development
will likely be longer than gender or physical development, but spend the time in the area
that seems most interesting or relevant for the particular child you observed. Your task
in the paper is to give the reader a sense of what the child is like and where they are
developmentally.

d. Include a brief conclusion where you discuss something you learned from this
assignment, a limitation of the assignment, and your feedback on the assignment
(should I do it again next year? What should I change?).

e. The paper should be at least 3 pages, but feel free to go beyond that if you see the
need.

**A modified version of this assignment has you find ​home videos​ of you when you were a child and
analyze them as objectively as possible. You will likely need to reference several video clips to have
enough data to address all the areas of development.
Culminating: Circle of Life Song Parody

For this assignment, you will rewrite the lyrics to the classic song “Circle of Life” so that they explain the
progression of a person’s development physically, cognitively, and socially. Make sure to use class
vocabulary. You can structure the song however you wish (ex chronologically, describing the lifespan
from start to finish, or broken up by approach, with cognitive development in one verse, social in
another, etc). If you need to repeat portions of the song to give yourself more room, you may do so.

Bonus points are available if you submit a recording of you performing the song. Karaoke versions of this
song are easily found on YouTube (for example, ​here​).

For your convenience, the original lyrics can be found below:

From the day we arrive on the planet But the Sun rolling high through the sapphire
And blinking, step into the Sun sky
There's more to be seen than can ever be seen Keeps great and small on the endless round
More to do than can ever be done
In the circle of life
Some say eat or be eaten It's the wheel of fortune
Some say live and let live It's the leap of faith
But all are agreed as they join the stampede It's the band of hope
You should never take more than you give Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle of life In the circle, the circle of life
It's the wheel of fortune
It's the leap of faith It's the wheel of fortune
It's the band of hope It's the leap of faith
Till we find our place It's the band of hope
On the path unwinding Till we find our place
In the circle, the circle of life On the path unwinding
In the circle, the circle of life
Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars On the path unwinding
And some of us sail through our troubles In the circle, the circle of life
And some have to live with the scars
Songwriters: Elton John / Tim Rice
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found Circle Of Life lyrics © Walt Disney Music
Company
Culminating: “The Care and Keeping of Your Adolescent” Manual

How many times a day do you feel misunderstood by your parents and teachers? Don’t you wish you
could hand them a book that would explain your needs and moods so you don’t have to? Now is your
chance!

Create a manual that uses psychology and neuroscience to describe and explain adolescent
development. Depending on how tech-savvy you are, you could use Word, iBooks, Powerpoint, or even
make a video. You will be graded on substance, not style.

The organization of your manual is up to you, but it should address at least FIVE of the following
questions at a minimum:

● Why are teens more prone to risk-taking and/or addiction?

● Why are teens so tired all the time?
● Why are teens so into their smartphones and social media? Why are they particularly vulnerable
to peer pressure?
● What sorts of influences are hormones having on teenagers?
● What does it mean for a teen to be exploring his or her gender identity? What sorts of things
might play a role in navigating gender for a teen?
● What is the main psychosocial conflict that teens are navigating? How does this relate to
Marcia’s identity stages?
● As teens may begin to date and have romantic relationships for the first time, how might they
be influenced by their style of attachment in childhood?
● What stage of Piagetian cognitive development are teens likely to be in? What does this mean
about what sorts of things they would be able to learn in school?
● How might teens’ behavior be influenced by the parenting style they grew up with?

Resources:

In addition to your book and the videos from class, you will want to watch the Crash
Course video on the Unit 12 Haiku page.

You should also look at the book ​The Teenage Brain​: ​A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide
to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults​ as both a source of information and as a
model for the type of product I am looking for (though obviously yours won’t be
nearly as long as the book!) It is on reserve at the library along with another similar
but older book, ​The Primal Teen: What the NEw Discoveries About the Teenage Brain
Tell Us about Our Kids​. Just ask the circulation desk for the AP Psych books.