Write a Case Study Based on the Given Standard

506 Final Project: Case Study

For your final project, you will write a 6-8 page case study
paper that describes a hypothetical person in two stages of life development.
View the person as a hypothetical client if you are studying Applied Behavioral
Analysis (ABA) or Addictions or as a participant in a longitudinal research
study if you are studying General Psychology. The goal of this paper is for you
to present a developmental profile of a person in two consecutive stages of
life (e.g., early and middle childhood) explaining their individual growth
using biological, social, psychosocial, cognitive, and environmental theories.
Select developmental periods that interest you and that correspond to your
future career plans. For example, if you are studying to be an addictions
specialist and want to work with adolescents, you might select adolescence and
early adulthood. Customize your project to your specific interests.

To submit your paper, DO NOT SUBMIT THIS ASSIGNMENT TO THE
DROPBOX. Place this assignment on the portfolio website as instructed in the
“MSP Portfolio” tab in the Course Home.

To begin, select the scenario that corresponds to your
concentration track, and then, choose two successive developmental stages.
Create an outline of the client’s different developmental features during each
of the developmental periods. Write a paper that follows the sample case study
format (see below the scenarios). You must use at least five primary source
references that are from peer-reviewed journals and the class text.

Applied Behavioral Analysis

Client: Jackson

Age range: you decide- example early adulthood (20-40 yrs.)
to middle adulthood (40-60 yrs.).

Jackson has developed phobias over the last few years,
specifically to spiders, heights, and germs. He (or his parents if you make him
a child) is uncertain as to when they began or how. However, the fear is
debilitating and prevents him from being able to function in his life.

Questions to use to guide your response:

1. What are the main features of
   Jackson’s cognitive, social, biological, and psychosocial development
   during two developmental periods? Explain the ones that are relevant to
   your proposed therapy interventions.
2. Which therapeutic interventions
   would you suggest for helping him to reduce the fear? (Hint: Again,
   consider his developmental period in order to create appropriate
   interventions.)
3. Predict some developmental issues
   that might contribute to the phobias or
4. prevent treatment from working.

Addictions

Client: Michelle

Age range: you decide- example early adulthood (20-40 yrs.)
to middle adulthood (40-60 yrs.).

Michelle has been referred to you because she was arrested
last week for possession of heroin with intent to distribute. She also tested
positive for heroin and marijuana adding to her charges. She has no history of
prior treatment and is unwilling to enter treatment now, though she was court
ordered.

Questions to use to guide your response:

1. What are the main features of
   Michelle’s cognitive, social, biological, and psychosocial development
   during two developmental periods? Explain the ones that are relevant to
   your proposed therapy interventions.
2. Propose some developmentally
   appropriate interventions that could be used to help Michelle to reduce
   her cravings.
3. Predict some developmental issues
   that might contribute to the addiction problems or prevent treatment from
   working.

General Psychology

Participant: Patrick

Age range: you decide- example adolescence (12-17 yrs.) to
early adulthood (20-40 yrs.).

You are studying the development of people who lived in New
Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Your participants lost everything, including
at least one close family member. Your particular interest is in studying
issues faced by them (including possible developmental problems) related to
moving away from New Orleans, loss of house, loss of a family member, and
change in economic status. To study these effects, you are conducting a
longitudinal study using the same population, interviewed annually over many
years to collect data. The main interest is in gathering data related to the
specific effects of experiencing a disaster on social, biological,
psychological, psychosocial, and cognitive development of different-aged
people.

Patrick is one of your subjects who was forced to live in
Texas temporarily and then moved to New Jersey before returning to New Orleans
three years later.

Questions to guide your response:

1. What are the main features of
   Patrick’s cognitive, social, biological, emotional, and psychosocial
   development during two developmental periods? Hypothesize the reasons for
   any developmental problems that you find.
2. Predict the results of your
   findings for people in the two developmental periods and suggest
   interventions or strategies for reducing the effects of exposure to
   disasters.
3. Propose further studies that could
   be created to explore your predicted findings.

Case Study Suggested Format and Strategies

Research

Begin by selecting two developmental periods (remember that
they need to be consecutive) and research the typical expectations for
cognitive, social, moral, and biological development. Then conduct research
using a peer- reviewed journal such as Developmental Psychology or Child
Development to determine what kinds of developmental problems might arise in
your chosen scenario.

Use that research and knowledge of developmental theory to
create your hypothetical client/participant case study.

Writing Case Studies

1. Introduction: Describe the
   problems to be solved including specific information about the
   client/participant. Be clear in explaining the exact problem(s) or
   research question(s) so that your reader will be able to understand the
   rest of the case study.
2. Background: In this section,
   describe in detail the specific developmental issues and pertinent
   background that would help to explain why the client/participant is
   experiencing problems in the present. Typically, this section includes the
   age the problem started and any specific information from the past that
   relates to the current problems (e.g., child of an alcoholic).
3. Current State: In this section,
   explain the client/participant’s strategies for handling the problem(s).
   Explain the client/participant’s current developmental stages, making sure
   that you only focus on those that apply to the problem. For example, if
   your client is being treated for a cognitive problem, you wouldn’t explain
   his or her social development in great detail, unless it is relevant to
   the problem.
4. Suggested Interventions: In this
   section, explain how the client/participant might benefit from specific
   treatments or interventions. Remember to use peer reviewed research to
   support your ideas.
5. Conclusion: Provide a brief
   re-statement of the problem and ideas for future study to help others who
   have the same problems.

6.     Grading Criteria Unit 6 Project	Points Possible	Points Earned
Course Content
An explanation of how adolescents develop problems from the chosen topic	0-30
Explanation of the risk factors shared by adolescents who experience these problems (from the chosen topic)	0-25
Connection between the development of an adolescent’s sense of self and exposure to the chosen topic (e.g. how does early pregnancy help shape a female’s concept of self)	0-40
Support for research includes at least five peer-reviewed articles from appropriate primary sources	0-25
Writing
Style and Mechanics: Clear and logical organization; paragraphs and sentences are well developed. Uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Meets length requirements.	0-15
APA Style: Formatted correctly using APA style. Provides references to support conclusions.  Paraphrased correctly and accurately; direct quotes used minimally.	0-15
Total	150
An explanation of the points earned, as well as where the assignment could be strengthened will be included with your grade.