Doctoral written specialty prelim study guide

AREA: Human development in education

1. Purpose

The purpose of the specialty written examination, or qualifying papers, in human development is to assess students’ knowledge of two specific area of human development in education. These areas will be determined by the students and their advisers, in conjunction with committee members. Different formats are possible. There could be, for example questions for papers associated with a content area (such as reading or aggression), developmental processes (such as the role of sensitive periods in development), and longitudinal research designs and statistics. Alternatively, the papers could pertain to two separate content areas.

2. Description

Students will be asked to complete two separate qualifying papers in areas agreed upon by the student, their advisers, and their committee members.

Each paper should address a substantive or methodological issue/question in the field. Although there is no standard length, each paper should be in the range 15-25 pages (double spaced, without references) and follow APA conventions for review papers.

3. Eligibility for the written preliminary exam

To write the preliminary exam papers in human development in education students must submit a formal request using the EPsy General Preliminary Registration Form. The request must be submitted at least four weeks before the beginning of the semester in which the first paper will be written.

Students must also have submitted their degree programs and the EPsy Examining Consent Form to the director of graduate studies (DGS). Registration for the prelim is done through the DGS and one’s adviser.

In addition to the general educational psychological / psychological foundations requirements, students who wish to take the examination are expected to have completed several courses taught by faculty in the human development area and have read widely in the field.

EPsy general prelim registration form [.pdf]

4. Written prelim content

Each paper should address major questions, issues, or themes in the research literature. The aim of each paper is to answer the questions or address the issues or themes by summarizing the empirical and theoretical literature in the field. Students should draw conclusions from a variety of investigations that address identical or related questions or hypotheses. Such papers may have the following components: The student’s assessment of: the state of knowledge concerning the relations of interest; critical assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of the extant research; important issues that have not been addressed and are unresolved; ways in which these unresolved or unaddressed issues can be addressed in future research. It should NOT be a mere listing of studies on a topic with no integration or analysis. In cases where specific questions are the basis of papers, students should address each specific question and its components.

5. Scheduling the written prelim

To schedule the written preliminary papers in Human Development and Education students must submit a formal request using the EPsy General Preliminary Registration Form. The request must be submitted at least four weeks before the beginning of the semester in which the papers will be written.

The two papers must be written and submitted in consecutive semesters (summer term can be included). The student will have the full semester to complete each paper and the paper must be submitted to the adviser on the last scheduled class day of that semester.

6. Prelim scoring

Scoring will be based on the following principles: The paper exhibits a clear, logical, and consistent argument in discussing the depth and breadth of the issues associated with the topic or question. The paper addresses both the theoretical and empirical bases of the topic or question. The paper is written in a timely and professional fashion.

Each paper will be read by two faculty members: The student’s adviser and one of the committee members writing the question. With regards to the adviser’s question, a member of the committee—of the adviser’s choosing—will be second reader. Readers will grade the paper 1-5, with 1 as low. Students must receive a grade of 2.5 or above on each paper in order to pass.

Students will be notified of the results of the papers within one month of submitting the papers. Students must get passing grades on all of the papers from all readers. If a student receives any failing mark, he or she will have one opportunity to re-write the paper, after consultation with the adviser and the committee member assigning the failing grade. If the adviser assigned the failing grade, the adviser will choose another committee member with whom he/she and the student will meet. If the student receives another rating lower than 2.5 on the paper, the student's study in the psychological foundations of education/QME program is terminated.

7. Sample paper topics/questions

• The concept of ‘development” is used as an organizing principle in many areas of psychology, including educational psychology. First discuss what is meant by a “developmental orientation” in psychology. As part of this definition be sure to specify what you see as the key principles of development. Next please show how a developmental orientation can be applied to two problems in education, one from the area of social or personality and one from the cognition. As part of this discussion please demonstrate how a developmental orientation differs from others, such as “adult oriented” psychology or more traditional educational psychology.
• Designing a “developmental” research project presents unique opportunities and challenges. What do you see are some basic issues in research design and statistical analyses that should be included in developmental research. Illustrate your points by specifying a hypothetical research question. Specifically, pose a developmental research question and then specify a design and corresponding statistical analyses.
• Aggression is a growing problem among children and youth in modern industrial societies around the world. Apply your knowledge of theories and empirical studies to:
  • Define aggression.
  • Discuss possible origins and developmental courses of aggression from childhood through early adulthood. Please attend to issues ranging from “macro” social forces, more proximal forces, such as peer groups and family, to individual difference variables, such as temperament.
  • Propose directions for future research in this area.
• Discuss the construct “social competence” from different theoretical perspectives as it applies across the life span. How can this construct be incorporated into preschool, primary school, and secondary curriculum and evaluation?
• Close social relationships are an important part of our social worlds. Two close relationships, attachment and friendship, may be particularly important for children. Define and compare the two constructs. Describe the form each takes through early adolescence. What is the significance, or function, of each in children’s social, emotional and cognitive lives?
• Evolutionary psychology is stimulating a great deal of research in psychology. First, outline some of the basic tenets of the evolutionary theory, and related predictions, for at least three of the below listed topics: Aggression, altruism, mate choice, parental behavior, sex differences in and social behavior cognition, and cognitive development.
• A child’s family has an important impact on his/her social behavior. Define and compare the explanations proffered by socialization theory, attachment theory, behavioral genetics, and socio-biological theory as they relate to children’s social behavior and school achievement. What are some constructs which each theory share? What are the areas that are not reconcilable?
• Recently the role of social processes in children’s cognition has been advanced. Discuss the theories and empirical studies explicating the role of other children and adults on specific aspects of children’s cognitive processes. How can these basic processes be integrated into primary school classroom instruction?
• Day care for infants and children is an issue of increasing concern among parents, policy makers, educators, and psychologists. There is also debate among psychologists regarding the impact of day on infants’ and children’s social behavior and relationships. Outline the issues and the corresponding theories of this debate as they apply to children’s social behavior and relationships. What is the empirical evidence to support these claims? From this theory and evidence outline dimensions of a day care center’s environment that would maximize children’s positive social behaviors and healthy social relationships.
• Sociobiologists, evolutionary psychologists, and ethologists have recently argued that basic cognitive processes have their evolutionary origins in the social groupings and interaction patterns characteristic of higher primates. Review this literature, making specific reference to the correspondence between specific social processes and cognitive and linguistic outcomes. As part of this discussion, please suggest ways in which these processes are moderated by environmental factors.

8. Forms

See Educational Psychology - Degree Forms.

Revised January 2006