This semester you will be required to write an autobiographical research paper based on the application of one of Erik Erickson’s eight stages of development to your lived experience. This paper is due April 21st at 11:59pm EST.
The paper will consist of six pages containing the body of your paper plus a title page and reference page, eight pages in total. It will be APA formatted which includes both the title page and the reference page. No abstract is required for this paper.
What students will be required to do is to write a six-page paper (plus title page and reference page) that focuses on one developmental stage in their life and apply Erikson’s theory to your experience. Your paper would present a clear argument about how this particular theory explains (or doesn’t explain) this stage in your development using three professional sources based on interpreting Erikson’s ideas. Your sources should be scholarly commentators or interpreters of Erikson’s theory as published in articles or books, some of which you can find on the internet. These sources are to be added to your references from the writings of Erikson himself.
There are three logical steps in a paper like this:
Step 1. Which stage in your life will you explore in terms of applying a developmental theory? Which period is really of the most interest to you? Since most of us have insufficient memories of the early years, most students choose to select a stage from early adolescence through adulthood.
Step 2. Drawing on your memories and significant details of the stage you wish to detail, make a rough outline of that period of your life. Think through a thesis of what you want to attain in writing this paper.
Step 3. Based on the ideas generated from your chosen stage of Eriksons theory, identify and research professional sources you think are pertinent to your objectives and to the thesis and theme of your paper.
Step 4. Your paper should be a clear argument about how Erikson’s ideas apply & explains (or doesn’t apply) to this stage in your development.
Step 5. All psychological papers use the (APA) American Psychological Association format.
Why do I think that the papers using this model have been so good? Because we are interested in how we came to be who we are. Because students could wrap their mind around this subject matter of theory as it applies to personal experience.
Want more information on this model? Email me and I will be happy to answer all questions.
Before you submit your research paper, be sure that you check the APA formatting requirement for your paper.
