Observation Papers PSYC 2314: Human Growth and Development
For Modules 2-5, you will write on observation paper per each module. Select
a subject that correlates with the age ranges discussed in that specific module
and follow all instructions as they are listed on this handout.
General information about this assignment:
1. Observe your subject for at least 30 minutes. Choose ONE person to observe,
not multiple different people of the same age.
2. You must observe a person in real life. You may not write your paper over a
person that you watched on television or on a you tube video.
3. The paper should be typed using a 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch
margins, and two spaces after each period.
4. You must include a title page, a page header/running head at the top of every
page, and page numbers.
5. Use correct grammar and spelling. Points will be lost for typos and
misspellings.
6. Your final paper should be around 2 pages per subject/module. If your paper
is less than 2 pages long then you have not completed all of the requirements
with enough detail, and you should add more to your paper. If your paper is
over 2 pages, that is okay. You will not lose points for going over 2 pages.
7. Because this is a personal observation, first person language may be used in
this paper. You are not required to write this paper in third person.
8. All information from a book or website that you refer to MUST have an APA
citation. For APA guidelines, please consult
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
Section 1 – Details of observation and stages of subject
1. Give date, time, and place of observation.
2. Correctly state the age and gender of the subject (male or female, don’t say
son/daughter/sister/brother/etc).
3. Correctly identify the developmental stages of the observed subject. Must give the
stage and development crisis in Erikson’s Theory of Social Development AND the
stage in Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development.
4. Also describe a behavior that shows they are in that stage. What behaviors led you
to believe they were in these stages? Explain how you know they are in these stages.
5. Provide a proper APA citation for the information you write about Piaget and
Erikson.
Section 2 – Observed behaviors
Describe, in detail, at least FIVE behaviors you actually observed during this
particular observation. A detailed observation is considered to be a vivid descriiption
of exactly what was observed: how long things occurred, what the person was doing,
how they reacted, what their emotions were, what they said, etc. What do you
actually see? Do you see Jane kicking while someone is holding her up? Do you see
her crying? If so, for how long? If you mainly talked to a person, tell what you talked
about as well as what they were doing while you were talking (body language,
activity, etc). This section should be very detailed on what you actually observed.
Pretend that you are describing everything that you see to a blind person sitting
next to you when you write this section.
Section 3 – Explanations and citations
Explain and interpret each of the 5 behaviors that you observed. Interpret the
meaning and possible reason for the behavior. You will get this information from the
textbook about the reason for the person’s behavior. For example—if you observed
that a child only wants to play alone, what is the meaning of that behavior as it
relates to their current stage of development? What does your book say about social
play at that particular stage of development? Is that typical or atypical at that stage?
Here is an example of how you might write up one explanation: I observed Johnny
deciding that he would not take out the trash as his mother asked. This problem
could be because adolescents want to be treated like adults and Johnny resented
that his mother told him what to do (Berk, 2004).
I am looking for proof that you can apply what you read/learn from the textbook in
everyday settings.
In addition to your book explanations, you are also allowed to give your own
opinion about why someone is behaving in the way in which they are. You will not
give an APA citation for your personal opinion.
You’ll need to have an APA citation for each time that you use information from the
book or another source to explain a behavior. Be sure to cite your sources using
APA format. If you don’t, this will be considered plagiarism, and you will be highly
penalized grade-wise.
For help with APA format, please contact the college librarian or
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
APA format is different from MLA format. APA requires only the author’s last name
& the date of publication. For example, (Berk, 2004).
Include the page number if you are citing a direct quote.
Section 4 – Discussion
Discussion of what you learned. How did this observation impact you??? Discuss at
least three things that you learned from the observation. What did you feel as you
were doing this observation? What was the most important thing you learned? What
did you learn about the person that you observed? What did you learn about people
of this particular age? What did you learn about yourself? How did paying attention
to specific behavior impact you and your life? What was the most important part of
the observation for you? What did you find the most interesting? Don’t tell me that
you already knew the person really well and therefore didn’t learn anything!
Section 5 – Reference Page
Include a reference page or works cited page at the end of your paper. Must be in
proper APA format.
Additional information:
1. Your paper does not need to include an abstract.
2. Please do NOT go to a public school to observe. If you are a teacher already
teaching in a public school, then YES you may observe one of your students.
3. You may observe your own children if you would like.
4. You may not write the paper about yourself when your applicable age group is
due. However, you may observe a spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, etc.
5. You do not have to tell the person that you are observing them. If you observe
someone or someone’s child without them knowing that you are observing them,
then you do not need a consent form. However, if you ask to observe someone else’s
child and they know that you are observing him or her, then you need to collect a
consent form from the parent. Please see consent form document on Blackboard.
6. You may structure your paper by sections (section 1, 2, etc) if this is easier for you
than continuous paragraphs.
7. Please remember to proofread your paper, as grammatical errors will be counted
against you. You will also be graded on your spelling!
8. Remember: When you are observing a person directly, take into the account that
you do not want to make your subject uncomfortable. Interact with your person as
much as possible, or if you are observing indirectly, do not make your “mission”
seem obvious.
9. Please refer to the writing center on campus if you feel that your writing skills are
below average or unpolished. This is a college paper and I expect it to be written as
such.
10. Please refer to the NTCC librarian or the online Purdue writing center for help
with APA format.
11. If you have taken this course in the past, even if you took it with a different
instructor, you still need to do a brand new observation and write a brand new
paper. Please do not just turn in an old paper from a different semester.
General Observation Place Ideas: your workplace, youth groups, church, movies,
restaurants, mall, Wal-Mart, grocery store, park, playground, the fair/county/town
events, birthday parties, friends/family, any place where there are people!
Following below is the rubric that will be used to grade your papers.
Total points = 100 point