2015PSY Developmental Psychology Assignment 2025
2015PSY Developmental Psychology Assignment
Assignment Materials
Assignment Information Sheet & Marking Criteria.pdf (this document)
Assignment Template.docx (template)
Example Assignment.pdf (HD exemplar)
Due Date: Friday 16 May, 11:59PM (Week 10)
Weighting: Marked out of 100 (worth 30% of course grade)
Word Count: 1,500 words maximum
(inclusive of main text, headings, in-text citations; excluding title page & reference list)
To Do List
Review this assignment information sheet and all assignment materials carefully.
Choose one topic to focus your critical evaluation on and read the starter reference for that
topic.
Identify and critique additional relevant articles surrounding this topic.
Apply these critiques to present a structured argument for or against this topic.
Topics & Starter References
Does the consumption of ultra-processed foods and/or drinks increase the risk of mental
health problems across the lifespan?
Lane, M. M., Gamage, E., Travica, N., Dissanayaka, T., Ashtree, D. N., Gauci, S., … & Marx, W.
(2022). Ultra-processed food consumption and mental health: A systematic review and
meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutrients, 14(13), Article 2568.
10.3390/nu14132568
Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Levy, R. B., Moubarac, J. C., Louzada, M. L., Rauber, F., … &
Jaime, P. C. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: What they are and how to identify them. Public
Health Nutrition, 22(5), 936-941.
Does playing video games improve cognition across the lifespan?
Nuyens, F. M., Kuss, D. J., Lopez-Fernandez, O., & Griffiths, M. D. (2019). The empirical
analysis of non-problematic video gaming and cognitive skills: A systematic review.
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 17, 389-414.
s11469-018-9946-0
Reynaldo, C., Christian, R., Hosea, H., & Gunawan, A. A. (2021). Using video games to
improve capabilities in decision making and cognitive skill: A literature review. Procedia
Computer Science, 179, 211-221.
Assignment Guidelines
Your task is to critically evaluate the developmental psychology literature to answer one of the
questions posed above. This requires more than summarizing studies—it involves synthesizing
research, identifying patterns, and constructing a well-supported argument.
To present a strong critical evaluation, you must:
Read widely on your chosen topic and integrate a diverse range of scholarly sources (i.e.,
peer-reviewed journals and academic texts) into a comprehensive, up-to-date analysis.
Demonstrate a broad understanding of the scientific literature by covering key empirical and/
or theoretical work relevant to your argument.
Highlight controversies, limitations, and conflicting findings in the literature.
Organize your evaluation around themes or ideas, rather than presenting a collection of
disconnected study summaries.
Critical thinking is essential. Being “critical” does not just mean pointing out limitations—it means
constructing a clear, well-researched argument, acknowledging both strengths and weaknesses in
the literature. A successful evaluation will articulate why certain studies are robust (or not) and
how they contribute to the broader understanding of the topic.
Note: A purely descriptive essay that summarizes studies without analysis or a clear argument will
not meet the standards for a passing mark.
Additional Key Notes:
You will not need to write an abstract.
The word limit is 1,500 words maximum. To ensure equity across student assignments,
words exceeding this limit will not contribute to the mark for this assessment item.
Adhere to APA 7 standards for formatting the critical evaluation document and references.
Your paper will be assessed on how comprehensively and critically you analyse recent and
relevant scientific literature related to your topic.
Your writing will be evaluated based on clarity, coherence, and overall quality of expression.
Helpful Resources
Tutorial Materials (particularly Tutorials 1 to 4)
Assignment Discussion Thread (on L@G)
Consultations with the Teaching Team
A Note on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)
GenAI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) can be useful in range of ways, including assisting with skills in time
management, organisation, creativity and problem-solving. The University’s policy on the ethical
and responsible use of GenAI is that such tools may be used to:
brainstorm ideas on a topic/project and clarify about content/concepts that you are unsure of,
synthesise notes and assist with summarising challenging text,
provide tips on how to improve your academic style (editing and proofreading), and
request practice quiz questions for revision.
However, GenAI CANNOT be used to write, or produce, any part of your assessment
response. In cases where students have used GenAI inappropriately for this assessment
item, they will be flagged for academic misconduct.
