Psychology Unit 2 Child Development Assignment Brief 2026

Psychology Unit 2 Assignment Brief

• It is an essay between 1500 and 2000 words.
  o This does not include the Title or the Bibliography.
  o There is no allowance. You need to be under the 2000 words.
• The essay title is ‘Describe and evaluate theories of language acquisition and attachment in childhood’. This is the title you will put before your essay.
• Formatting
  o It should use double line spacing and size 12 text.
  o It should have normal margins.
  o Put your name in the header.
  o Put the word count at the end of the essay or in the header.
• You need to write information in your own words and then reference to show where the information is from. Please remember that your similarity score will need to be below 25%. Do not use AI!

Assessment Criteria

The assessment criteria you need to meet are given in the table below. The guidance provided by us is intended to help you meet these criteria.

(1) The criteria ask you to compare nature and nurture approaches to language acquisition. We recommend Skinner’s theory (nurture), and Chomsky’s theory (nature). However, you can switch Skinner’s theory for Brunner’s social interactionist theory if you prefer.

(2) If there is anything in the guidance you intend to deviate from, please discuss with your tutor so they can check that it will meet criteria.

Grading

This unit is graded, so you will receive a Pass, Merit or Distinction when it has been marked. Grades are decided based on your performance on the relevant grading subcomponents for that unit.

Grading subcomponents are different for each unit and are given on the assignment brief along with an explanation of what is expected at each grade. You can find the assignment brief on ALO where you will submit your assignment.

You can learn more about the grading process in the Student Guide to Grading document in the Course Information on ALO.

Essay structure

Below is the recommended essay structure. The word counts are only to help you understand how much to write for each paragraph, it is fine if you are above or below so long as the whole assignment is between 1500 and 2000 words.

Please use the following as your guide and essay plan to ensure that you are covering everything in sufficient detail.

1. The introduction should define child development, language development and attachment formation. It should then say what the essay will discuss. Make sure you include a citation for each definition.

2. Describe the key features of a nurture-based theory (Skinner) and a naturebased theory (Chomsky). I recommend you have 1 paragraph on each.

a. For Skinner’s theory, describe; learning from the environment, how he proposed language could be developed through operant conditioning, tacts and mands.

b. For Chomsky’s theory, describe; innate language acquisition, the language acquisition device, universal grammar, and the critical period of language development.

3. Compare the two theories, focusing on nature vs nurture as a theme for comparison. You are not evaluating or saying which is better, just discuss similarities and differences. This doesn’t have to be a separate paragraph – you can add these points in to the previous paragraphs if you like. You could consider:

a. Do the theories suggest language is innate or learnt?

b. Do the theories suggest a critical period, or do they suggest language learning is a life-long process?

c. Do the theories suggest language development is universal – the same across all languages and cultures?

d. Does either theory suggest that language learning is easier for a child?

e. Is taking either a nature or nurture stance enough to really explain the complex development of language?

4. Explain and evaluate the classical conditioning theory (learning theory) of attachment formation. I recommend you do this in 2 separate paragraphs.

a. Explain the theory that a child could develop attachments through classical conditioning. Use correct terminology (e.g., unconditioned stimulus) and make sure your explanation is specific to attachment. Pavlov’s dogs are not relevant to attachment! You could also mention drive reduction theory.

b. Evaluate this theory using Harlow (1958) and/or Tronick et al (1992). You will need to explain what the research did and then show how it supports or undermines the theory.

5. Explain and evaluate Bowlby’s theory of attachment formation. You can do this as a paragraph explaining and then a paragraph evaluating, or you can evaluate as you go along.

a. Key features to explain are:

i. Attachment is evolutionarily adaptive.

ii. Social releasers.
iii. The monotropic bond.
iv. The internal working model.
v. There is a critical period to attachment formation.

b. To evaluate these key features, you can use any relevant research. Here are some suggestions: Tronick et al. (1992), Brazelton et al. (1975), Bailey et al. (2007), Hazan and Shaver (1987).

6. Describe Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation and then discuss using Hodges and Tizard (1989). I recommend you write this in two paragraphs. Make sure to focus on the long-term effects, not short-term effects of separation. Focus on:

a. The difference between deprivation and privation – give definitions.

b. What Bowlby thought the long-term consequences would be.

c. You could use the 44 thieves study to support his theory.

d. Describe Hodges and Tizard’s research.

e. Use the results of their research to illustrate long-term consequences of deprivation and privation.

7. The conclusion should be a summary of the whole essay, not just one part. Think about what themes run through the essay and try to pull them into an overall conclusion. Then summarise the strengths and limitations of the theories discussed.

Answer

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