Consider the following: Many products, diets, and services are marketed to parents as beneficial to infant or toddler development. In order to increase sales to parents and caretakers, some companies use marketing strategies that make exaggerated, unfounded, or unrealistic claims about the effects of their product(s) on child development.
Select one claim that you suspect to be exaggerated or false (your research may in fact show the claim has validity). Describe in detail what the advertised product, diet, or service is supposed to do. Some examples include:
- Educational videos related to language development
- Effects of classical music on cognitive development
- Benefits of soy diet or organic food diet on physical and cognitive development
- Service promising to teach your 18-month-old how to read
- Any other claim made by a manufacturer or service provider, aimed at enhancing infant or toddler development
Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper addressing the following:
- What area or areas of development does the product, diet, or service claim to enhance?
- Use the University Library to investigate the claim. What does the published literature say about the issue you are investigating? What does the research reveal about how to promote healthy development in this area? What does this reveal about the necessity and actual benefits of the product, diet, or service?
- Is there any evidence to support the claim? Why or why not?
- Imagine that a licensed psychologist in your state publically endorsed a product with no empirical evidence supporting its claims. It was later discovered that the psychologist was receiving a percentage of money from the sale of the product to parents. Is this a violation of the APA Code of Ethics? Explain. Be sure to cite the appropriate section or sections of the Code in your response.
Investigate the claim using your textbook and a minimum of four additional scholarly sources (such as peer reviewed journal articles).
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
Note: You may not find a peer-reviewed journal article on a specific product, diet, or service. However, you will most likely be able to find peer-reviewed journal articles on the general issue that you are investigating. For example, if you are investigating educational videos that claim that cognitive skills in infancy are enhanced by using a particular approach or method, you can then review and evaluate studies that focus on enhancing cognitive skills in infancy. Review the evidence for and against the use of specific techniques and summarize your findings.
