Field Research
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 are:
– Educational videos as 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
Address the following:
– What area or areas of development does the product, diet,
or service claim to enhance?
– Use the UOPX library to investigate the claim. What does
the published literature say about the issue or concern that you are
investigating? What does the research reveal about how to promote healthy
development in this area or areas? 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.
– The code of ethics can be located at the following link:
http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
