Extension Activity

What variables influence who we are? Is it where we grew up? Who our parents are? Our socioeconomic circumstances? Our gender? How have the ecological systems to which you belong interacted in complex ways to produce YOU?

1. The first paragraph of your paper should be a compelling introduction that introduces the variables that influence who we are as humans and the roles we play in life (see list below in question #4 for guidance).

2. For your second paragraph, take a moment to write down a description of yourself. Rather than listing psychological characteristics (e.g., easy-going, kind, introverted), list the primary roles that you think exemplify who you are. These might include college student, daughter, father, athlete, musician, teacher, employee, your religious affiliation, etc.

3. Select one of the roles that you would like to discuss. Now think about the variables in your life that have made that role salient. For example, if you’re an athlete, it might be that your parents encouraged you to get involved in sports, you were tall enough to play basketball, you went to a school with a great basketball program, and you earned a scholarship to play in college. It might be helpful to list these in the notes you are using in writing your paper.

4. For the remainder of your paper, discuss how the developmental variables listed below have affected that role you now play in your life (the one you selected). You will probably not use all of the variables, but really think about which ones played a part in determining that role and discuss their influence. Use ideas from chapter One in your text to guide your discussion €“ include at least one citation from the text (e.g., Santrock, p. 45) and underline it within your text.

? Nature/genetics
? Nurture/environment
? Socioeconomic factors
? Culture
? Race, ethnicity, nationality
? Sex/Gender
? Era in which you grew up

Grading Rubric:

Standard Points Possible
Student wrote effective introduction that addressed developmental variables. 2
Student included paragraph addressing the roles they play in their own lives. 2
Student analyzed one role according to listed variables. 2
Student included one citation form text and underlined them. 2
Formatting / Quality of Writing 2
Total 10