Case Study

PSYC 200
CASE STUDIES
Chose one of the following case studies as part of the research project for the course. Your response to the case study should be a minimum of 7 pages and should include research related to the topic. In-text citation and a work cited page are required. Include specific recommendations. In your conclusion, discuss you personal thoughts on the topic and relate to your own experiences. Why did you choose the topic?

# 1) Toddlerhood – Parenting
You are a child psychologist. The parents of a toddler come to your office for assistance. Their son is 32 months old – a couple months short of 3-years of age. The parents are struggling with ongoing behavior problems exhibited by the child. The child is defiant, aggressive and strong willed. He has a history of frequent temper tantrums when he does not get his way. It has gotten to the point where the parents avoid taking him out in public. His daycare provider recently informed the parents of several behavioral problems. He often does not follow directions and frequently breaks the rules. Recently, there have been incidents of him hitting and biting other children. In addition, he is still not toilet trained. The parents feel as if they have tried every approach with little success – their parenting appears to be inconsistent as a result of their efforts to explore every option. Furthermore, they often disagree as to how to best discipline their son. The father often spanks his son while the mother is opposed to this approach. The parents are feeling overwhelmed and come to you for help.
Based on your knowledge of the developmental needs and issues of toddlers, you are asked to provide a plan of action to address these problems. Provide specific recommendations to correct the child’s behavioral problems as well as a plan to toilet train the child. Your recommendations should incorporate behavioral (learning) theory, Baumrind’s research on parenting styles as well as discipline techniques discussed in the textbook. Your plan should also address psychosocial developmental issues according to Erikson’s Theory of SocioEmotional Development. Be specific in your recommendations.