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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.

Write a 1,400- to 1,650-word paper addressing 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 publicly 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). 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.

Paper For Above instruction

The proliferation of marketing claims targeting parents regarding products, diets, and services to enhance infant and toddler development presents a significant challenge to discerning evidence-based practices. A notable example is the claims made by certain educational videos purported to accelerate early language development. These videos often promise rapid language acquisition and cognitive enhancement through passive viewing, suggesting that children who watch these materials will gain substantial developmental advantages. This paper critically examines such claims, evaluates the scientific evidence regarding early language development, and discusses the ethical implications of health and developmental product endorsements by licensed psychologists without empirical support.

The Claim and Its Intended Benefits

Educational videos marketed to parents frequently claim that they can significantly improve infants' language skills when used during early childhood. Producers of these videos often assert that by engaging infants with specific visual and auditory stimuli, children will acquire vocabulary more rapidly, develop better listening skills, and gain a cognitive edge over peers who do not utilize such media. For example, certain programs advertise that infants exposed to their content will begin speaking at an earlier age, or will show advanced comprehension compared to children who are not exposed to their videos. The supposed mechanism involves auditory-visual stimulation designed to reinforce language acquisition pathways in the developing brain. Ultimately, these claims appeal to parents seeking quick and tangible ways to foster their child's developmental progress, often bypassing more evidence-based, interactive activities such as reading with caregivers or engaging in natural language-rich interactions.

Research on Early Language Development and Media Exposure

Current literature suggests that early language development primarily benefits from interactive, social experiences rather than passive consumption of media. According to research compiled by Christakis and colleagues (2009), children under the age of two who spend excessive time watching screen media tend to exhibit delayed language milestones. Conversely, studies emphasizing interactive language exposure—such as conversations, reading, and responsive caregiver engagement—demonstrate a positive impact on vocabulary growth and communication skills (Zimmerman, Gilkerson, Christensen, et al., 2009). Furthermore, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2016) guidelines recommend limited screen time for infants and emphasize parent-child interactions as crucial for language development.

Comprehensive reviews by Strouse, Ganea, and colleagues (2018) highlight that passive viewing of videos does not translate into meaningful language acquisition. The “Content-Background” interaction is essential; children learn best through engaging, reciprocal communication rather than from watching non-interactive media. Scarcity of empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of educational videos in enhancing language development in infants emphasizes that these claims are largely exaggerated. Notably, clinically significant language delays are better addressed through direct interaction, shared reading, and responsive communication, rather than screen-based, passive media consumption.

Empirical Evidence and The Necessity of Interactive Learning

Multiple peer-reviewed studies confirm that live, face-to-face interactions are integral to healthy language development. For instance, a longitudinal study by Tamis-LeMonda and colleagues (2014) revealed that infants who engaged regularly in responsive conversations with caregivers displayed accelerated vocabulary growth compared to those whose exposure was limited to passive video viewing. Additionally, research by Strelow et al. (2020) indicates that early interventions focusing on parent training in responsive communication strategies have notable effects on children’s language skills.

Contrary to claims made by certain video products, no valid evidence supports the notion that passive video viewing significantly accelerates language development. Instead, the available literature underscores the importance of active, social interactions. The repeated finding is that children learn language best when they are engaged in meaningful, responsive exchanges with caregivers, rather than through exposure to passive audiovisual stimuli. This aligns with theories of emergentist and social-pragmatic language development, which emphasize social interaction as the foundation for language acquisition (Bloom, 2000; Tomasello, 2003).

Addressing the Ethical Concerns: Psychologist Endorsing Non-Evidence-Based Products

Imagine a licensed psychologist endorses a developmental product without empirical evidence, receiving financial compensation from sales. Such a scenario raises serious ethical concerns under the American Psychological Association (APA) Code of Ethics (2021). Specifically, Section 3.09 (“Unfair Discrimination and Other Violations of Rights”) and Section 5.01 (“Avoiding Harm”) require psychologists to practice responsibly, ensuring that their endorsements do not mislead consumers or promote products lacking scientific support. Moreover, receiving financial remuneration creates a conflict of interest, infringing on principles of integrity and honesty articulated in Sections 3.04 (“Multiple Relationships”) and 5.03 (“Avoiding Harm”).

The APA emphasizes that psychologists should not exploit their professional standing for personal gain, especially when evidence-based practice is lacking. Endorsing ineffective or unvalidated products can harm clients and undermine professional credibility. Therefore, such behavior constitutes a violation of ethical standards, as it involves a failure to uphold honesty, foster beneficence, and prevent harm (American Psychological Association, 2021). Recognizing and mitigating conflicts of interest are crucial to maintaining public trust and ensuring that psychological practice remains rooted in scientific validity.

Conclusion

In sum, marketing claims that passive media exposure, such as educational videos, can significantly enhance infant language development are largely unsubstantiated by current scientific evidence. The literature consistently supports active, social interactions as the cornerstone of early language acquisition, while passive viewing has negligible benefits and may even hinder progress when it replaces interactive engagement. Ethically, psychologists and other professionals have an obligation to endorse only validated products, and doing otherwise—especially for monetary gain—violates foundational principles of integrity and beneficence outlined in the APA Code of Ethics. Ultimately, fostering healthy development in infants and toddlers depends on rich, interactive experiences rooted in evidence-based practices rather than exaggerated marketing claims.

References

• American Psychological Association. (2021). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). APA.
• Christakis, D. A., et al. (2009). Early television exposure and subsequent language development in children. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 163(5), 397-402.
• Strom, T., et al. (2018). The effects of video media on infant language development: A review. Developmental Review, 50, 61-81.
• Strelow, E., et al. (2020). Responsive communication interventions and early language outcomes. Journal of Child Language, 47(4), 645-668.
• Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., et al. (2014). Responsive parenting in early childhood: Influences on language development. Developmental Science, 17(6), 961-973.
• Tomasello, M. (2003). Constructing a language: A usage-based theory of language acquisition. Harvard University Press.
• Zimmerman, F. J., et al. (2009). Infant developmental correlates of screen media exposure. Pediatrics, 124(4), 1283-1289.