Analysis Of Children’s Toy/Game And Influence On Development

In this assignment, you will complete an analysis on the assigned children’s toy or game based on both the cognitive development and EITHER the physical or psychosocial development of infants, toddlers, or middle childhood. You will analyze how the toy/game meets major developmental milestones and the normative behaviors for the target age range and specific cognitive, physical, or psychosocial needs and apply developmental theories to support the information you present. You will also recommend at least one modification that would improve the toy/game and provide a scholarly rationale on how this modification would enhance at least one of the areas of development. You will present your findings in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.

Note: Please note that this presentation IS NOT a consumer review of the product. The purpose of this presentation is to analyze a toy in terms of the developmental milestones discussed in this course.

Assignment Instructions:

The presentation slides should include the following sections and supporting information in bulleted format, along with appropriate supporting images. Presentation should also include elaboration and supporting details in paragraph format with in-text citations in the speaker notes section of the PowerPoint. Presentation should be approximately 7-10 slides. Upload the PowerPoint to the assignment dropbox. Refer to the grading rubric for more details.

Presentation Title: Assignment’s title, your name, the institution’s name

Section: Description of Toy/game

  • Provides a thorough and comprehensive description of toy/game selected including all of the following:
    • Identify the intended target age range for the toy/game.
    • Identify and explain if the toy/game is gender specific and to which gender it is targeted. Provide support and rationale for how you arrived at this conclusion.
    • Include an appropriate image(s) of toy.

Section: Functionality & Claims

  • Describe the functionality, and rules/requirements if applicable.
  • State any claims the manufacturer makes about the toy/game.

Section: Physical OR Psychosocial Needs

  • Thoroughly describe variables that influence physical development or psychosocial factors related to selected toy/game, including several supporting theories.
  • Ensure that information presented is well supported by established milestones from the text or other scholarly source.

Section: Cognitive Needs

  • Thoroughly explain the cognitive development influence of the toy/game selected including several supporting theories.
  • Ensure that information presented is well supported by established milestones from the text or other scholarly source.

Section: Modifications

  • Recommend and describe details of at least one modification that would improve the toy/game.
  • Thoroughly explain how the modification would enhance the child’s development in at least one of the 3 areas (physical, cognitive, psychosocial).
  • Provide a scholarly rationale and support by several theories on how this modification would enhance at least one of the areas of development (physical, psychosocial, cognitive).

References APA formatted references

Requirements:

  • Minimum of 1 additional reference – (such as manufacturer website and scholarly source published within the last five years)
  • Use textbook as primary reference.

APA formatted in-text citations and references for all the supporting evidence.

Meth Use

Here is the scenario:

Assume that you have just been appointed to a community-based committee that is looking into drug problems. A high school student on the committee has just returned from a residential treatment program and reports that methamphetamine use has become “very common” in local high schools. Some members of the committee want to call in some experts immediately to give school-wide assemblies describing the dangers of methamphetamine. You have asked for a little time to check out the student’s story to find out what you can about the actual extent of use in the community and report back to the group in a month.

Your assignment is to: Make a list of potential information sources and the type of information each might provide (include at least 10 items in your list). How close do you think you could come to making an estimate of how many current methamphetamine users there are in your community? Do you think it would be above or below the national average?

This assignment should be at least 2 pages in length. Remember to use a 12-point font and double-space the page(s).

 

 

Drug Trend

In the posted reading there is a discussion of some trends in drug use. Using the internet as a source of reference, write a 1–2-page report on some of the trends. Which one(s) do you think are the most important? What can we do to stop the increase in some of the statistics? How are some of these trends affecting our society?

Remember to use your own opinions. You will receive a better score if you use your own thoughts and opinions.

 

 

Alcohol Use

The posted chapter has a section discussing the factors that influence a person to consume alcohol. Write a 1–2-page paper stating which of these factors you think is the most influential. How has the advertising and marketing industry changed the consumption of alcohol? Is the media always honest when it comes to alcohol advertisements, and do you agree with the way alcohol is portrayed in ads?

Group Leadership Activity

The required format for the Summary is provided below.

  1. General information – Name of the activity, author(s), publication date (if available), a summary of the activity from beginning to end, description of the proposed population that might benefit from the activity with justification. CACREP Sec.2.F.6.e.,f., g.

Name of Activity:   A 7-STEP BREATHING ACTIVITY TO CULTIVATE A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE FOR PERSONAL GROWTH

Author: Shauna Bell/ No publication date

Proposed population: Maybe adolescence to adulthood

  1. Rational & Purpose – The purpose and rationale of the activity are thoroughly identified and described, the type of group, and the intended skill to be obtained or experienced by the members. CACREP Sec.2.F.6.a., f.
  2. Goal/Objectives – Group goals/objectives are appropriate and thoroughly outlined: age, setting, and diversity sensitive are considered, related to the purpose; specific, concrete, and measurable. CACREP Sec.2.F.6.e., g.

Group goal: Personal growth by focusing on mindful breathing. Set aside 5-15 minutes of mindful breathing in the morning before work or in the evening before bedtime

Ages: Adult females – 20-40s

Setting: Online/Zoom Counseling

  1. Materials – be detailed in this description; if specific patterns or handouts are needed, these must be included as an attachment.

Provided in the link below. No handout.

  1. Procedures/Techniques/Group Theory – Procedures (steps of the activity) are thoroughly outlined from beginning to end. Techniques are thoroughly described; they reflect the group purpose and diversity considerations (setting, other individual characteristics of the members). The group theory(s) is identified and thoroughly described; rationale given for theory choice. CACREP Sec.2.F.6.a.,b.,c.,f., g.

Procedure explanations are loaded in the file.

Techniques used throughout the session were open-ended questions, active listening, encouraging, rounds, self-disclosure, use of voice, clarification, reflection, and nonverbal cues

Group Theory is Person-Centered Theory (Link is provided below, citation included)

  1. Sample Discussion/Processing Points – At least TWO open-ended questions are provided at the end of the activity to support and enhance the participants’ insight, encourage them to process their activity experiences, and extend any benefits to their everyday life. CACREP Sec.2.F.6.b., c.

(1) At the beginning of the session: What does personal growth mean to you?

(2) When do you feel the most anxious, angry, scared, or sad?

(3) If you had magic breath, picture what it would look like when you blew out during those times. What about a happy time?

(4) How can you connect mindful breathing to your personal growth or life?

  1. Activity Ending & Evaluation – A thorough description of how (actions) to transition to the ending of the activity. A plan to evaluate group members’ total experience is thoroughly described; a member evaluation form is provided. The evaluation, at a minimum, should cover the following member feedback: what they learned from the activity, their experiences during the activity, their overall view of the activity (its effectiveness), and their overall view of the activity leader (effectiveness to lead a group). This meeting could also include a review of all the topics covered, the skills that have been applied, insights from each member on their overall gains, and how they will continue their growth work beyond the group. Include a copy of this with your paper in Appendix item A.   CACREP Sec.2.F.6.c.,d. g.
  2. Reference – provide at least one source you utilized in your research in creating and the activity; in APA FORMAT.

 

 

Psychology Week 10 Assignment Psych

MEDIA VIOLENCE AND DESENSITIZATION

Desensitization is a well-documented consequence of years-long exposure to media violence. From early exposure, children—especially boys—learn that aggression pays off (Bushman, Gollwitzer, & Cruz, 2015). Aggression—especially if it means you “win” the game, “defeat” the adversary, or “force” a resolution to a conflict—earns the aggressor attention, praise, respect, reverence, adoration, money, and power. These are the rewards that often accompany aggression portrayed by the film industry (e.g., Die Hard, Die Hard 2, Die Hard With a Vengeance, Live Free or Die Hard, A Good Day to Die Hard), making it more likely that the aggressive behavior will persist. The number of films in this series is evidence of their popularity. From classical conditioning theory, we learn that bad behavior paired with rewards can make the bad behavior desirable; moreover, the prevalence of violence in the media, over time, normalizes it. Studies show that when exposed to violent films daily over a week’s time, participants rate films as less violent with each film viewed (Dexter, Penrod, Linz, & Saunders, 2006). This is evidence of desensitization.

Desensitized people tend not to acknowledge the effects of media violence, because they don’t see that there’s a problem. However, a growing body of research finds that desensitized individuals downplay or tend not to acknowledge egregious harm done to others; because a steady diet of violent media normalizes violent behavior, injury suffered by people in real life does not seem like cause for concern (Vossen, Piotrowski, & Valkenburg, 2016). That’s the nature of desensitization, and that is indeed a problem.

Convinced there is no harm in violent media consumption—that their behavioral tendencies will not have been influenced by it—desensitized consumers probably would not be interested in changing their media viewing habits (Funk, Baldacci, Pasold, & Baumgardner, 2004).

For this Assignment, you will examine the concept of desensitization, methods used to increase the desirability of violence, and ways for parents to reduce aggression exhibited by their children.

References:

Bushman, B. J., Gollwitzer, M., & Cruz, C. (2015). There is broad consensus: Media researchers agree that violent media increases aggression in children, and pediatricians and parents agree. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 4(3), 200—214.

Dexter, H. R., Penrod, S., Linz, D., & Saunders, D. (2006). Attributing responsibility to female victims after exposure to sexually violent films. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 27(24), 2149–2171.

Funk, J. B., Baldacci, H. B., Pasold, T., & Baumgardner, J. (2004). Violence exposure in real-life, video games, television, movies, and the internet: Is there desensitization? Journal of Adolescence, 27(1), 23–39.

Vossen, H. G. M., Piotrowski, J. T., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2016). The Longitudinal relationship between media violence and empathy: Was it sympathy all along? Media Psychology, 20(2), 175–193.

 

  • Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., Akert, R. M., & Sommers, S. R. (Eds.). (2019). Social psychology (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
    • Chapter 10, “Attraction and Relationships: From Initial Impressions to Long-Term Intimacy”
    • Chapter 11, “Prosocial Behavior: Why Do People Help?”
  • Note: Viewing media and interactives embedded in the electronic version of this course text is not required for this course.
  • Darley, J. M., & Latané, B. (1968). Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion of responsibility. Journal of Personality and Social PsychologyLinks to an external site., 8(4), 377–383.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0025589
  • Latané, B., & Darley, J. M. (1968). Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,Links to an external site. 10(3), 215–221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0026570

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

TO PREPARE

  • Search the Walden Library and/or the Internet for the definition of desensitization, its symptoms, and the process that creates it.
  • From your search and from the Learning Resources for this week, consider the ways that violence is presented and whether or not its presentation is appealing to children.
  • Also, from your search, consider how social psychology theory is applied to reduce aggression.

Week 5 Feedback

 

 

 

 

 

Student’s Name.

 

 

 

 

Department/ Faculty

Professor’s Name

Course Code & Name

Date

 

 

 

I am conducting a presentation for a support group consisting of parents and caregivers of teenagers with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). The topic of the presentation is “Effective Strategies for Managing ADHD in Teens.”

  1. Meaningful Learning: To promote meaningful learning, I would start by establishing a connection with the audience. I’ll share statistics and real-life stories to demonstrate the prevalence and impact of ADHD on teenagers and their families. I will encourage the participants to share their experiences, challenges, and successes. By relating the content to their personal lives, the information will become more relevant and memorable.
  2. Internal Organization: To aid in internal organization, I will present the information in a structured manner. I’ll divide the presentation into key sections, such as understanding ADHD, identifying symptoms, and effective management strategies. Within each section, I will use bullet points or numbered lists to highlight essential points, making it easier for the audience to follow and retain the information.
  3. Elaboration: Elaboration involves connecting new information with existing knowledge. During the presentation, I will encourage the group members to relate the strategies to their own experiences and parenting styles. I will also provide practical examples and scenarios to demonstrate how the strategies can be applied in real-life situations. This will help the audience build on their existing knowledge and create meaningful associations with the content.
  4. Visual Imagery: Incorporating visual imagery can enhance engagement and memory retention. Throughout the presentation, I will use PowerPoint slides with relevant images, infographics, and charts to complement the spoken content. For instance, I might include a visual representation of the brain to explain how ADHD affects specific areas and how certain strategies can help. These visuals will help the audience grasp complex concepts more easily and leave a lasting impression.

In summary, by using these strategies in my presentation on “Effective Strategies for Managing ADHD in Teens” to a support group of parents and caregivers, I aim to maximize the likelihood of effective encoding of the content. Meaningful learning will be achieved through personal connections and sharing experiences. Internal organization will be employed to structure the presentation, aiding the audience’s comprehension. Elaboration will encourage participants to connect new information with their existing knowledge. Lastly, visual imagery will enhance engagement and improve memory retention, ensuring the information presented stays with the audience long after the presentation ends. The combination of these strategies will enable parents and caregivers to better understand and implement effective ADHD management techniques, ultimately improving the lives of the teenagers they care for.

 

Mod 5 Psychology

In this module, we reviewed several theories of emotion and discussed the concept of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ) refers to one’s ability to identify, evaluate, and manage their emotions as well as the emotions of others. Some experts even believe EQ is more important than IQ. Emotional intelligence allows us to enrich essential areas of our lives such as home, work, school, and community.

For this written assignment, students will describe the concept of emotional intelligence and the four core components of Goleman’s theory of emotional intelligence. Students will apply those four skills to themselves by assessing their own EQ. Students will define the concept of emotional intelligence.

  • Students will describe the four core skills of Goleman’s theory of emotional intelligence and discuss how each skill can enhance a person’s life.
  • For each of the four skills, students will identify their strengths and limitations and provide suggestions for how they can improve each skill in their own life. When completing this section of the assignment, consider the following:
  • Self-awareness: An emotional trigger is anything that evokes a strong emotional response. Are you aware of your emotional “triggers?” What are some of your triggers? Do you allow yourself to experience a range of emotions or do you have difficulty experiencing some emotions? How can you become more aware of your emotions and how they affect your behavior?
  • Self-management: How do you manage strong emotions such as anger, stress, or frustration? Think of a time when you were angry, stressed out, or frustrated. How did you handle it? Next, think about how you could handle those emotions in healthy ways in the future. Describe a few healthy emotional management skills.
  • Social awareness: Can you think of a time when you demonstrated empathy? What makes it difficult for you to show empathy? How can you improve your ability to consider others’ feelings and offer empathy?
  • Relationship management: What are some of the interpersonal strengths and limitations you bring to relationships? Are you a good communicator? How well do you listen? Are you a team player? Can you accept feedback? How do you manage conflict?

Psychology

 

Due Sunday by 11:59pm             Points 200 Submitting a text entry box, a website url, a media recording, or a file upload

Instructions:

The Signature Assignment for this course combines all the concepts you have explored in this term. In this assignment, you will choose one of the TED Talks below and form a response based on the provided guidance. As you respond to the questions, you will be expected to connect the concepts covered in this course to the information in your chosen video.

Please choose ONE of the following TED Talks to respond to.

TED.(2015, December 8). The ethical dilemma of self-driving cars / Patrick Lin [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixIoDYVfKA0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixIoDYVfKA0)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixIoDYVfKA0)

TED. (2015, May 26). Cultivating collaboration: Don’t be so defensive! / Jim Tamm [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjSTNv4gyMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjSTNv4gyMM)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjSTNv4gyMM)

TED. (2020, July 28). Ethical dilemma: The burger murders / George Siedel and Christine Ladwig [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8O131s31Rg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8O131s31Rg)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8O131s31Rg)

TED. (2016, January 25). What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness / Robert Waldinger  [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI)

.

For each number below, complete a thoughtful and thorough paragraph long enough to demonstrate your understanding of the subject matter of the class.

  1. The Argument and Syllogism: Complete a thoughtful and thorough paragraph long enough to demonstrate your understanding of the course concepts indicated.
    1. Summarize the overall argument of the video in your own words. Be sure to include details and the main points the speaker used to make the argument.
    2. Identify the three parts of the syllogism the speaker uses to make the overall argument: Major Premise

Minor Premise

Conclusion

  1. Testing the Syllogism: Complete a thoughtful and thorough paragraph long enough to demonstrate your understanding of the course concepts indicated.
    1. Based upon the syllogism (your answer to Part 1. B), does this argument demonstrate inductive or deductive reasoning? Provide support for your choice. Be sure to only choose deductive OR inductive; you cannot choose both or neither.
    2. If the argument is deductive, test your syllogism (your answers to Part 1. B) in terms of logical validity and soundness. Be sure to not only tell if the syllogism is valid and sound but also show how/how not or why/why not. If the argument is inductive, test your syllogism (your answers from Part 1. B) in terms of being a stronger or weaker inductive argument. Be sure to not only tell if the syllogism is stronger or weaker but also show how or why.
  2. Rhetorical Appeals: Complete a thoughtful and thorough paragraph long enough to demonstrate your understanding of the course concepts indicated.
    1. Identify examples of all three rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos) that you noticed in this video and what information from the video has led you to your choices. Be sure to select specific words, phrases, or ideas and explain their connections to each type of appeal. Also, indicate what effect the use of these appeals has on the persuasiveness of the argument.
  3. Rhetorical Devices and Logical Fallacies: Complete a thoughtful and thorough paragraph long enough to demonstrate your understanding of the course concepts indicated.
    1. Identify at least one specific rhetorical device and one specific logical fallacy in the way this topic is presented. Be sure to define the rhetorical device and fallacy and demonstrate how or why the source employs them. Also, discuss whether you think the use of each device and fallacy was deliberate or not and assess the effect that each one has on the argument.
    2. NOTE: Remember, ethos, pathos, and logos are rhetorical appeals, NOT devices, so they are not what is being asked here. This is asking about rhetorical devices.
  4. Moral Reasoning: Complete a thoughtful and thorough paragraph long enough to demonstrate your understanding of the course concepts indicated.
    1. Which specific kind of moral reasoning is demonstrated in your topic? Briefly elaborate on why you chose the one you did. Be sure to define the specific kind of moral reasoning you chose and demonstrate how or why the source employs them. Also, discuss whether the use of this kind of moral reasoning was deliberate and what effect it has on the persuasiveness of the argument.
  5. Reaction and Reflection: Identify the most interesting takeaway that you got from this video. Reflect on how your application of the course concepts affect your understanding and reaction to the video and argument.

When completing this assignment, please keep the following in mind:

First and third person (I, we, her, him, they) are fine for this assignment, but do not use second person (you, your).

This is not a formal essay, but please:

Include a title page, indicating which topic you chose.

Adhere to basic APA formatting, including:

12-point Times New Roman font

Double-spaced text

1-inch margins throughout

Cite any outside sources that you used to support your ideas in proper APA format with in-text citations and references.

Be sure to review the associated rubric for more guidance on the content that your response is expected to contain.

Review the rubric for specific grading criteria.

Signature Assignment Final Draft

 

Criteria Ratings   Pts
Understanding the Arguments

Does the student demonstrate the ability to discern the speaker’s 1) issue, 2) target audience, 3) conclusion, 3) main points, and 4) unstated, implied, or assumed perspectives. Does the student accurately and faithfully summarize them in the student’s own words in detail without being too reductive or without oversimplifying the source’s points?

 100 to >93.0 pts

Exceeds Expectations

The student is specific and detailed in describing the speaker’s position and main ideas. The student can systematically explain what the speaker’s claims are and describe how the speaker’s claims relate to one another, exemplifying sophistication, and comprehension. The student clearly identifies the source’s target audience.

 93 to >85.0 pts

Meets

Expectations

The student describes the speaker’s position and main ideas and identifies the source’s target audience.

 85 to >72.0 pts

Approaches

Expectations

The student generalizes or oversimplifies the speaker’s claims, and/or may have trouble expressing how the points relate to one another. The student may not clearly identify the target audience.

 72 to >0 pts

Does Not Meet

Expectations

The student misinterprets or misrepresents the source’s claims, and/or how the claims relate to one another. The student reacts personally or shows little understanding of the target audience.

 100 pts
Identifying and Applying Course Concepts

Does the student accurately identify and define the course terms and ideas indicated by the prompts? The student can correctly identify course concepts including objectivity/subjectivity, facts/beliefs/ideas, fallacies, biases, rhetorical devices/appeals, valid and sound deductive syllogisms, stronger or weaker inductive syllogisms, and various types of moral reasoning.

 50 to >46.25 pts

Exceeds Expectations

The student accurately and adeptly identifies and defines all the course terms and ideas indicated by the prompts, exemplifying sophistication and comprehension.

 46.25 to >42.5 pts

Meets Expectations

The student accurately identifies and defines most of the course terms and ideas indicated by the prompts.

 42.5 to >36.0 pts

Approaches

Expectations

The student identifies and defines all of the course terms and ideas indicated by the prompts, but they may be generalized, incomplete, or oversimplified.

 36 to >0 pts

Does Not Meet

Expectations

The student does not accurately identify or define the course concepts indicated by the prompts, or egregiously misinterprets those course concepts.

 50 pts
Analysis and Evaluation of Course Concepts

Can the student explain if the source’s use of course concepts are effective or ineffective, and why they would be effective or ineffective to the target audience? The “Exceeds” response assumes the student understands who the target audience is and can posit how that audience may respond to different arguments and rhetoric. They are explaining why a specific rhetorical strategy works on the target audience or how a fallacy like ad hominem preys on an in-group bias.

 50 to >46.25 pts

Exceeds Expectations

The student understands who the target audience is and can posit how the audience may respond to different arguments and rhetoric. The student may also explain why a specific course concepts improve or diminish the effectiveness of other course concepts.

 46.25 to >42.5 pts

Meets Expectations

The student understands who the target audience is and can posit how the audience may respond to different arguments and rhetoric. The student may also explain why specific course concepts are generally effective or ineffective and provides a detailed rationale for their assertions.

 42.5 to >36.0 pts

Approaches Expectations

The student may generally understand who the target audience is and may posit how the audience may respond to different arguments and rhetoric. The student inadequately or inaccurately explains why a specific course concept is effective or ineffective and provides a detailed rationale for their assertions.

   36 to >0 pts

Does Not Meet

Expectations

The student does not understand who the target audience is, nor can they posit how the audience may respond to different arguments and rhetoric. The student does not explain why specific course concepts are generally effective or ineffective.

 50 pts

 

Criteria Ratin gs Pts
           
    Total Points: 200

 

Research

Research Paper: Final Assignment Instructions

Overview

The Research Paper: Final Assignment is designed to provide you with an opportunity to fully appreciate how learning principles can be applied to an issue or psychological disorder that is of interest to you in terms of your vocation or thesis research. Together with the Article Review Assignments, this Research Paper: Final Assignment will also guide you through the process of interpreting and evaluating primary sources. You will have an opportunity to go beyond summarizing what you have learned to formulating your own ideas about future research.

Instructions

The Research Paper: Final Assignment will discuss an area of applied research that relies heavily on learning principles.

Introduction:

The introduction portion of the Research Paper: Final Assignment will include a general discussion of the area of applied research and why it is important. This section will also discuss the learning principles and methods used in this area of research. Be sure to cite the papers that originally proposed a theory or model and papers that originally applied a learning principle to an applied area of research. For example, if the topic of the Research Paper: Final Assignment is “relapse among drug addicted individuals,” then the introduction would include a discussion of spontaneous recovery of operant behavior and how this learning principle has been applied to drug addiction research. Be sure to also make a strong case for why the issue, to which the learning principle is being applied, is important (e.g. how many people does it affect, how much money does it cost society). Most importantly, the introduction should also clearly state the hypothesis of the Research Paper: Final Assignment. The hypothesis will become a touchstone that you continually draw the reader’s attention back to throughout the Research Paper: Final Assignment (e.g.“These findings support the hypothesis that…” or “These findings are inconsistent with the hypothesis that…”).

Literature Review:

The next section of the Research Paper: Final Assignment will start with a short review of the theoretical literature pertaining to the learning principle in question. This should be followed by a much more detailed discussion of the current literature in your chosen area of applied research. Try to select articles that are along similar lines of inquiry in order to tell a coherent story about the research. For example, if your topic is the role of second order conditioning in anxiety, then you could discuss a series of experiments that were designed to determine the critical variables that determine when and how a second order conditioned stimuli comes to elicit a stress response (i.e. anxiety). The Research Paper: Final Assignment could also be organized to present two different theories about your topic. In this case you would discuss the differences in their hypotheses, methods, results, and interpretations. Avoid discussing a paper from a single lab, as this will not give an accurate picture of the literature as a whole. This section of the Research Paper: Final Assignment should discuss at least six different peer-reviewed journal articles. Discuss the rationale, methods, results, interpretation, and your critique of each article. The critique of the article can include a discussion of the lack of an important control group or alternatively, the strength of the findings, owing to the fact that the investigators controlled for alternative explanations for the findings. There should also be a clear, logical flow from one study to the next. Avoid the impression that the Research Paper: Final Assignment is just a list of papers. There should be logical progression from study to study.

Discussion:

The discussion section should start with a summary of all of the relevant findings. There should not be any new information in the summary statements. The next section should focus on recommendations and implications of your findings. Reflect on why these findings are important and who would benefit from them. Based on the current state of the literature in this field, what should be the focus of future research? This may be obvious, but more likely it will require a great deal of thought and reflection. It may be helpful to keep this question in mind as you are reading through each article. The final section of the Research Paper: Final Assignment will recap the importance of the topic. Put your findings in the context of your thesis statement. Did your findings support your thesis or were they inconsistent with your thesis/hypothesis.

Assessment:

This section of the Research Paper: Final Assignment is intended to give you an opportunity to reflect on your writing process. What works for you and what does not? Which parts of the Research Paper: Final Assignment were helpful and why? Did you find the article reviews helpful? More generally, what have you personally taken away from this Research Paper: Final Assignment? Finally, how is this Research Paper: Final Assignment going to impact your career goals?

Steps to complete your Research Paper: Final Assignment:

  1. Pick an area of research that uses learning principles.
  2. Find a recent review article and other basic information to use for background. These may also lead you to important journal articles that you will want to discuss in your Research Paper: Final Assignment.
  3. Find peer-reviewed empirical journal articles (papers that include methods and results sections).
    1. Psyc Net will only allow you to view peer-reviewed articles.
  4. Write an outline of your Research Paper: Final Assignment.
  5. Expand the outline into a PowerPoint presentation.
  6. Write the Research Paper: Final Assignment.

Requirements:

  1. Current APA style title page.
  2. Current APA style abstract.
  3. Current APA style reference page.
  4. The Research Paper: Final Assignment must be at least7 pages (not including a cover page, abstract, or references) if you go over 7 pages you will receive extra credit that will go towards any points taken off on previous assignments that was not quite APA formatted correctly.
  5. All current APA formatting guidelines must be adhered to.
    1. Any fact that is not common knowledge must have a reference.
    2. Any idea or conclusion which is not your own must be accompanied by a citation—give credit to the person who had the idea.
    3. APA formatted section headers are required in your Research Paper: Final Assignment. They should clearly describe the contents of each section.
  6. A minimum of 10 peer-reviewed journal articles must be cited. Some of the articles can be used for background information, but at least six studies must be discussed and critiqued in detail. Do not use textbooks, websites, or blogs.
  7. Attach the first page (including the abstract) of each of the 6 articles you discuss to the end of your Research Paper: Final Assignment for the instructor’s reference.

Outline:

  1. Introduction
    1. State your topic. (e.g. “This paper will examine the roles of spontaneous reinstatement of operant behavior in drug addiction.”)
      1. State why this topic is important (e.g. “More than 80% of individuals who go through substance abuse treatment will relapse within 5 years.”)
      2. State your initial research questions (e.g. “What are the critical variables that contribute to spontaneous recovery of operant responding for drugs of abuse?”)
    2. Background information about the issue
      1. Learning principle (e.g. “Spontaneous recovery was first reported by _______. Later research revealed that _____,_______,and ______ influence spontaneous recovery in animal studies”.)
      2. Principle’s application to the problem or issue (e.g. “______ initially suggested that drug relapse may work through a similar mechanism. The methods used to study spontaneous recovery of drug seeking behavior are…”)
    3. State your hypothesis. Your hypothesis is the main focus of the Research Paper: Final Assignment (e.g.“ While stress is a critical factor in the reinstatement of operant behavior for drugs of abuse, its effects can be mitigated by an enriched environment”). Everything discussed in the Research Paper: Final Assignment should be related back to the hypothesis. Does a study support or contradict your hypothesis.
      1. Define all terms in your hypothesis, referencing appropriate sources
      2. Discuss any points of clarification
        1. Point 1
        2. Point 2
          • … (as needed)
          • …
        3. Literature Review
          1. Theoretical literature pertaining to the learning principle
            1. Overview and summary of each theory or explanation
            2. Relevance of each theory/explanation to the issue
            3. Application of the theoretical findings to the issue
          2. Applied literature—Repeat for each study
            1. Rationale of the study
            2. Overview of the study
            3. Methodology (key elements)
            4. Key findings related to your hypothesis
            5. Critique of the study
              1. Design?
              2. Appropriate methods?
              3. How do the findings relate to your hypothesis/thesis?
  • Discussion
    1. Summary
      1. Summary of all of relative findings
    2. Recommendations
      1. What can be learned from this research?
      2. What are the implications?
      3. To whom are these recommendations relevant and why? (e.g. parents, government agencies, organizations, educational institutions, mental health professionals)
    3. Future Research
    4. Conclusions
      1. Recap the importance of your topic (no new information)
      2. Revisit your thesis statement (did you find support or no support?)
      3. Conclusion based on information derived from the literature
    5. Assessment of Research Paper Assignment Writing Process (this section is based on your process)
      1. How your process worked (evaluate your own writing process)
        1. Outline
        2. PowerPoint presentation
        3. Article review assignment
      2. What have you learned
      3. How is this Research Paper Assignment going to impact your career goals
    6. References
      1. Reference 1
      2. Reference 2
      3. Reference 3
      4. Reference 4
      5. Reference 5
      6. Continue as needed
    7. Article abstracts
      1. Abstract 1
      2. Abstract 2
      3. Abstract 3
      4. Abstract 4
      5. Abstract 5
      6. Abstract 6

 

 

Make sure to check the Research Paper: Final Grading Rubric before you start the Research Paper: Final Assignment.