Collect data that does not strictly fit within numerical categories (e.g., ambiance, customer reactions, cordial staff interactions)

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Assignment 1: Participant Observation

People sitting around a table holding a business meeting.Participant observation is a method of research in the social sciences. An investigator studies the life of a group by sharing in its activities. That is, the investigator participates within the area they are observing and from which the data will be gathered. (DeWalt & DeWalt, 2010). Participant observation is foundational to the field of qualitative research known as ethnography. This process is the opposite of observing a phenomenon from the outside, making sure you do not influence or interact with the people or system you are studying. A participant observer is just that: an observer who is also a participant. You will be a participant observer in this week. Everyone you meet has a story. Every place you go tells a tale. Are you listening?

In preparation for your participant observation, complete this week’s assigned readings and download and read the Week 5 Assignment Handout: Participant Observation Guidelines, which will guide your efforts for this assignment.

In addition, review the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ article “Statistical Language—Quantitative and Qualitative Data,” a Learning Resource you read in Week 4. Select a public place in which to conduct your participant observations, such as a local coffee shop, diner/restaurant, youth sports field, grocery store, gas station, group public transportation (bus, train, or subway), or amusement park. Consider the types of qualitative and quantitative data you are likely to gather in this location.

Conduct your participant observation by spending at least 45 minutes in the public place you selected.

Do three things with your observations:

  1. Create categories of what you find interesting and salient to observe and record.
  2. Collect numerical data (e.g., how many individuals drink coffee instead of another drink, how many individuals enter the coffee shop alone versus how many enter with another person).
  3. Collect data that does not strictly fit within numerical categories (e.g., ambiance, customer reactions, cordial staff interactions)
By Day 7

Submit a minimum 5- to 6-slide presentation that includes:

  • A summary and comparison of the quantitative and qualitative results of your participant observations
  • Your interpretations of the data you collected (e.g., a trend or reoccurring event)
  • At least one visual tool that presents data (see Hyerle’s Visual Tools for Transforming Information Into Knowledge for possibilities)
  • An evaluation of the benefits of both quantitative and qualitative data collection during participant observations

Note: The optional resource section provides links to the MS PowerPoint and Prezi websites. You may visit these sites to learn more about these two popular slideshow software programs.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

  • Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK5Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
  • Click the Week 5 Assignment 1 Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
  • Click the Week 5 Assignment 1 link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
  • Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK5Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
  • If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
  • Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.

Assignment 2: Required Summary Blog Post

To prepare for this blog post:

In one paragraph, summarize how the resources in Week 5 extend your understanding of problem solving.

By Day 5

Post this paragraph in your blog.

By Day 7

Read your colleagues’ blogs and consider what resonates with you. Contribute to at least one colleague’s blog.

Submission and Grading Information

Examine the use of heuristics (availability, representativeness, etc.) and errors in judgment (belief perseverance, confirmation bias, illusion of control, etc.) with regard to this attitude (see Chapter 5).

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To prepare for this discussion, please read Chapter 4: Attitudes, Attributions, and Behaviors; Chapter 5: Making Judgments; and Chapter 6: Prejudice of your textbook, and Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases and Intergroup Contact Theory articles. In addition, watch A Class Divided.( https://digital-films-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=40876)

In this discussion, you will consider theoretical perspectives on the formation, maintenance, and change of attitudes and the cognitive processes that support these thoughts, feelings, and actions.

  • Choose any group toward which you have a strong attitude, positive or negative.
    • Possible dimensions from which you may select your group include: appearance, race or ethnicity, gender, social class, nationality, sexual identity, (dis)ability, rural versus urban status, geographic region, religious belief, political ideology, incarceration/criminal history, occupational status, military status, and so on.
  • Relate stereotypes (thoughts about), prejudice (feelings toward), and/or discrimination (actions) directed toward members of this group on a societal or cultural level, explaining potential causal mechanisms (categorization, social norms, inequality, etc.; see Chapter 6). You may elect to identify your own implicit and explicit attitudes, as well, though this is not required.
    • Use concrete examples to illustrate (e.g., advertisements that depict members of the group in a stereotypical manner, statements you have overheard expressing affective reactions to the group, policies that discriminate in favor or/against the group, etc.). Consider both negative and positive elements.
  • Identify situational and social/cultural factors that may influence attitudes toward this group.
  • Analyze attitudes toward this group using one or more relevant theoretical perspectives (self-perception theory, cognitive dissonance, theory of planned behavior, etc.; see Chapter 4).
    • Examine the use of heuristics (availability, representativeness, etc.) and errors in judgment (belief perseverance, confirmation bias, illusion of control, etc.) with regard to this attitude (see Chapter 5).
  • Consider how positive or negative attitudes toward this or another group might be implicated in a professional setting (see A Class Divided). Identify realistic suggestions to eliminate as much bias as possible in this context (see Pettigrew, 1998).

To fully demonstrate content knowledge and critical thinking, in your Social Thinking discussion

  • Interpret course concepts explicitly, applying them to your personal experiences/observations, and cite the required readings as appropriate.
  • Be thorough and specific, structuring your work intentionally (with an introductory and concluding sentence or two), providing clear context, and concisely and precisely explaining relevant course concepts.
  • Use personal examples to illustrate as appropriate, but do be sure to provide an objective analysis too, referencing required materials and using additional sources as needed to support your insight.
  • Use your own Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) and apply in-text citations appropriately throughout your post.
  • Your original post should be a minimum of 300 words.

Apply relevant concepts from the readings to your own experiences and/or cite appropriate outside sources to support your insight whenever possible. Be sure to use your own academic voice and apply in-text citations appropriately throughout your post.

You should, therefore, focus on synthesizing your ideas and analyzing the material rather than compiling an exhaustive, comprehensive, encyclopedic list of random facts.

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Make sure to look through the entire document and read the instructions carefully.

I have created a link on the Canvas site under “Assignments” for uploads of Word documents. Please follow the instructions on Blackboard for uploading your documents.

Please write an essay on one of the topics listed below.

TEST: CHOOSE ONE OF THE COURSE TOPICS WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN CLASS (see below).

The point of your essay is to summarize key concepts (and people) for the categories of critical theory we have studied thus far (information from the book chapter) and then link that information to the specific essays we have studied. This test is intended to provide the opportunity to reflect on how well you have assimilated the material. You should, therefore, focus on synthesizing your ideas and analyzing the material rather than compiling an exhaustive, comprehensive, encyclopedic list of random facts. Please make sure to organize your comments within paragraphs and include an introduction and conclusion. Also provide references for any direct quotations.

Your essay should be two-to-three pages of typed, double- spaced text (12-pt. font). If you include direct quotes from the reading, please use quotation marks and cite your source using in-text citations). You may use your notes and books/essays to answer the questions.

Possible topics for your essay (write about ONLY one topic and ONE essay):

1. Trauma Studies

Reading: 

Malpas and Wake, pp. 167-176.

Guerin, Frances and Roger Halles, “Introduction,” The Image and the Witness: Trauma, Memory and Visual Culture (New York: Wallflower Press, 2007), 1-20.

Traverso, Antonio and Mick Broderick, “Interrogating Trauma: Towards a critical trauma studies,” Contiuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies 24, 1 (January 2010): 3-15.

2. Disability Studies 

Since there is no chapter in Malpas and Wake for this topic, we will read additional essays.

Hevey, David, “The Enfreakment of Photography,” in The Disability Studies Reader, 3rd edition, edited by Lennard Davis (London: Routledge, 2010), 507-521.

Lehrer, Riva, “Beauty in Exile,” in Criptiques, edited by Caitlin Wood (May Day, 2014), 151-61.

Shakespeare, Tom, “The Social Model of Disability,” in The Disability Studies Reader, 266-73.

3. Posthumanism

Reading: 

Malpas and Wake, pp. 144-153

Christopher Bolton, “Puppet Voices, Cybourg Souls:  Ghost in the Shell and classical Japanese Theater,” Intepreting Anime. University of Minnesota Press, 2018, 95-136.

N. Katherine Hayles, “Introduction” and “Conclusion,” How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature and Informatics. University of Chicago Press, 1999. There is a scan of the sections on Canvas as well as a link to the entire open source book.

4. Postmodernism 

Reading: 

Malpas and Wake, pp. 120-130.

Richard Appignanesi and Chris Garratt, Introducing Postmodernism: A Graphic Guide by published by Icon Books Ltd in 2007.

Steven Best and Douglas Kellner, Postmodern Theory: Critical Interrogations published by The Guilford Press in 1991.

· Discuss how an understanding of these disorders could support you in a career, prior to achieving expertise in a graduate program, by addressing the following:

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Journal

Ethics, Subjectivity, and the Art of Diagnosis

Although psychology prides itself on being a science, the art of diagnosis goes beyond a simple checklist of symptoms. Clinicians generally recognize that any diagnostic exercise must include a culturally sensitive interpretation and analysis of symptoms. Considering that only a bachelor’s degree in psychology does not prepare you to do diagnosis, it is important to consider how having this knowledge could support you in other careers. It is also important to consider that even a doctorate in psychology does not license you to treat with prescription medicine. To perform this level of diagnosis and treatment, you would have to earn a medical degree in psychiatry. To learn more, read the article Psychology vs. Psychiatry: Do You Know the Difference? (Links to an external site.)

To successfully complete this journal,

· Identify at least three disorders that you studied during this course and summarize what the disorders entail.

· Discuss how an understanding of these disorders could support you in a career, prior to achieving expertise in a graduate program, by addressing the following:

o Consider the knowledge application to working with others in a team setting or working with families, etcetera.

o Relate this to the career you have now or one you wish to obtain after earning your bachelor’s degree.

o If you do not plan on gaining employment after graduation, how could this understanding support you in your personal and social contexts?

· Analyze the rationales, including the ethical considerations that exist for becoming more educated prior to personally performing diagnosis.

Your journal, this week, should be minimum400 words and have an introduction and a conclusion as described in the Ashford University Writing Center’s resource Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.). You should exhibit obvious attention to critical thought and understanding of the content, as demonstrated in Samantha Agoos’s TED-Ed animation 5 Tips to Improve Your Critical Thinking (Links to an external site.). You should include APA citations (Links to an external site.) as needed to support your ideas. As this is your personal reflection about the material this week, your journal should limit the use of quoted material. Proper grammar should be applied, for which you should consider using the Ashford Writing Center’s Grammarly: A Free Proofreading Tool (Links to an external site.) resource. At minimum cite your text to support your assertions in your explanation, but you may also use additional scholarly sources. The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. References should be listed following the reflection.

Required Resources

Text

Getzfeld, A. R. (2018). Abnormal psychology (2nd ed.). Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu

· Chapter 10: Neurocognitive Disorders

· Chapter 11: Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Book

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) (Links to an external site.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

· This manual will support your understanding of diagnosis and treatment for mental illness and support you in your Neurocognitive and Neurodevelopmental Disorders discussion forum this week. Note that you will only be reviewing one to three pages, and it will be based on what specific disorders you evaluate this week.
Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)

Article

All Psychology Schools. (n.d.). Psychology vs. psychiatry: Do you know the difference? (Links to an external site.) Retrieved from https://www.allpsychologyschools.com/psychology/psychology-vs-psychiatry/

· This article supports the understanding about the differences associated with becoming a psychiatrist versus a psychologist and will support you in completion of your Ethics, Subjectivity, and the Art of Diagnosis journal this week.
Accessibility Statement does not exist.
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)

Web Page

Society of Clinical Psychology: Division 12. (n.d.). Case studies search (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from https://www.div12.org/case-studies/

· This web page will be utilized to identify a case study to analyze associated with your Neurocognitive and Neurodevelopmental Disorders discussion forum this week.
Accessibility Statement does not exist.
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)

Supplemental Materials

Rosser-Majors, M. (2019). Week 1 Study Guide. Retrieved from https://www.ashford.instructure.com

· This study guide will help you prepare for your Week 5 Comprehensive Final Exam.

Rosser-Majors, M. (2019). Week 2 Study Guide. Retrieved from https://www.ashford.instructure.com

· This study guide will help you prepare for your Week 5 Comprehensive Final Exam.

Rosser-Majors, M. (2019). Week 3 Study Guide. Retrieved from https://www.ashford.instructure.com

· This study guide will help you prepare for your Week 5 Comprehensive Final Exam.

Rosser-Majors, M. (2019). Week 4 Study Guide. Retrieved from https://www.ashford.instructure.com

· This study guide will help you prepare for your Week 5 Comprehensive Final Exam.

Rosser-Majors, M. (2019). Week 5 Study Guide. Retrieved from https://www.ashford.instructure.com

· This study guide will help you prepare for your Week 5 Terminology Quiz and your Week 5 Comprehensive Final Exam.

Recommended Resources

Articles

Pandya, N. (2018). Advanced insights into the prevention, treatment and management of Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Managed Care Medicine, 21(2), 52–57. Retrieved from http://jmcmpub.org/

· This article is available through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. This article reviews current and ongoing research needs to assess prevention, treatment, and management of Alzheimer’s disease. This article will focus on alternative treatment techniques and may support you with your Neurocognitive and Neurodevelopmental Disorders discussion forum and Ethics, Subjectivity, and the Art of Diagnosis journal this week.

Sabbagh, M. N. (2018). New horizons in the management of Alzheimer’s disease: Advances in early diagnosis and treatment strategies. Journal of Managed Care Medicine, 21(4), 9–15. Retrieved from http://jmcmpub.org/

· This resource is available in through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. This article provides results of current treatment strategies in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. The study encourages earlier diagnosis of the disease to ensure early intervention and assistance for caregivers. This resource may support you with your Neurocognitive and Neurodevelopmental Disorders discussion forum and Ethics, Subjectivity, and the Art of Diagnosis journal this week.