Professionals in psychology rely on theory as the underpinning of a proposed solution to a real-world problem. For this assessment, you will be applying theory to explore a problem and solution. By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Apply foundational theories in psychology to current issues in the field of psychology.
  • Summarize the identified problem(s) in a selected scenario.
  • Demonstrate how a proposed solution is based in theory.
• Competency 2: Describe scientific research methods presented in scholarly psychology literature.
  • Describe the research methods outlined in scholarly research articles.
• Competency 3: Apply research findings from scholarly literature to current issues in the field of psychology.
  • Apply findings from scholarly research to develop proposed solution(s) to the problem(s).
  • Summarize psychology research findings that have been applied to solve a specific problem or to make a specific improvement.
• Competency 4: Examine how human thoughts and behaviors can impact mental health and well-being.
  • Speculate how a proposed solution, based on theory and research, could impact mental health and well-being through behavior changes.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.
  • Develop speaker’s notes to explain every slide, with references from scholarly sources to support positions.
  • Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics, as expected of a psychology professional.
  • Use current APA format and style.

Suggested Resources

The resources provided here are optional and support the assessment. They provide helpful information about the topics. You may use other resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The PSYC-FP1000 Library Guide can help direct your research. The Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked from the left navigation menu in your courseroom, provide additional resources to help support you.

Theory and Application

• American Psychological Association (APA). (n.d.). Research in action. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/research/action
• American Psychological Association (APA). (n.d.). Undoing dyslexia via video games. Retrieved fromhttp://www.apa.org/research/action/dyslexia.aspx
• Linke, S. E., Robinson, C. J., & Pekmezi, D. (2014). Applying psychological theories to promote healthy lifestyles. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 8(1), 4–14.
• Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. O. (2016). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior (14th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Available from the bookstore.
  • Chapter 1, “Psychology, Critical Thinking, and Science.” (Review from Assessment 1.)
  • Chapter 18, “Applied Psychology.”

SHOW LESS

Humanistic Psychology

• Botella, C., Banos, R. M., Etchemendy, E., Garcia-Palacios, A., & Alcaniz, M. (2016). Psychological countermeasures in manned space missions: “EARTH” system for the Mars-500 project. Computers in Human Behavior, 55(B), 898–908.
• Cohen, I., den Braber, N., Smets, N. J. J. M., van Diggelen, J., Brinkman, W-P., & Neerincx, M. A. (2016). Work content influences on cognitive task load, emotional state and performance during a simulated 520-days’ Mars mission. Computers in Human Behavior, 55(B), 642–652.

Attention Restoration Theory and Social Identity Theory

• Nieuwenhuis, M., Knight, C., Postmes, T., & Haslam, S. A. (2014). The relative benefits of green versus lean office space: Three field experiments. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 20(3), 199–214.
• Greenaway, K. H., Thai, H. A., Haslam, S. A., & Murphy, S. C. (2016). Spaces that signal identity improve workplace productivity. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 15(1), 35–43.

Self-Determination Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

• Stenling, A., Lindwall, M., & Hassmén, P. (2015). Changes in perceived autonomy support, need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being in young elite athletes. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 4(1), 50–61.
• Amorose, A. J., & Anderson-Butcher, D. (2015). Exploring the independent and interactive effects of autonomy-supportive and controlling coaching behaviors on adolescent athletes’ motivation for sport. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 4(3), 206–218.

Behavioral Theory and Psychoanalytic Theory

• Crano, W. D., Alvaro, E. M., Tan, C. N., & Siegel, J. T. (2017). Social mediation of persuasive media in adolescent substance prevention. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 31(4), 479–487.
• Alvaro, E. M., Crano, W. D., Siegel, J. T., Hohman, Z., Johnson, I., & Nakawaki, B. (2013). Adolescents’ attitudes toward antimarijuana ads, usage intentions, and actual marijuana usage. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 27(4), 1027–1035.

Research Links

• PowerPoint Presentations Library Guide.
• Library Research and Information Literacy Skills.
• Database Guide: PsycARTICLES.
• Find Scholarly and Peer Reviewed Sources.

Preparation

Suppose you have been asked to prepare a presentation for a workshop. Choose one of the scenarios below to present on. For the scenario you choose, select theories to help you frame the problem and create an understanding of the problem for your reader. In your presentation, present possible solutions and support your work with a minimum of three scholarly research articles.

Scenario 1: Mars Mission

You are part of a psychological team planning to prepare and support astronauts during the manned mission to Mars. Your task is to identify solutions for possible psychological problems that may result as part of the trip.

• Think about potential psychological problems that can occur during preparation for and during space travel. In your presentation, describe the potential problems, so that your reader has a good understanding of the negative psychological impact that astronauts can experience. Consider and discuss possible prevention or intervention ideas in your paper and support your thinking about potential problems and solutions with information you find from the scholarly research articles you selected.
• Possible search terms: NASA, Spaceflight, Mars 500, Mars 520 (use alone and in the Summon library tool, or in the PsycARTICLES or PsycINFO library databases).

Scenario 2: Office Décor

The company where you work is redesigning office spaces. Your supervisor has tasked you with examining the psychological effect on employees of different decorating options with the goal of increasing productivity.

• Think about and search for how color and use of space can impact people psychologically. What does the research say about environment and productivity?
• Possible search terms: Office space, well-being, productivity, applied psychology (use in combinations in PsycARTICLES or PsycINFO).

Scenario 3: Youth Sports

You are coaching your child’s soccer team and want psychologically proven ways to motivate your players.

• Consider what research says about motivation and sports. What are some specific coaching strategies that can increase enthusiasm and motivation?
• Possible search terms: Coaching effectiveness, motivation, sport psychology (use alone or in combinations in PsycARTICLES or PsycINFO).

Scenario 4: Anti-Marijuana Campaign

You have been asked to create ideas for an awareness campaign to prevent teenagers from using marijuana.

• Consider ideas that have a chance to attract adolescents’ attention. What does the research say about prevention?
• Possible search terms: Drug use prevention, media campaign (use in combinations in PsycARTICLES or PsycINFO).

Instructions

Create an 11-side presentation based on the scenario you have chosen, with thorough presenter notes for each slide, explaining the content in detail. Use the Capella library to find 3–4 scholarly research articles on your topic. Use the following sections to organize your presentation.

• Overview:
  • Summarize the identified problems in the selected scenario (1 slide).
  • Summarize psychology research findings that have been applied to solve a specific problem or to make a specific improvement.
  • Apply a foundation psychological theory to address the problems in the selected scenario (1 slide).
  • Propose a solution to the identified problems (1 slide).
    • Describe your solution.
• Foundational Theory:
  • Describe the theory or theories that apply to your scenario (1 slide).
  • Explain how theory shaped the proposed solution to the problems (1 slide).
• Research Method and Findings:
  • Describe the research methods outlined in your scholarly research articles.
  • Apply findings from scholarly research to develop a proposed solution to the problem in your scenario.
  • Explain how the research findings shape your proposed solution.
• Conclusion: Mental Health and Well-Being:
  • Speculate how your proposed solution could impact mental health and well-being through behavior changes (1 slide).
• References:
  • Create a final slide with references (1 slide).

Assessment Requirements

• Communication: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, respectful, and consistent with expectations for professional practice in education. Original work and critical thinking are required in your assessment and scholarly writing. Your writing must be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Media presentation: Minimum of 11 slides, with notes or a transcript to ensure accessibility to everyone.
• Resources: At least 3 scholarly resources other than the course text or assigned journal articles. Include references for your citations at the end of the presentation.
• APA guidelines: Resources and citations should be formatted according to current APA style and format. When appropriate, use APA-formatted headings.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, at an appropriate size and weight for a presentation (generally 24–28 points for headings and no smaller than 18 points for bullet-point text). For PowerPoint tips, refer to the PowerPoint Presentations Library Guide, linked in the Resources.

Please use the scoring guide as a reference. Only proficient work is accepted.

Resource: How to Make a Graph Using Microsoft Excel

The Unit 6 Assignment requires you to apply the theories, concepts, and research that you have covered so far this term to a hypothetical case study. Your answers to the questions and completed graph should consist of information from the text and supplemental readings.You also may use sources from the Kaplan library or other credible Internet sources, but your primary sources should be the readings assigned for the course.

Read each Case Study and answer the questions below. You will need to write 2–3 typed pages for each case in order to address all required parts of the project.Answers to the questions should be typed in an APA formatted Word document, double-spaced in 12-point font and submitted to the Dropbox.

Your final paper must be your original work; plagiarism will not be tolerated. Be sure to review the Syllabus in terms of what constitutes plagiarism.Please make sure to provide proper credit for those sources used in your case study analysis in proper APA format. Please see the APA Quick Reference for any questions related to APA citations. You must credit authors when you:

1. Summarize a concept, theory or research
2. Use direct quotes from the text or articles

Read Case Study 1: Martin

Martin, a behavior analyst, is working with Sara, a 14-year-old girl with severe developmental delays who exhibits self-injurious behavior (SIB). Sara’s target behavior is defined as pulling her hair, biting her arm and banging her head against the wall. After conducting a functional analysis, Martin decided to employ an intervention program consisting of differential reinforcement of other (DRO) desired behavior. Martin collected data on Sara’s SIB before and during the intervention. Below is a depiction of the data that Martin collected:

Sara’s Frequency of SIB

BASELINE Occurrences	DRO Occurrences
22	5
25	5
27	3
26	2

 

Address the following questions, and complete the following requirements:

1. Create a basic line graph using Microsoft Excel, to be included in your Word document. The graph should depict the data provided in this case study. You should only need to create one graph, with SIB depicted, both in baseline and in intervention.
2. What type of research design did Martin employ when working with Sara? What is an advantage and a disadvantage of using this research design?
3. According to the data in the graph, was the intervention that Martin selected effective in modifying Sara’s self-injurious behavior?
4. Martin had considered using an ABAB reversal design when working with Sara. What are some ethical implications of selecting a reversal design when working with the type of behavior problems that Sara was exhibiting?
5. Martin’s supervisor requested a graph of the data he collected when working with Sara. Why are graphs useful in evaluating behavior change?
6. Discuss how a graph demonstrates a functional relationship. Identify whether the graph that you created using the data provided in this section depicts a functional relationship.