Assignment 1.2: Conflicting Viewpoints Essay – Part II
Synthesizing and Writing
Due Week 4 and worth 100 points

When looking for information about a particular issue, how often do you try to resist biases toward your own point of view? This assignment asks you to engage in this aspect of critical thinking.

The assignment is divided into two (2) parts.
For Part I of the assignment (due Week 2), you read a book excerpt about critical thinking processes, reviewed the Procon.org Website in order to gather information, and engaged in prewriting to examine your thoughts.
* Remember that in the Week 2 Discussion, you examined the biases discussed in Chapter 2 of the webtext.

In Part II of the assignment (due Week 4), you will write a paper to synthesize your ideas.
Part II – Writing
Write at three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:
1. State your position on the topic you selected for Assignment 1.1.
2. Identify (3) three premises (reasons) from the Procon.org website that support your position    and explain why you selected these specific reasons.
3. Explain your answers to the “believing” questions about the three (3) premises opposing your position from the Procon.org website.
4. Examine at least two (2) types of biases that you likely experienced as you evaluated the premises for and against your position.
5. Discuss the effects of your own enculturation or group identification that may have influenced your biases.
6. Discuss whether or not your thinking about the topic has changed after playing the “Believing Game,” even if your position on the issue has stayed the same.

The paper should follow guidelines for clear and organized writing:

• Include an introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph.
• Address main ideas in body paragraphs with a topic sentence and supporting sentences.
• Adhere to standard rules of English grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and spelling.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA Style format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Identify the informal fallacies, assumptions, and biases involved in manipulative appeals and abuses of language.
• Create written work utilizing the concepts of critical thinking.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in critical thinking skills and informal logic.

Click here to view the grading rubric..

Assignment 1: Maintaining Confidentiality in the Age of Public Access

In the digital age, where technology is more of a requirement than an option, counselors are often faced with the challenge of knowing how to effectively manage boundaries. The following case study will help students understand real-life challenges that counselors often face regarding boundaries and technologies.

Case Study:

Latisha is a 32-year-old African American doctoral student in a small, rural university. As part of her doctoral studies, she serves as a supervisor for students doing their master’s in counseling internship. One of her supervisees, Emma, is working with adolescent girls during her internship and has been assigned four clients she sees twice a week. Latisha is Facebook friends with several classmates and former supervisees but has avoided friending current supervisees, explaining this policy in her professional disclosure statement. One weekend, she notices a Facebook exchange between a classmate and Emma whose page is public and visible. Latisha views Emma’s Facebook page where she discovers Emma has friended the mother of a client and the two have discussed the client through various posts. Emma’s client Jenn is a 15-year-old female who is the subject of a bitter custody dispute. Latisha is aware that Jenn has a 19-year-old African American boyfriend, and the two are sexually active, which conflicts with the mother’s fundamental Christian values. Latisha now realizes the mother is a member of her own church. The next day, while attending church, Latisha is approached by the mother who states that she knows Latisha is Emma’s internship supervisor and proceeds to lay out the details of her pending divorce and custody issues. The parent mentions she intends to subpoena Emma and her records as part of the divorce litigation and wants her to testify to Jenn’s placement and well-being.

Tasks:

Using an ethical decision-making model, outline your response to this situation. Outline the proposed action(s) you would take in this case, providing justification for the proposed action(s) and a description of the decision-making model used to arrive at that decision. Your decision-making model should be one that has been discussed in the professional literature, and after explaining the model, you will need to offer a rationale regarding why you chose to apply that particular model to the case study. Remember:

• You should be sure to cite appropriate literature and must give proper credit to authors of any decision-making models used to analyze the case.
• Do not simply list the steps of the model; apply the steps and be sure to document and defend your courses of action and your final decision.
• Cite all appropriate professional standards and relevant laws. Regardless of the model chosen, you need to clearly identify, describe, and evaluate what ethical codes and laws were violated. Be specific—use mental health statutes and specific ethical codes that apply.

Discuss in detail what actions you would take as you proceed through the steps of your chosen ethical decision-making model, each of the steps should take at least a paragraph (or more) to address. You may (and are encouraged to) respond in an outline form (i.e., develop a response to each ethical decision-making step); however, do not simply list the steps of the model but integrate them into a complete answer.

Your answer should be at a minimum approximately 250 words.