Research Designs

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Prior to beginning work on this discussion, please read the required articles by Skidmore (2008) and Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan (2010). Carefully review the PSY635 Week Two Discussion ScenarioPreview the document. Apply the scientific method to the information included within the scenario and develop a null and a research hypothesis based on it. Using the hypotheses you have developed, compare the characteristics of the different experimental research designs discussed in the Skidmore (2008) article and choose the one that is most appropriate to adequately test your hypotheses. Identify potential internal threats to validity and explain how you might mitigate these threats. Apply ethical principles to the proposed research and describe the implications of this type of research in terms of the population(s) and cultural consideration(s) represented in the sample(s) within the scenario.

PSY635 Week Two Scenario 

Three instructors teach the same online course and have devised an experimental intervention to improve student motivation to actively participate in discussions. The course is a core requirement for all psychology students, and students are assigned to particular sections at random rather than by instructor choice.

The average class size for this particular course is 45 students. To get a large enough sample for adequate analysis, the instructors have decided to include two sections for each instructor in the experiment. The first section will serve as the control group (no experimental intervention), and the second section will receive the intervention. Anonymous data about the dependent variable will be pooled for the three sections comprising the control group and the three sections that receive the intervention.

The independent variable is the intervention, which may be an incentive such as digital badges or an instructional intervention involving changing the instructions for the guided response. The dependent variable will be the number of response (not initial) posts per student that exceed two lines of text. The researchers have decided to use the Week Four discussion for data collection, reasoning that it may take some time for the intervention to become effective.

Advanced Psychopathology Exam

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The Final Exam consists of eight (8) Essay questions. Use the reading   assignments thoroughly in an integrative discussion of your own understanding   of the questions posed. Remember to reference all work cited or quoted   by the text author. You should be doing this often in your responses. If you use outside resources, they should support the text information, but not replace the text.
All discussions must take into account the legal and ethical   considerations, as well as issues of culture and human diversity that   may pertain to the questions below.  Legal and Ethical information   is in Chapter 16 of the course text. Cultural information is covered   throughout the course text and DSM 5. You may use alternative cultural   resources to enhance your work.
Your response to each question should be approx. 1 page per question.
Your total assignment should be 8-9 pages plus a title and reference page.
Due Week 8
1.  What is meant by the notion that mental illness is a social   construction? How does cross-cultural research suggest that   psychopathology is universal rather than a social construction?
2.  It is widely recognized that people with autism spectrum disorder   display deficits in communication and social behavior. It is perhaps   less often noted that in some areas, their abilities may surpass those   of people without autism spectrum disorder.  What is your understanding   if this theory? How do the enhanced abilities of those with autism   spectrum disorder lend credence to an evolutionary approach to   psychopathology?
3.  Phrases such as “broken hearts” and “hurt feelings” liken  emotional  pain to physical pain. To what extent is the metaphor implied  in these  phrases supported neuroscientifically?
4.  The role of trauma and the experience of unusual states of  awareness  or identity in the dissociative disorders have led  psychologists to  explore the relationship between dissociation and  post-traumatic stress,  on the one hand, and hypnosis, on the other.  Briefly summarize the  results of this research.
5.  Discuss some of the reasons why the treatment of  substance-related  and addictive disorders is especially challenging.  Addiction to  methamphetamine is particularly difficult to treat. Review  some of the  cognitive deficits seen in methamphetamine addiction and  explain how  these deficits complicate efforts to treat the addiction.
6.  Outline the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of the etiology of   schizophrenia. In what way does schizophrenia represent a paradox from   an evolutionary standpoint?
7.  Discuss the evidence for genetic and environmental contributions  to  personality disorders. Identify the specific experiences that seem  to  underlie personality disorders. Which personality disorder seems the  most genetic?
8. Highlight the beneficial effects of physical exercise not only on   preventing cognitive impairment among older adults without   neurocognitive disorders but also on reversing decline among those with   mild neurocognitive impairment.
Assignment Outcomes

Analyze the physical, cognitive, social and personality aspects of abnormal psychology and implications across the life span

Examine the major diagnostic domains and specific criteria associated with DSM-5 disorders.

Evaluate legal and ethical issues in mental health treatment

Develop an awareness of diversity and cross-cultural perspectives in abnormal psychology.

Explore available treatment and interdisciplinary services for community members experiencing mental health disorders.

Identify the barriers associated with seeking and receiving therapeutic services.

Describe the issues in the diagnosis of psychopathology in children.

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Unit VII PowerPoint Presentation

Imagine that you are a practicing psychologist, and you are presenting at an upcoming psychology conference. Your chosen topic is childhood and late life/neurocognitive disorders. In your presentation, you want to teach the audience about the issues surrounding these disorders as well as the symptoms and treatments for them. In addition, you want to discuss the similarities and differences seen in the treatment of these disorders. To do this, you will need to prepare a PowerPoint to present to the audience. In your PowerPoint presentation, be sure to include the following elements:

 Describe the issues in the diagnosis of psychopathology in children.

 Describe genuine childhood and late life/neurocognitive disorder changes and common misconceptions about childhood and late life/neurocognitive disorder changes.

 Discuss the description, etiology, and symptoms for childhood and late life/neurocognitive disorders.

 Explain treatment of childhood and late life/neurocognitive disorders.

 Compare and contrast treatment approaches for childhood vs. late life disorders (in terms of the caregivers and support network).

Your PowerPoint presentation must be at least 12 slides in length. In addition to your textbook, you must use a minimum of one scholarly source. Any information from an outside source that is used should be cited appropriately according to APA format. You may use the notes field in PowerPoint to expand on your ideas, if necessary, but this is not required

Personality Assessment Instrument Critique

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Select one psychological personality assessment instrument or inventory to serve as the basis of this assignment.

**REMINDER THAT OUR PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT IS THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY MMPI (and all other incarnations of it, such as the MMPI-2-RF) and our target population is aggressive law enforcement.

Explore the psychological literature to find three to five articles that test the use of this inventory or assessment on a specific population.

Create a 4-slide presentation of an in-depth examination of your selected test and its uses. Include the following in your presentation:

  • A summary of your research findings, paying particular attention to differences in the ability of the instrument to differentiate diagnostically between the target population (aggressive law enforcement) and the general population

Format your presentation according to APA guidelines.