Compency Check List

· Quad Chart:

· Length: 2 slides.

· Template:  Putting It Together Quad Chart Template [PPTX].

· Directions: Fill in the quad chart, following the directions in the template itself.

· Tips: Use 10-point or 12-point font for text and no more than 14-point font for headers. Include in-text citations in your fact sheet.

Instruction

Use the template for the worksheet, quad chart, or speech and carefully follow the directions for each of the four sections. You will include the following information:

· Research Summary of Sharifian et al.’s (2019) article, “Social Network Characteristics and Cognitive Functioning in Ethnically Diverse Older Adults: The Role of Network Size and Composition,” which can be found in your  Competency Check ResourcesLinks to an external site. reading list.

· Research Question.

· Hypothesis.

· Theory.

· Variables.

· Number of Participants.

· Statistics Used.

· Figure 2 explanation.

· Conclusions.

· Ethics.

· Connecting Concepts.

· A MEAL plan paragraph related to your topic.

· Values, Ethics, and Interpersonal Relationships.

· Describe the APA Principle of Beneficence and Nonmaleficence.

· Describe how this principle applies to interacting with other people.

· Describe how this principle applies to going to school.

· Project Management.

· The information you will need for the assignment in Week 4.

· The number and type of sources you will need.

· Possible locations to find the sources.

· Key words to help find the needed sources.

· Possible obstacles to completing the assignment.

· Possible solutions to those obstacles.

· Sources of help.

· Processes and strategies to complete the assignment.

Week 2 Skill Building

APA Style

Last week, we reviewed some basics for creating citations and references. Now, let’s take a closer look at APA style for references. Please use your reading list to access APA's Basics Principles of Reference List Entries. As you read, ask yourself what information is needed to create a reference list entry.

· Week 2: APA Style and EthicsLinks to an external site. reading list.

Writing: Tone

Continuing our focus on tone, this week we are looking at when it is appropriate to write in first person vs. third person. As you read, think about what third person is and when you'd use it.

· First, Second, and Third PersonLinks to an external site..

Critical Thinking: Purpose

Last week, we had an overview of the Analytic Stage of Thinking. Now, we are looking more closely at one of the Elements of Thought:  Purpose. What is your purpose? What is the author’s purpose? In the Campus link below, scroll through the  Elements of Thought and read about purpose. As you read, think about what questions you could ask to find an author's purpose.

· Analytic Stage of ThinkingLinks to an external site..

Ethics: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence

The American Psychological Association has established Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. In this course, we will look closely at Principle A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence. We started learning about this principle in our readings last week. This week, review it again and consider how you can apply this ethical principle in your daily life. Please look on the following reading list for Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. As you read, think about how you could apply this principle to your academic work.

· Week 2: APA Style and EthicsLinks to an external site. reading list.

Library: Search Skills

This week we will learn about choosing database as we continue to build our skills related to conducting searches in the Capella library. Read about the Capella library's database collection. As you read, think about which databases would be best to use in a psychology course.

· Select the Best DatabasesLinks to an external site..

Next, take some time to explore RefWorks. This is a tool you can use to keep track of your sources and more easily create reference lists for your graded activities. As you read, think about what you will need to do to use RefWorks.

Week 1 Skill Building

Skill Building Objective: In addition to the academic content, this course will help you build your skills in creating APA style references, searching for sources in the Capella library, writing with a proper tone, and critical thinking. You’ll be expected to demonstrate these skills in your Yellowdig posts and graded activities.

APA Style

Throughout this course, we’ll learn how to create APA style references. We’ll begin by taking a quick look at citations—specifically how to cite a website. As you read, ask yourself how you can do this in a future competency check.

· APA Citation: Citing a Website.

APA has also created an In-Text Citation Checklist that will be a useful resource for you. Download the PDF from your reading list to refer to when creating citations. As you review, think about what information you'll need for each source to do this right.

· Week 1: APA Style and Ethics Links to an external site.reading list.

Writing: Tone

When writing, we look to the acronym, POETS:

· Purpose.

· Organization.

· Evidence.

· Tone.

· Sentence structure.

These five writing elements serve as the foundation for how we write effectively. Within this course, we will take a deeper look at how  Tone appears in academic writing. Get started by reading about what we mean when we refer to tone in our writing. As you read, ponder what tone means and how that applies to writing.

· ToneLinks to an external site..

Then, read an overview about tone and its role in academic writing. As you read, think about what you need to do to write with an academic tone.

· Academic WritingLinks to an external site..

Critical Thinking: Purpose

As you progress through your undergraduate program, you will start developing skills needed to be an analytic thinker. Read about the analytic stage of critical thinking. As you read, think about how you would define critical thinking.

· Analytic Stage of ThinkingLinks to an external site..

Ethics: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence

The American Psychological Association has established Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. In this course, we’ll look closer at  Principle A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence. You will find this resource on the following reading list. As you read, think about how you could apply this principle to your life.

· Week 1: APA Style and Ethics Links to an external site.reading list.

Library Search Skills

As part of your graded activities to be completed later in this course, you will need to be able to find sources in the Capella library. To help with that, you need to learn some key library search skills.

Start by reading how to create a research plan. This will help you set up a timeline, focus your search efforts, and organize your research efforts. As you read, think about how you could create a research plan for a competency check.

· Making a Research PlanLinks to an external site..

Then, take some time to explore the search builder tool. This tool will help you learn how to combine your search terms in more advanced ways using Boolean Logic. This approach will allow you to get more relevant and targeted results. As you read, ask yourself what the most important key is to building a good search.

· Search BuilderLinks to an external site..

Research: Variables

Quantitative studies focus on at least two variables. In a correlational study, the objective is to determine if there’s a relationship between the variables.

In a true experimental design, the researcher seeks enough data to determine if one variable causes another variable. The independent variable is the variable the researcher controls (the one they feel will cause the other). The dependent variable is the variable expected to be changed, the one that is measured or tested.