5-2

Final Project Guidelines and Rubric.html

PSY 560 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview

The final project for this course is focused on one specific personality theory (or set of theories) for which you will demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter, provide a nuanced, critical analysis of the subject matter, and illustrate the theory’s relevance in the field today. This will be accomplished by producing a theoretical analysis which will include a detailed description of the theories' major concepts, the key theorists, and the published research regarding the theory. You will provide a critical analysis of the validity of the theory, its strengths and weaknesses, and the cultural utility of the theory. Finally, you will consider the theory’s contemporary relevance and its place within the larger context of the field of personality psychology by proposing an application of the theory to a contemporary issue or phenomenon and discussing the possible future development of this theory.

The project will be developed over the length of the course as you will submit three outlines for feedback before completing the final draft. The outlines will be due in Modules Three, Five, and Seven. The final product will be submitted in Module Nine.

Refer to the Project Topics document (linked in the project review task in Module One) for a list of approved theories for this project.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

• Evaluate the use of personality theories in published research for validity and contemporary relevance
• Analyze contemporary theories in personality psychology for their changing roles in the field over time
• Defend the use of personality psychology theories by assessing them against alternative theoretical perspectives
• Illustrate the applicability of theories in personality psychology to contemporary issues and different cultural perspectives
• Formulate conclusions on the contemporary use of theories in personality psychology based on theoretical analysis

Prompt

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

1. Background and Basics of the Theory
   1. Provide a historical overview of your selected theory, including relevant historical events that influenced the theory.
   2. Analyze the historical development of the theory based on when and where it was developed. Consider what the prevailing theories of the time were. How does this theory relate to the earlier theories?
   3. Identify the key theorist (theorists) associated with this theory. Provide the relevant biographical information and historical events that may have influenced the theorist’s work and led to the development of the theory.
   4. Articulate the key concepts of this theory as conceived by the key theorist(s). Support your response with relevant research. Be sure to include primary sources and noteworthy or historically relevant research.
   5. Discuss how the theory is used today, identifying key differences from its initial application. What key concepts in the theory have changed over time, and how has the theory’s role changed?
2. Evaluation and Comparison
   1. Develop a position statement regarding your theory’s continued relevance in personality psychology today. Your statement must be supported with logical rationale.
   2. Evaluate the validity and accuracy of your theory. Consider both primary and secondary resources and cite specific examples from the research to support your evaluation. Include both historical and current research in your evaluation and consider the differences where applicable
   3. Determine the theory’s appropriateness for a range of cultural perspectives in its contemporary use. Be sure to cite relevant research. How well does this theory make testable predictions about human behavior across a range of cultural perspectives, including those of special populations? Give specific examples from the research where possible.
   4. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the theory. Support your claims with research-based evidence.
   5. Based on the weaknesses you discover, choose two alternative personality theories to discuss. Be sure to explain how these alternative theories challenge the validity, weaknesses, or biases of your theory.
   6. Defend the usefulness of your theory in contemporary settings against the alternative theories and the challenges you just presented.
3. Application and Conclusion
   1. Discuss the contemporary relevance of how your theory is used in the larger context of the field of personality psychology. Utilize current (within the last five years) research.
   2. Apply your theory in explaining a real-world problem or phenomenon.
      1. How would your key theorist(s) understand this problem in terms of its root cause and primary characteristics?
      2. Assess published contemporary research for solutions with the potential to address this problem or phenomenon. Does the contemporary use of your theory provide viable approaches to this problem? What are they?
      3. Explain how this application of your theory demonstrates the theory’s contemporary relevance and potential to advance knowledge within the field of personality psychology.
   3. Summarize the changing use of your theory over time, including how its use compares with other theories in personality psychology.
   4. Consider the future relevance of this theory within the field of personality psychology. How might it develop in order to remain relevant? Be specific about aspects of the theory that are most or least likely to contribute to the future relevance of the theory.

Milestones

Milestone One: Background and Basics of Theory In Module Three, you will submit an outline of the Background and Basics of Theory section of the final project. This will include the historical overview of the theory, information about the key theorist(s) associated with the theory, and an introduction to the key concepts of the theory. Furthermore, the way the theory is used today will also be discussed. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: Evaluation and Comparison In Module Five, you will create an outline of the Evaluation and Comparison section of the final project. This will begin with a position statement. Then evaluate the validity and accuracy of your theory based on both primary and secondary research, discuss the theory’s appropriateness for a range of cultural perspectives in its contemporary use, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the theory. Based on the weaknesses you discover, choose two alternative personality theories to discuss and then defend the usefulness of your theory in contemporary settings against the alternative theories. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.

Milestone Three: Application and Conclusion In Module Seven, you will submit an outline of the Application and Conclusion section of the final project. Utilize current research to support an explanation of the role this theory plays in the larger context of the field of psychology. Apply this theory to a real-world problem, including how the key theorists might understand the problem, how the theory could lend support for solutions to the problem, and how this relates to the role of your theory in the current field. Create a conclusion that considers the future of this theory in the field and how the theory might develop in order to remain relevant in the field. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.

Final Submission: Theoretical Analysis In Module Nine, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

What to Submit

Your theoretical analysis should be 10 to 15 pages in length with double spacing. Use APA style for formatting and citations. Your paper must utilize a minimum of ten scholarly resources, including primary resources from your selected theorist. Use the Final Project Template and submit it as a Microsoft Word document.

Final Project Rubric

Criteria	Exemplary (100%)	Proficient (90%)	Needs Improvement (70%)	Not Evident (0%)	Value
Background and Basics of Theory: Historical Overview	Meets “Proficient” criteria and the overview shows keen insight into historical details that were influential for the theory	Provides a historical overview that expands upon the historical events that influenced the theory	Provides a historical overview of the selected theory but does not reference relevant research, is cursory, or contains inaccuracies	Does not provide a historical overview of the selected theory	6.4
Background and Basics of Theory: Historical Development	Meets “Proficient” criteria and analysis demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the development of the theory	Analyzes the historical development of the theory and supports it with relevant research	Analyzes the historical development of the theory, but analysis is not supported by relevant research, is cursory, or contains inaccuracies	Does not analyze the historical development of the theory	6.4
Background and Basics of Theory: Key Concepts	Meets “Proficient” criteria and shows a keen ability to clearly articulate the key concepts of the personality psychology theory as conceived by the theorist	Articulates the key concepts of the theory and supports response with relevant research	Articulates the key concepts of the chosen theory, but response is unclear, is not supported with relevant research, or contains inaccuracies	Does not articulate the key concepts of the theory	6.4
Background and Basics of Theory: Key Theorist(s)	Meets “Proficient” criteria and identifies the key theorist(s) associated with the selected theory, including relevant biographical information and historical events that influenced the theorist(s) and development of this theory	Identifies the key theorist(s) associated with the selected theory, including relevant biographical information and historical events that influenced the theorist(s) and development of this theory	Identifies the key theorist(s) associated with the selected theory, but the overview is cursory or contains inaccuracies	Does not identify the key theorist(s) associated with the selected theory or provide a historical overview	6.4
Background and Basics of Theory: How the Theory Is Used Today	Meets “Proficient” criteria and discusses how theory is used today, identifying key differences from its initial application	Discusses how theory is used today, identifying key differences from its initial application	Discusses how theory is used today, identifying differences from its initial application, but response is cursory or contains inaccuracies	Does not discuss how theory is used today or identify differences from its initial application	6.4
Evaluation: Position Statement	Meets “Proficient” criteria and rationale establishes especially pertinent support for position on the theory’s continued relevance in personality psychology	Develops a position statement regarding the theory’s continued relevance in personality psychology today, supported by rationale	Develops a position statement regarding the theory’s continued relevance in personality psychology today, but statement is cursory, or rationale contains gaps in logic or accuracy	Does not develop a position statement regarding the theory’s continued relevance in personality psychology	6.4
Evaluation: Validity and Accuracy	Meets “Proficient” criteria and examples are especially well-suited to supporting evaluation of the validity and accuracy of secondary research	Evaluates, using specific examples, the validity and accuracy of secondary research that uses the theory, explaining how research supports position statement	Evaluates the validity and accuracy of secondary research that uses the theory, but explanation is illogical, or evaluation contains gaps in accuracy or support	Does not evaluate the validity and accuracy of secondary research that uses the theory	6.4
Evaluation: Cultural Perspectives	Meets “Proficient” criteria and sources cited are especially well-suited to supporting the evaluation of the theory’s appropriateness for a range of cultural perspectives in its contemporary use	Evaluates, using relevant sources, the theory’s appropriateness for a range of cultural perspectives, explaining how this supports position statement	Evaluates the appropriateness of the theory for a range of cultural perspectives, but explanation is illogical, or evaluation contains gaps in accuracy or support	Does not evaluate appropriateness of the theory for a range of cultural perspectives	6.4
Evaluation and Comparison: Strengths and Weaknesses	Meets “Proficient” criteria and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the theory and supports with research-based evidence	Evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the theory and supports it with research-based evidence	Evaluates strengths and weaknesses but explanation is cursory, lacks research-based evidence, or contains gaps in support	Does not evaluate both strengths and weaknesses or fails to provide research-based evidence	6.4
Evaluation and Comparison: Alternative Personality Theories	Meets “Proficient” criteria and compares the theory to alternative personalities in personality psychology and demonstrates how the alternative theories challenge the validity, weaknesses, or bias of the theory	Compares the theory to alternative personalities in personality psychology and demonstrates how the alternative theories challenge the validity, weaknesses, or bias of the theory	Compares the theory to alternative personalities currently used by researchers in personality psychology, but comparison is cursory or illogical	Does not compare the theory to alternative personalities	6.4
Evaluation and Comparison: Defense	Meets “Proficient” criteria and defends the usefulness of the theory in contemporary settings against the alternative theories that were used to challenge the theory	Defends the usefulness of the theory in contemporary settings against the alternative theories that were used to challenge the theory	Defends the usefulness of the theory against the alternatives, but assessment is illogical, lacks support, or contains inaccuracies	Does not assess the extent to which alternative positions challenge the theory	6.4
Application: Contemporary Relevance	Meets “Proficient” criteria and explains how this theory is currently used and how its application relates to the theory’s larger contemporary relevance in the field; utilizes current research (within five years) to support	Explains how this theory is currently used and how its application relates to the theory’s larger contemporary relevance in the field; utilizes current research (within five years) to support	Explains how this application relates to the theory’s larger contemporary relevance, but explanation is cursory or illogical or contains inaccuracies or insufficient research support	Does not explain how this application relates to the theory’s larger contemporary relevance	6.4
Application: Real-World Problem or Phenomenon	Meets “Proficient” criteria and applies selected theory in explaining a real-world problem or phenomenon, considers viewpoint of key theorist(s), and cites relevant research that suggests solutions/ explanations for the problem/ phenomenon; includes discussion of how this problem/ phenomenon demonstrates current relevance of the theory	Applies selected theory in explaining a real-world problem or phenomenon, considers viewpoint of key theorist(s), and cites relevant research that suggests solutions/ explanations for the problem/ phenomenon; includes discussion of how this problem/ phenomenon demonstrates current relevance of the theory	Applies selected theory in explaining a real-world problem or phenomenon, but does not cite relevant research, or response is illogical or contains inaccuracies	Does not apply selected theory in explaining a real-world problem or phenomenon	6.4
Conclusion: Summary	Meets “Proficient” criteria and summarizes the changing use of the theory over time, including how its use compares with other theories in personality psychology	Summarizes the changing use of the theory over time, including how its use compares with other theories in personality psychology	Summarizes the changing use of the theory over time, but summary is lacking in detail or contains inaccuracies	Does not summarize the changing use of the theory over time	6.4
Conclusion: Future Relevance of the Theory	Meets “Proficient” criteria and considers the future relevance of this theory within the field of personality psychology and how it might develop in order to remain relevant; specifics aspects of the theory that are most or least likely to contribute to the future relevance of the theory are included	Considers the future relevance of this theory within the field of personality psychology and how it might develop in order to remain relevant; specifics aspects of the theory that are most or least likely to contribute to the future relevance of the theory are included	Considers the future relevance of this theory within the field of personality psychology and how it might develop in order to remain relevant, but conclusions are limited or lack insight; aspects of the theory that are most or least likely to contribute to the future relevance of the theory are included but are not specific or not well considered	Does not consider the future relevance of this or how it might develop in order to remain relevant, or specific aspects of the theory are not provided	6.4
Articulation of Response	Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to-read format	Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization	Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas	Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas	4
Total:	100%