2 assignments for psychology

Applied Psychology Assignment 2:

Solving Societal Problems with Psychology

Due 5/10 by 11:59 pm ET (worth 5% of the course grade)

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to put the course material into action to address a current societal problem. This assignment will help you see how what we learn in the classroom can be used to find solutions to real-world issues.

Skills

This assignment will help you practice the following skills that are essential to your success in this course and your professional life beyond school.

· Critical thinking – Apply scientific theory to real-life situations

· Problem-solving – Devise a solution to the problem based on scientific research

· Creativity & Originality – Create an original solution to the societal problem

· Written Communication

Knowledge

After doing this assignment, you will:

· Understand how psychology theories apply to real-life situations.

· Be able to analyze a problem using psychology theories and research

· Know how to design a strategy to address a societal problem based on scientific research

Task

For this assignment, you will need to select one of the societal problems listed below and devise a way of addressing that problem based on psychology theories and/or research findings. That is I want you to

look at one of the problems below and devise a scientifically sound solution that is based on a

psychological theory we learned in class. It does not have to solve the problem for everyone but can be

a solution for a target audience (group of people who receive your intervention).

Problems

· Increase the number of people who get the yearly flu vaccine.

· Increase the number of people who get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day.

· Decrease the number of negative online comments to Twitter posts

· Reduce the amount of meat people consume to help address climate change

· Reduce racial discrimination in hiring and promotion in the workplace

Theories

PS-151: Introduction to Psychology

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Applied Psychology Assignment 2 2

· Context/state dependent retrieval

· Classical or Operant conditioning

· The elaboration likelihood model

· Intrinsic/extrinsic motivation

· Optimal arousal and performance

· Emotion regulation

· Theories of social influence

· Need to belong or need for achievement

Once you select a problem, choose one of the theories from the above list that you think can provide the basis of a possible solution to the problem. Your task will be to write a two-page paper that describes your solution to the problem you selected as well as describes the theory you choose and how it supports your proposed solution. You must support your solution with at least one theory/research finding from this course. So I expect that you will describe in detail the solution you are proposing based on a theory from this class. You should clearly explain what the problem is that you are investigating, the theory you are using to solve the problem in detail, and include specifically how you would use that theory to solve the problem.

Criteria

Your paper will be graded based on the following criteria:

1. Description of your problem you are addressing (5 pts): Be clear on what the problem.

2. Description of your solution (10 pts): Describe your proposed solution to the problem you selected. The solution should be as detailed as possible, likely to effectively address the problem, and reasonably possible to enact.

3. Description of theory (10 pts): How thoroughly and accurately you described the theory and/or research finding you have chosen. This includes describing both the phenomenon and why that phenomenon happens according to the theory or study. Papers should describe at least one theory covered in the course in your own words. Direct quotations from any source (e.g., lecture slides, the textbook, etc.) are not appropriate for this assignment.

4. Discussion of theory as it applies to your solution (20 points): How clear it is that you have thought deeply about the aspects of the theories that apply to your proposed solution. This section should make up the bulk of your paper. It will be important for you to be as clear as possible about how your chosen theories are relevant to and explain why your proposed solution is likely to be successful.

5. Clarity of Writing/Ideas, Grammar (5 points): How clearly you convey your thoughts in writing. You should proofread your responses for any grammatical or spelling errors. Furthermore, you should proofread them for clarity.

*A works cited or reference page is not necessary for this assignment.