SPC 3210 Short Paper Assignment

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SPC 3210 Short Paper Assignment Overview • The goal of this assignment is to write a short paper that answers your research question based on the

empirical evidence that you’ve been annotating this semester and additional research that will strengthen your paper.

• It is important that your paper includes a clear introduction, thesis, body, evidence, transitions, and a conclusion. In the conclusion, please state a research question for future research that you’d like to answer if you had to do this assignment all over again, knowing what you know now. For instance, if your research question for this assignment was, “What is the relationship between social media use and mental well-being” what would your next research question be?

• Your paper must contain at least 2 relevant academic sources and use APA format. Each of these

sources must be an empirical article (see previous assignments for definition).

• The paper is not a series of annotations in separate paragraphs. Please do not copy and paste the annotations as the body of your paper. Rather, integrate the findings from your annotations in your short paper to support claims.

In terms of mechanics, your short paper should follow the following guidelines:

• Be typed, use 1-inch margins, 12-point font, and double spacing • Include a reference page in APA format • Include in-text citations in APA format • Be no more than 750 words of text, not including the reference page

Short Paper Assignment Rubric – 50 pts.

1. Introduction ____/5

• Reveals what the paper is about and the importance of the research question • Starts broad and narrows to the thesis/research question of the paper • Provides evidence to support claims

2. Thesis statement ____/2

• Narrows the focus of the paper and provides direction • Is generally placed at the end of the intro • Is easy to identify • E.g., “This paper aims to answer the research question…” or “The focus of this paper is…”

3. Body of the paper ____/18

• Provides an integrative summary of the research that answers your research question • Has information from research articles, appropriate theories, and other relevant sources • Features in-depth discussion and elaboration • Provides evidence to support claims

4. Conclusion ____/5

• Clear conclusion that summarizes the main points of your paper • Provides evidence to support claims

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5. Question for future research ____/5 • States a question for future research that demonstrates an understanding of the current literature

6. Cohesion ____/5 • Ties together information from all sources • Paper flows from one issue to the next without the need for headings • Uses topic sentences for paragraphs • Uses concluding sentences for paragraphs • Writing demonstrates an understanding of the relationship among concepts

7. Sources ____/5

• Two empirical articles from peer-reviewed journals published in 2016 or later

8. Spelling and/or grammar ____/5 • No spelling and/or grammar mistakes

Extra Deductions

9. A reference is not in APA format ____/-1 per reference

10. An in-text citation is not in APA format ____/-.5 per in-text citation

11. The paper is longer than 750 words, not including the reference page ____/- 1 per every 10 words

over 750 words

12. The assignment is late (uploaded after the due date and time) ____/-2 per day it is late

For example, here’s a short paper assignment from a former student:

The Relationship between Music and Symptoms of Dementia

Dementia is a common condition that tends to affect older adults, but it is not a part of normal

aging. Symptoms of dementia include problems with memory, attention, communication, reasoning,

judgment, and problem solving (CDC, 2019). Research has been done to improve the condition of those

who have dementia. However, there are not many definitive remedies that can cure dementia in its

entirety. Seeking improvement rather than curing the condition is an alternate path. Research suggests that

music might be a beneficial therapy to improve symptoms for people with dementia (e.g., Buller et al.,

2019). Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia (CDC, 2019). The goal of this paper is

to examine the role of music on symptoms of dementia, with an emphasis on communication symptoms.

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Listening to music can be beneficial for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. For

instance, longitudinal research has shown that patients who receive a ‘music prescription’ to listen to a

curated playlists of 15-30 songs of their preference for 2.5 years report improvements in symptoms.

Improvements include decreases in neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as delusions, depression,

aggression, and apathy, and increases in positive mood, and communication with their caretakers (Buller

et al., 2019). Elsewhere, research has shown that patients with late-stage dementia who attend live music

performances an hour a week demonstrate improvements in their communication (Baird & Thompson,

2019). The above research suggests that listening to music and live music performances can improve

patients’ symptoms, as well as their ability to communicate effectively with their caretakers.

Singing might also be beneficial for patients with dementia. Research has shown that patients

who sing in pairs report improvements in mood as well as consistent communication with their partners

and caretakers (Unadkat et al., 2017). Relatedly, a case study about an individual with dementia and their

spousal caregiver has shown that when the patient’s spouse/caretaker sings a familiar song to her, the

patients’ delusional misidentification symptoms, in which patients misidentify a familiar person, objects,

or one’s self, resolve (Clare et al., 2019). This research suggests that patients with dementia can also

benefit from singing and being sung to in terms of improving their symptoms such as problems

communicating and delusional misidentification.

Overall, the research reviewed in this paper suggests that music can be an effective treatment and

communication aid for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. From patients listening to curated

playlists (Buller et al., 2019) and live music (Baird & Thompson, 2019) to patients’ singing (Unadkat et

al., 2017) and being sung to (Clare et al., 2019), it is possible that music can improve patients’ symptoms

of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease such as memory, mood, delusions, and communication. Therefore,

implementing music into the lives of individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease could be

beneficial.

Now that we are aware that music can be a beneficial communication tool for those with

dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, our next research question would ask if different genres or types of

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music have a different impact on symptoms of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This shift

in our approach would improve our research by pinpointing which variation of music is most beneficial

for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

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References

Baird, A., & Thompson, W. F. (2019). When music compensates language: A case study of

severe aphasia in dementia and the use of music by a spousal caregiver. Aphasiology,

33(4), 449-465. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2018.1471657

Buller, E., Martin, P. K., Stabler, A., Tucker, B., Smith, J., Norton, L., & Schroeder, R. W.

(2019). The roth project-music and memory: A community agency initiated

individualized music intervention for people with dementia. Kansas Journal of Medicine,

12(4), 136–140. doi:10.17161/kjm.v12i4.13261

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, April 5). Alzheimer's disease and healthy aging.

https://www.cdc.gov/aging/dementia/index.html

Clare, A., Camic, P. M., Crutch, S. J., West, J., Harding, E., & Brotherhood, E. (2020). Using

music to develop a multisensory communicative environment for people with late

stage dementia. The Gerontologist, 60(6), 1115 – 1125. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnz169

Unadkat, S., Camic, P. M., & Vella-Burrows, T. (2017). Understanding the experience of group

singing for couples where one partner has a diagnosis of dementia. The Gerontologist, 57(3), 469-

478. doi:10.1093/geront/gnv698