Research Contemp

1.3 Assignment. Capstone Reflection Journal - Mapping the Project

Getting Started

In the Master’s in Psychology program core courses, you have been thinking about, journaling about, and talking with others about ideas related to your Capstone Project and your TED-Style Talk. REMEMBER, these are two separate projects. 

Now, it is time to start mapping out the details of your Capstone Project! You will also be detailing your TED-style talk in this course, which is a separate assignment and project.

For your Capstone Project, you will want to look back on what you learned from the literature review and/or your research proposal in PSY-535, as well as your Capstone Reflection Journal entries. The insights you gained along the way in this program will enable you to explore an area of interest and apply your  creative touch as it relates to the capstone project.

Also, keep in mind that your Capstone Project idea needs to meet these three criteria:

· Your project needs to engage a small group of people. 

· It needs to be related to life coaching and/or positive psychology.

· It needs to reflect the work you’ve completed in your literature review.

For example, your Capstone Project could be showing gratitude to a few people in your life by writing and delivering meaningful gratitude letters to them and measuring your level of happiness before and after the visits. Another capstone idea could be designing a brief series of life coaching lessons for young adults and then sharing the information with a small group over a three-week period of time with pre- and post- tests to assess the impact of your work. You could also decide to create a positive psychology podcast series and share it on Youtube or Facebook with a small group of friends and family and ask them for feedback. You are only limited by your imagination and the three criteria mentioned above.

To get clarity on what your Capstone Project might be, you’ll want to review or re-read your earlier journal entries, where you wrote about both your strengths and areas for improvement, to determine how you would like to incorporate your personal journey into the overall capstone project. You journaled about some ideas related to the project in previous courses. It is now time to make your decision about how you want to express these ideas in your Capstone Project.

Over these next three specialization courses (PSY-561, 562, 563), you will work on components of your Capstone Project. In this course, you will map out your project. In the next course, PSY-562, you will refine it. In PSY-563, you will finalize the details so that you are ready to implement your plan and evaluate the outcome in PSY-590. So, this course gives a brief overview of your Capstone Project.

Because you have chosen the life coaching and positive psychology specialization in your program, you also want to keep in mind that your project should be related to some aspect of life coaching and/or positive psychology. Ideally, you will also want your project to reflect one of the 12 life coaching niches that were mentioned previously and that you will review in this assignment. For now, all you need to do is carefully think through which life coaching category best fits you and your career goals.

The best way to choose your life coaching specialization is to again review or re-read your earlier journal entries. Notice what you wrote about both your strengths and areas of interest. When you imagine your professional career, what type of work does it entail? You should also go back over your literature review and see how this research overlaps with areas of personal interest that have emerged in previous courses. With that clarity, you should be able to easily choose the one life coaching specialty that most closely fits your personal and career interests.

Over these next two specialization courses (PSY-561 and 562), you will also work on preparing for and practicing life coaching with an individual client. This is separate from your Capstone Project. Again, for your Capstone Project, you will need to work with a small group of people, preferably in the area of coaching you hope to go into.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Choose a life coaching specialty.

· Design projects that promote personal and spiritual growth based on the research in contemporary positive psychology and life coaching.

Background Information

The work you did in your literature review and research proposal from PSY-535 should serve as the foundation for your Capstone Project and your practice life coaching sessions. For this assignment, you will begin mapping the focus of your Capstone Project by filling out the accompanying Word document entitled PSY-561 Preliminary Capstone Project Outline. This preliminary outline will help you to begin pulling your thoughts together on both the Capstone Project and also your selection for the life coaching specialty. Think of this first outline as a brainstorming activity. You will get your basic ideas out on paper, then run these ideas past your instructor in Workshop Two. With that feedback, you will then have the opportunity to solidify your thoughts during the course and develop a more detailed outline in Workshop Five. The goal in this course is to map your Capstone Project in enough detail to begin creating a specific plan with a timeline in the next course.

Please Note: This completed assignment is intended to become part of your Capstone Reflection Journal and should be copied into your Capstone Reflection Journal with the title PSY-561 1.3 Mapping the Project.  Only the completed Preliminary Capstone Project Outline (Word) should be submitted for this assignment.

Instructions

1. REMEMBER, this is separate from your TED-style talk assignment. The TED talk and the Capstone Project are two separate projects that you will be working on, refining, and implementing in the final courses. You will complete the TED-style talk in PSY-562 and record it in PSY 563. You will implement your Capstone Project with a small group of people in PSY 590. 

2. As you begin to focus and map your Capstone Project in this assignment, review and “honor” the work you have done throughout the psychology program core courses to identify areas of interest to you. Your review of previous work should include:

a. Your Capstone Reflection Journal entries

b. Your literature review from PSY-535

c. Your draft research proposal from PSY-535

3. Review the list of  Life Coaching Specialties (Word) (Word document)  and choose one that reflects your personal and career interests as it pertains to life coaching. Please be sure that your choice is suitable for a Capstone Project where the principles of positive psychology and life coaching can effectively be applied.

4. To complete this assignment, fill out the  Preliminary Capstone Project Outline (Word) (Word document)  document as thoroughly as you can at this point. In addition to thinking through your Capstone Project idea and how to incorporate your literature review and principles from positive psychology, you will also identify your life coaching specialty and provide a rationale for that specialty in the document.

a. Your document should be a minimum of three pages long and use  APA Style (new tab)  formatting for citations and the references list.

b. This completed assignment is intended to become part of your Capstone Reflection Journal and should be copied into your Capstone Reflection Journal as PSY-561 1.3 Mapping the Project.

c. Submit only the Preliminary Capstone Project Outline (Word) document for this assignment.

PSY.561 Preliminary Capstone Project Outline

Explain your Capstone Project idea in a few sentences.

What individual(s) or group(s) do you envision being part of your Capstone Project? Remember, you need to engage at least a small group of people in some way so that you can pilot or practice your project.

How will your Capstone Project potentially benefit the individual(s) or group(s) you might target?

What general principles from life coaching and/or positive psychology would you like to incorporate into your Capstone Project?

What personal strengths or areas of improvement would you like to incorporate into the Capstone Project to reflect your personal journey?

Which of the 12 life coaching categories seems most appealing to you for your Capstone Project?

Explain your rationale for possibly choosing this life coaching category. What interests you about this specialty? How might you use this specialty professionally?

What additional help or guidance do you need from the course instructor in order to further map your Capstone Project or select your life coaching specialty by the end of this course?

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1.1 Discussion Response. God's Grand Design

Instructions: Respond to the two discussion posts below.

Alea S

I think conducting research is connected with God's creation because it allows us to explore what God created and appreciate it. Through research we can understand aspects of the world and God's design. I believe conducting research connects us with God and the world. It allows us to connect with the world and help improve it. I think conducting research allows you to learn about God's creation, it allows for learning ways to support and improve the environment. I believe research provides evidence that connect with and supports the bible. I think understanding, exploring and researching the world allows us to grow closer to our faith and promote more understanding of it. It allows us to expand our knowledge and creator a stronger connection to our faith.

I believe researchers can align their Reseach questions with stories from the bible, it can allow for support of their theory. I believe they choose topics they want to discovery more about. I think they use their knowledge of the bible to support what they learn. I think they can determine research questions by utilizing their faith, community and knowledge of the bible. This allows for evidence to support findings in the bible.

Kathryn M

What does conducting research have to do with God’s creation? 

Research is a way for people to learn more about God’s creation, what it is, how it works, and how to play an active role in helping it. Helping can be learning about the environment to better care for the earth, observing people’s behaviors to help them lead better lives, discovering new medicines to cure physical bodies, and so much more. God gave everything through His creation. In creation, He gave people the desire to know more and the wisdom to keep learning. Even though He uses people to help creation, He is in control and people will not reach the end of His knowledge or creativity. God’s power, creativity, and knowledge will never be fully known on earth, but research is a way for people to keep going deeper.  

How do believers in the God of the Bible determine what research questions to consider and investigate? 

Most questions are open for consideration and investigation. God designed a perfect world that is wrecked by sin. As a millennial, who had a computer in my home since grade school, I was never scared of technology. I have worked with many different computer software programs and am not intimidated when trying to run reports. Regarding computers, I do not have enough power to break anything. I can run a report and get bad information, but I cannot ruin the core program. I see my comfort with computers as a metaphor for research. God is powerful and in control; He can handle all my questions and research. At the same time, it is important to value creation and to operate within the creed, to do no harm.  

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1.2 Discussion Respones. Advances in Positive Psychology and Life Coaching

Instructions: Respond to the two discussion posts.

Diamond L

In the past, psychology has typically concentrated on addressing psychological issues and finding solutions for them. The main objective of traditional psychology is to identify, cure, and avoid mental disorders by focusing on deficiencies and abnormalities. On the other hand, positive psychology aims to comprehend and encourage elements that enhance well-being, joy, and a satisfying life. Positive psychology, as described by Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000), aims to create qualities like resilience, optimism, and fulfillment to promote individual thriving instead of just easing psychological suffering. The method is proactive, emphasizing growth instead of fixing issues.  Positive psychology is very beneficial in life coaching since it focuses on personal growth, achieving goals, and building strengths. Life coaching supports positive psychology's ideals by assisting individuals in recognizing their strengths and striving towards personal contentment. Positive psychology strategies like developing resilience and fostering optimism give life coaches the methods to help clients achieve fulfilling and well-rounded lives (Biswas-Diener, 2010). This method helps clients achieve long-term growth and individual success by emphasizing their strengths and assisting them in overcoming challenges.  Considering the Grit Scale discussed in Duckworth's book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (2016), grit consists of determination and enthusiasm towards achieving lasting objectives, making it an important attribute in personal and career growth. Life coaching frequently involves motivating clients to remain dedicated to their objectives even in the face of challenges. According to Duckworth (2016), grit can predict long-term success and be cultivated gradually. In my professional work, I assist families in developing resilience by supporting them through difficulties and helping them stay committed to their goals.  In my opinion, gaining knowledge about grit has allowed me to understand how important it is in facing obstacles and enduring tough situations. In my focus on life coaching and positive psychology, grit is essential for reaching personal and professional objectives. Utilizing the concepts of grit allows me to enhance my own tenacity and assist families in building their resilience, ensuring they stay committed to their long-term development.

References 

Biswas-Diener, R. (2010). Practicing positive psychology coaching: Assessment, activities, and strategies for success. John Wiley & Sons.

Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. Scribner.

Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5-14.  https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.5

Teresa T

Positive psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology that changes the focus from mental illness and dysfunction to well-being, strengths, and enhancing life. The Traditional approach to psychology was focused on diagnosing and treating psychological problems to alleviate suffering and restore normal functioning (Seligman, 2011).

Positive psychology seeks understanding and promoting positive experiences, emotions, and traits. It examines how individuals can flourish, emphasizing happiness, resilience, engagement, and personal fulfillment. One key difference is focusing on prevention and enhancement rather than solely treatment. Positive psychology advocates for proactive strategies that can enhance well-being before issues arise. This includes gratitude exercises, mindfulness, and strength-based interventions, which can enhance a positive outlook and improve overall life satisfaction (Seligman, 2011).

Positive psychology cannot replace traditional psychological approaches but can be used as complementary support. Together, they create a holistic approach to mental health.

Positive psychology is a valuable coaching, education, and organizational development technique to enhance performance and well-being. Traditional psychology is used in clinical settings where diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders are needed.

I plan to use positive psychology techniques as a life coach to enhance the well-being of others in a caregiver role. As a coach, I will help clients focus on their strengths, communities of support, and ways to enhance resilience. Foundationally, the client must clearly define boundaries for self and others. We will review coping strategies and assess their contribution or distraction from their values and goals.

I will use the Values in Action Strength Finder (McKay and West, 2016) and the positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement (PERMA) model (Madeson, 2017). In addition, I will use the Grit scale to help clients create a balanced and fulfilling life (Duckworth et al. (2007).

Grit is the sustained effort and dedication to a goal despite challenges. This scale can be used with clients to identify long-term objectives and the steps needed to achieve them. This process helps to clarify one’s vision and instill a sense of purpose that fuels one’s perseverance.

I believe that grit can be cultivated through practice and commitment, which I remind myself of in times of trial, suffering, and despair (Duckworth, 2007)

References:

Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087-1101.

Madeson, M (2017) Seligman’s PERMA + Model Explained: A Theory of Wellbeing, Positive Psychology  https://positivepsychology.com/perma-model/

McKay and West (2016) Teaching Clients Hot to Take Valeus-Based Action, New Harbinger Publications  https://www.newharbinger.com/blog/quick-tips-therapists/teaching-clients-how-to-take-values-based-action/

Seligman, M. E. P. (2011).  Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press

1.3 Assignment. Capstone Reflection Journal - Mapping the Project

Getting Started

In the Master’s in Psychology program core courses, you have been thinking about, journaling about, and talking with others about ideas related to your Capstone Project and your TED-Style Talk. REMEMBER, these are two separate projects. 

Now, it is time to start mapping out the details of your Capstone Project! You will also be detailing your TED-style talk in this course, which is a separate assignment and project.

For your Capstone Project, you will want to look back on what you learned from the literature review and/or your research proposal in PSY-535, as well as your Capstone Reflection Journal entries. The insights you gained along the way in this program will enable you to explore an area of interest and apply your  creative touch as it relates to the capstone project.

Also, keep in mind that your Capstone Project idea needs to meet these three criteria:

· Your project needs to engage a small group of people. 

· It needs to be related to life coaching and/or positive psychology.

· It needs to reflect the work you’ve completed in your literature review.

For example, your Capstone Project could be showing gratitude to a few people in your life by writing and delivering meaningful gratitude letters to them and measuring your level of happiness before and after the visits. Another capstone idea could be designing a brief series of life coaching lessons for young adults and then sharing the information with a small group over a three-week period of time with pre- and post- tests to assess the impact of your work. You could also decide to create a positive psychology podcast series and share it on Youtube or Facebook with a small group of friends and family and ask them for feedback. You are only limited by your imagination and the three criteria mentioned above.

To get clarity on what your Capstone Project might be, you’ll want to review or re-read your earlier journal entries, where you wrote about both your strengths and areas for improvement, to determine how you would like to incorporate your personal journey into the overall capstone project. You journaled about some ideas related to the project in previous courses. It is now time to make your decision about how you want to express these ideas in your Capstone Project.

Over these next three specialization courses (PSY-561, 562, 563), you will work on components of your Capstone Project. In this course, you will map out your project. In the next course, PSY-562, you will refine it. In PSY-563, you will finalize the details so that you are ready to implement your plan and evaluate the outcome in PSY-590. So, this course gives a brief overview of your Capstone Project.

Because you have chosen the life coaching and positive psychology specialization in your program, you also want to keep in mind that your project should be related to some aspect of life coaching and/or positive psychology. Ideally, you will also want your project to reflect one of the 12 life coaching niches that were mentioned previously and that you will review in this assignment. For now, all you need to do is carefully think through which life coaching category best fits you and your career goals.

The best way to choose your life coaching specialization is to again review or re-read your earlier journal entries. Notice what you wrote about both your strengths and areas of interest. When you imagine your professional career, what type of work does it entail? You should also go back over your literature review and see how this research overlaps with areas of personal interest that have emerged in previous courses. With that clarity, you should be able to easily choose the one life coaching specialty that most closely fits your personal and career interests.

Over these next two specialization courses (PSY-561 and 562), you will also work on preparing for and practicing life coaching with an individual client. This is separate from your Capstone Project. Again, for your Capstone Project, you will need to work with a small group of people, preferably in the area of coaching you hope to go into.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Choose a life coaching specialty.

· Design projects that promote personal and spiritual growth based on the research in contemporary positive psychology and life coaching.

Background Information

The work you did in your literature review and research proposal from PSY-535 should serve as the foundation for your Capstone Project and your practice life coaching sessions. For this assignment, you will begin mapping the focus of your Capstone Project by filling out the accompanying Word document entitled PSY-561 Preliminary Capstone Project Outline. This preliminary outline will help you to begin pulling your thoughts together on both the Capstone Project and also your selection for the life coaching specialty. Think of this first outline as a brainstorming activity. You will get your basic ideas out on paper, then run these ideas past your instructor in Workshop Two. With that feedback, you will then have the opportunity to solidify your thoughts during the course and develop a more detailed outline in Workshop Five. The goal in this course is to map your Capstone Project in enough detail to begin creating a specific plan with a timeline in the next course.

Please Note: This completed assignment is intended to become part of your Capstone Reflection Journal and should be copied into your Capstone Reflection Journal with the title PSY-561 1.3 Mapping the Project.  Only the completed Preliminary Capstone Project Outline (Word) should be submitted for this assignment.

Instructions

1. REMEMBER, this is separate from your TED-style talk assignment. The TED talk and the Capstone Project are two separate projects that you will be working on, refining, and implementing in the final courses. You will complete the TED-style talk in PSY-562 and record it in PSY 563. You will implement your Capstone Project with a small group of people in PSY 590. 

2. As you begin to focus and map your Capstone Project in this assignment, review and “honor” the work you have done throughout the psychology program core courses to identify areas of interest to you. Your review of previous work should include:

a. Your Capstone Reflection Journal entries

b. Your literature review from PSY-535

c. Your draft research proposal from PSY-535

3. Review the list of  Life Coaching Specialties (Word) (Word document)  and choose one that reflects your personal and career interests as it pertains to life coaching. Please be sure that your choice is suitable for a Capstone Project where the principles of positive psychology and life coaching can effectively be applied.

4. To complete this assignment, fill out the  Preliminary Capstone Project Outline (Word) (Word document)  document as thoroughly as you can at this point. In addition to thinking through your Capstone Project idea and how to incorporate your literature review and principles from positive psychology, you will also identify your life coaching specialty and provide a rationale for that specialty in the document.

a. Your document should be a minimum of three pages long and use  APA Style (new tab)  formatting for citations and the references list.

b. This completed assignment is intended to become part of your Capstone Reflection Journal and should be copied into your Capstone Reflection Journal as PSY-561 1.3 Mapping the Project.

c. Submit only the Preliminary Capstone Project Outline (Word) document for this assignment.