6 ASSIGNMENTS 2-3 PAGES EACH

Directions

For this assessment, apply research terms to a sample informal experiment and think of an informal experiment of your own that you have either tried or might like to try. Please note that you are not required to conduct the experiment. The goal is to apply the terms to your idea for an experiment.

Part 1

Select an informal experiment from A or B below:

· A:

Karl wants to determine whether adding a gas treatment to his full gas tank really does help increase the number of miles to the gallon his car gets. He suspects it does help but wants to test it to be sure he is getting his money's worth for the treatment. He decides that for one month, he will track his gas mileage without the treatment. He records his gas mileage for the month. The next month, he adds the treatment each time he fills his tank. He records his gas mileage for the month and compares the mileage of the two months.

· B:

Carolyn is frustrated that getting her third-grader son, Jacob, to complete his homework after school results in a daily argument. She wants to find a strategy that will reduce the struggle. She has always allowed him to watch TV or play for an hour before beginning his homework. She thinks that maybe having him complete the work before watching TV or playing will have better results. She decides to alternate the schedule for one month. During Weeks 1 and 3, she has Jacob complete his homework before playing and records the amount of time it takes him to get started on his homework. During Weeks 2 and 4, she switches to the former routine of allowing an hour of play time before beginning homework. She records the amount of time it takes him to get started on his homework. She compares the total times for the two approaches.

For the informal experiment you selected from above, in full sentences describe each of the following components of the experiment:

· Hypothesis.

· Independent variable.

· Dependent variable.

· Possible extraneous variable.

Part 2

Think of an experiment you have conducted or might like to conduct. Describe your informal experiment, and then in full sentences describe each of the following:

· Hypothesis.

· Independent variable.

· Dependent variable.

· Possible extraneous variable.

In your assessment:

· Describe how these terms relate to the science of psychology.

· Describe why it is important for psychologists to use the scientific method for understanding human behavior.

· Support your thinking with information from scholarly sources.

Additional Requirements

· Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.

· APA formatting: If you use sources, ensure that resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.

· Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.

· Length of paper: 2–3 pages.

· Structure: Include a title page and a references page.

Assignment 2

All of us tend to forget things. We go to the grocery store and forget what items we intended to buy. We walk into a room and forget why we went there. We forget whose face is on the $10 bill. These are just three examples of the different types of forgetting we do.

Then, write 2–3 pages in which you describe two or more examples of forgetting that you have experienced. Analyze each situation to identify what type of memory was involved: sensory, short-term, or long-term. Explain what mechanism was at work when you forgot. For example, was the forgetfulness caused by encoding failure, decay, disuse, memory cues, interference, or something else?

Additional Requirements

· Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.

· APA formatting: Ensure that resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.

· Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.

· Length of paper: 2–3 pages.

Assignment 3

Preparation

Select Option A or Option B below as the focus of your assessment:

Option A

Carrie Ann has a tendency to procrastinate before completing her assignments. Between family, job, and school work, she has a busy schedule and often does not feel up to the task of trying to understand what is expected for assignments. Between her busy schedule and anxiety about doing the tasks required for assignments, she tends to wait until the day before an assignment is due to begin work on it. Because her work is rushed, she ends up not doing her best work. She would very much like to begin her work sooner, but each time she has an assignment due she ends up repeating the procrastination. Carrie Ann has decided to use operant conditioning principles to help her develop better habits in completing assignments. Carrie Ann will need to develop a target goal and plan for herself.

Option B

Identify a goal that you have for yourself. It could be personal, financial, professional, educational, or health related. Think specifically and realistically about the goal. For example, for a person who wanted to lose 25 pounds, it would not be realistic to plan to lose 20 pounds in one week. Once you have identified your specific and realistic goal, think about how operant conditioning behavioral learning principles can be used to help you reach the goal. Create a plan for meeting the goal by applying operant conditioning behavioral learning principles.

Directions

For Both Option A and Option B

Describe a plan for meeting a goal. Include the following elements in the description of your change plan:

· Describe the specific goal.

· Describe how the concept of "shaping" (a behavioral learning theory term) can be employed to help in incremental progress toward the goal. Identify what reinforcers (both primary and secondary) you could apply to make progress toward the goal.

· Describe the schedule of reinforcement for the application of the reinforcers. For example, the person losing weight (described in Option B) might treat himself to a movie for the first week where he exercised for at least 40 minutes each day. In this case, the movie would be a positive primary reinforcer delivered on a fixed ratio schedule.

Behavioral terms to apply in the change plan:

· Shaping.

· Positive Reinforcement (You can also use negative reinforcement if it applies to your goal).

· Use one or both of the following in your plan (at least one must be included):

· Primary reinforcers.

· Secondary reinforcers.

· Schedule of Reinforcement (one or more of the following):

· Fixed ratio.

· Variable ratio.

· Fixed interval.

· Variable interval.

Include the following information:

· Provide an introduction that discusses operant conditioning behavioral learning principles and how they are relevant to changing behavior.

· Identify a specific target goal for a behavior change plan.

· Describe a behavioral plan.

· Describe how the behavior can be shaped through operant conditioning principles.

· Identify and apply specific reinforcers that are part of the plan.

· Apply a schedule of reinforcement that would be used for each reinforcer that is part of the plan.

· Using information from at least two scholarly sources, describe what research shows about how operant conditioning can be used to change behavior.

Additional Requirements

· Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.

· APA formatting: Ensure that resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.

· Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.

· Length: 2–3 pages.

Assignment 4

For this assessment, apply a development theory to a chosen scenario.

Preparation

Read the Human Development Case Studies media piece linked in the Resources under the Required Resources heading. Then, identify a developmental theory (such as attachment, cognitive development, moral development, or psychosocial development) and apply the theory to understanding the person in the scenario.

Note: While it is not possible to fully understand the person in the scenario based on the limited information provided, there are a number of developmental theories that can provide a context and offer a possible framework for understanding the person's attitudes and behaviors.

Directions

In 2–3 pages, address the following:

· Provide an overview of the developmental theory in psychology you have chosen.

· Describe the stage or stages of the theory that are most applicable to the current phase of life described in the scenario. (For example, in Erikson's psychosocial development theory, a child who is four years old is in the stage of Initiative versus Guilt). Describe the stage of life in some detail, according to the theory.

· Discuss how the theory helps us to better understand this particular person and his or her concerns at this point in life.

Additional Requirements

· Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.

· APA formatting: If you use sources, ensure that resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.

· Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.

· Length of paper: 2–3 pages.

· Structure: Include a title page and a references page.

Assignment 5

Preparation

Step 1: Select a Psychological Disorder

Psychological disorders are organized in categories in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2014). Some of the categories are mood disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, psychotic disorders, and eating disorders.

In popular culture, psychological disorders are presented often (with varying degrees of accuracy). The film, A Beautiful Mind was based on the true story of John Nash, who suffered from schizophrenia. As Good As It Gets depicted a man with obsessive-compulsive disorder, andSybil was based on the true story of a young woman with dissociative identity disorder.

Choose one the following psychological disorders:

· Schizophrenia.

· Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

· Borderline Personality Disorder.

· Dissociative Identity Disorder.

· Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

· Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

· Panic Disorder.

· Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

· Autism Spectrum Disorders.

· Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

· Anorexia.

· Bulimia Nervosa.

Step Two:

Using professional and scholarly sources, research the biological treatments and psychotherapeutic treatments for the disorder. Select two original scholarly articles that studied the effectiveness of a particular treatment for the disorder. Focus your research on the etiology (causes) of the disorder and consider whether the causes are more biological or environmental in nature, or both.

Based on what you learn from these studies, you will discuss the effectiveness of this treatment for the disorder.

Directions

In 3–5 pages, address the following topics related to your chosen psychological disorder:

· Describe a psychological disorder.

· Present causes for the disorder, based on your examination of your sources.

· Discuss biological and psychotherapeutic treatments for the disorder, focusing on one treatment that has been examined in the literature.

· Discuss the effectiveness of this treatment for the disorder.

· Provide support for your discussion, citing relevant scholarly resources.

Additional Requirements

· Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.

· References: Include a minimum of two resources.

· APA formatting: Resources and citations should be formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.

· Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.

· Length and Structure: 3–5 pages of content. Also include a title page and a references page.

Reference

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.