For ArkansasWriter: Psych Discussion Post

Kaplan University:Psychology / Applied Behavior Analysis

PS499: Bachelors Capstone Course in Psychology

One original discussion post

TUTOR INSTRUCTIONS:

   The student is required to answer the questions below to make a new discussion post.

 

Requirements:

300-450 words. 2 references. APA format.

 

Discussion

The field of psychology has changed dramatically over time. As our knowledge has grown, treatment of individuals and groups has improved. Review your materials from previous classes and locate additional resources as necessary. Choose one aspect of the field in which there has been an improvement and discuss the change(s). Some areas to consider are:

· Changes in what is considered a mental disorder

· Changes in treatment for individuals with psychological illness

· Changes in research practices

· Changes in common educational or organizational practices

Next, answer the following question: In what way(s) can we still improve in this area?

Examples of how other students have answered this:

 

 

Student 1’s (Tiffany) post:

There have been significant changes to the field of psychology over the years. One example of this is the field of Applied Behavior Analysis itself, this is a relatively new science in the field of psychology. However, across psychology as a whole, there have been large changes in the way in which assessments of clients is done. This characteristic of psychology is something that is constantly changing and improving throughout the course of time and of individual treatment. Using ABA as an example, there are four methods to obtaining information about clients, there is interviews, checklists, tests and direct observation (Cooper, 2014). However, each of these forms of assessments come with their own pro’s and con’s. This means that there is still much room for growth in the manner of how assessments are given to clients. The big con for most of these methods is the fact that there is a large possibility for bias. These assessments for the most part are based on the reporter’s thoughts and observations. There is not a lot of reliability in some assessments simply because there is a chance that 2 people observing the same client may see 2 completely different things. Take direct observation for example, 2 therapists are observing a client on the playground, they are watching for a particular behavior, let’s say hitting. One therapist may see the client hit the slide while the other observes it as trying to get a grasp as the client climbs up the slide. Another type of assessment is interviews, interviewing family and friends is a good way to get information, but do these individuals have their own agenda, maybe they see things from a different view point. So while I agree that assessments have developed over time, I also see that there is still room for developing better methods of assessment.

Reference

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2014). Applied behavior analysis. Edinburgh gate: Pearson educational international.

Thanks

Tiffany

 

Student 2’s (Kaitlin) post:

The field of psychology has indeed evolved throughout history. Research practices have changed over time to better protect the participants involved. A code of ethics have been developed in order to assure this. An example of this would be the subject referred to as "Little Albert". Schultz (2012) reports that Watson conducted experimental studies with "Little Albert" when he was 8 months old. The purpose of these studies was to demonstrate Watson's theory on conditioned emotional responses. Watson conditioned Albert to fear what was a previously neutral objects to him such as white rat, rabbit, and a santa clause mask. Watson did this by presenting these objects to Albert, and pairing it with the loud striking sound of a hammer coming down hard on a pipe. (Schultz, 2012)

Today, an experiment such as that would not be permitted to be conducted because the welfare of the child would be a concern.

This example of Watson's experiment also touches on psychology evolving and the development of behaviorist as a science. Behaviorism influenced psychology to move in a more objective position focusing on observable and measurable behaviors. (Schultz, 2012)  According to Passer (2014), the code of ethics serves as a system of moral principles to provide guidelines for researchers. Passer (2014) further states that the APA Code of Ethics includes the following principles: Beneficence and no maleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, as well as respect for people’s rights and dignity. We can continue to improve on this area by reflecting on oneself as well as professional peers in their research to ensure that the APA code of ethics are being followed and constantly assessing and evaluating thee experimental procedures and making sure that the overall welfare of the subjects is continuing to be held to the utmost importance.  Kaitlin Gallagher References:

Passer, M. (05/2014). Research Methods, 1st Edition. [Kaplan]. Retrieved from  https://kaplan.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781464198991/  

Schultz, D. P. (2012). A History of Modern Psychology, 10th Edition. [Kaplan]. Retrieved from  https://kaplan.vitalsource.com/#/books/1133173624/

 

Student 3 (Faith) post:

All the way back to the 13th and 14th century Greek periods, people were dealing with mental disorders. Historically, any type of deviant behaviors were considered “evil” (D). Many people thought that what we now know to be a mental disorder or illness was actually demonic or evil possessions. People also thought that abnormal behavior was because a person was a witch or in some other way evil. In these times, the treatment for what really were mental illnesses was exorcisms, confinement, beatings, and torture (D). By the 19th century, biological causes for these abnormal behaviors were discovered by John P. Grey and even though he was off (thinking that the cause was always physical), he brought treatment in a more positive direction. At this time, treatment consisted of diet changes, rest, temperature and ventilation (D). Before mental illness was properly understood, (even into the 19th century when Dr. Grey had more appropriate information on mental illness) the go-to treatment was to just isolate people into insane asylums and torture them with things like shock therapy in hopes that they would just act normal (Porter & Wright, 2003).

These days, mental disorders are not just abnormal behavior, but they are classified by having all three of the following attributes: abnormal or culturally unacceptable behavior, distress or impairment in functioning, and it is not accompanied by a reasonable situational cause (D). There are known to be biological, psychological, emotional, cultural, developmental and psychoanalytic approaches each with their own types of treatment based on the perceived cause (D). Treatment these days is based on scientific research of the individual disorder that the person has. They are treated typically either by medication, therapy, or both. Things like isolation and shock therapy that are inhumane and minimally effective are not used in most modern-day treatments.

References

Durand, M. V., & Barlow, D. H. (2013). Essentials of abnormal psychology . (6th ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson Wadsworth.

Porter, R., & Wright, D. (2003). The Confinement of the Insane : International Perspectives, 1800–1965. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Student 4’s post (Renae):

Professor and class,

Psychology has changed in what it considers a mental disorder.  Theories by Darwin, Pavlov, Jung, Skinner, Bandura, Freud, and Watson (to name a few) have paved different ideas to what, how, and why in respect to mental disorders.  What causes them and how does one get treated?  Like all mental processes, disorders seem to derive from all the causes that affect an individual: his heredity and environment, including the latter physical, economic social, and psychological influences (Taylor, 1954).  Differences from then until now is their classification, their characteristics, and how people are treated when diagnosed with them.  Psychological illnesses were treated quite horridly in the early 1900's.  One unethical way that I can recall from previous classes was the Little Albert experiment, which Watson went against all moral codes to do.  Without these thought processes that were done unethically, would psychology be the same? Maybe not, but ethics is a big priority in psychology today. 

Hypotheses have been around for many years and this has been the research practice that has widely been used in psychology.  Surveys, case studies, and naturalistic observations are many ways to use this research method.  First and foremost in todays society, one must take all ethics into account before a study.

APA (American Psychological Association) sets research, practices, policies, and ethics for their community.  Without this in place, such things as and experiment like Little Albert may still exist today.  The Little Albert study was designed to test the premises that an infant can be conditioned to fear an animal that appears at the same time a loud sound that was previously identified to around fear in the infant, that fear would generalize to other animals or inanimate objects, and that such fear would persist over a period of time (Dillon & Dillon, 2014).  The Little Albert experiment was conducted long before institutional review boards came along.

Renae

References:

Dillon, Ronna F. & Dillon, Amber D. (2014).  Little Albert Study. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health.

Taylor, W. (1954). Mental Disorders. American Book Company.