Overview
Your Mission
As a graduate student in a psychology program at this university, you have the opportunity to create scholarship for potential publication of your student/authored article in a scholarly journal such as the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletinor Personality and Social Psychology Review. It is important to note that in the example journals, all student-authored papers that are accepted for publication in these journals are automatically eligible to receive a studentpublication award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Take the time to examine some quality sample publications from previous winners, which can be found here:
Ma-Kellams, C., Spencer-Rodgers, J., &Peng, K. (2011). I am against us? Unpacking cultural differences in ingroup favoritism via dialecticism. Personality andSocial Psychology Bulletin, 37,15-27.
Shu, L. L., Gino,F., &Bazerman, M. H.(2011). Dishonest deed, clear conscience: When cheating leads to moral disengagement and motivated forgetting.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 330-349.
Babbitt, L. G., &Sommers, S. R.(2011) Framing matters: Contextual influences on interracial interaction outcomes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37,1233-1244.
The final project for this course is the creation of a scholarly, student-authored article that is ready for potential submission to a real-world organization or publication that focuses on this subfield of psychology. For purposes of this course, we will focus on the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), an organization founded in 1974 when the leadership of the American Psychological Association decided to incorporate an independent organization to focus on this subfield. Remember, this is an article for potential publication in one of these journals. You are NOT required to submit your completed article to the publication as part of this project. However, you are strongly encouraged to continue to develop your article and conduct further research upon completion of this course as you move forward in your academic work for possible future submission.
In this component, this assessment will measure student competency with respect to the following course outcomes:
• Defend a position on the role personality psychology plays in the broader field of psychology and its relevancy to practical issues
• Propose appropriate solutions to complex problems that draw upon contemporary principles and current research in personality psychology
• Analyze foundational theories of personality for their historical context, theorist's biases, research methods, and relevance to current thinking in the field
• Evaluate the continued relevancy and accuracy of classic theories of psychology in the context of contemporary research findings
• Assess personality psychology practices in terms of their appropriateness for diverse populations
Prompt
Put yourself in the shoes of a theorist and propose a solution to a real-world contemporary problem based on your understanding of the theorist and his or her theories. How do you break down this theory to inform your selection of the problem, how does it address not only the problem, but the solution, and how can you defend this solution? Click here to access a list of preapproved theorists and resources. Students wishing to select a theorist other than those listed must receive instructor approval. The American Psychological Associationis a good starting point for helping you to identify the problem around which your theory and article focus.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
1. Using the preapproved theorists and resources, select and analyze a foundational theory of personality for its historical context, theorist's biases, and research methods. Aspects you will address in this analysis would include the following:
o Analyze the background of your theory. This means including key biographical information related to the theorist (not simply providing biographical elements about the theorist) and the historical context in which the theory was developed. For example, were there important world events that may have influenced the theorist?
o Analyze the essential characteristics of the theory. This is a section in which you begin to incorporate relevant research that demonstrates the development of the theory. For example, was the theory a reaction against other forces in psychology of the time or an extension of the work of an earlier theorist?
2. Evaluate this theory's continued relevance, validity, and corresponding accuracy in the context of the contemporary principles and current research findings in this field.
o Evaluate the validity and corresponding accuracy of the theory. Validity of a theory relates to such issues as how well the theory explains behavior, how well the theory makes testable predictions, and how well those predictions are supported by research. For example, what is the research evidence that supports the theory? What is the research evidence that does not support the theory? How does the theory explain personality development?
o Evaluate the aspects that are relevant in the field today and the ones that are not. What is the current thinking in the field using evidence from recent research? Note that "recent" research is defined as within the last five years.
3. After analyzing and evaluating your selected foundation theory and theorist(s), you will use this lens to analyze a complex problem in the field of personality psychology that draws upon this theory and propose an appropriate solution to that complex problem that draws upon contemporary principles and current research findings in this field.
o Discuss how your theory relates to the problem. For example, if you are addressing psychoanalytical theory and the current complex problem you are addressing is child abuse and neglect, explain how your theory relates to or explains this problem.
o Ensure that the solution you propose is consistent with the theory and contemporary relevance of the problem you have identified. How would your selected theorist approach this problem? For example, if you have selected one of the existential theorists, how might he or she conceptualize the current problem of PTSD? What specific approach would the theorist take in dealing with this problem? How valid do you find this approach? If there is available research related to the application of this theory to this specific problem, describe that research here. Also, consider describing research that you believe would help inform this issue.
4. In discussing your solution, assess how personality psychological practices differ in terms of their appropriateness for diverse populations and application practices.
o Address the applicability of your selected theory in terms of its appropriateness for diverse populations. Applicability of a theory generally relates to how well the theory can be applied to real-world situations. In other words, how well can your selected theory be applied in a variety of cultural situations?
o Include examples of how the approach to implementing your solution in practice might differ based on the target population.
5. Include a cogent thesis and thesis argument that will clearly defend a position on the role personality psychology plays in the broader field of psychology and its relevancy to practical issues.
o Your position will demonstrate that you are familiar with the relevant current research. For example, if you are stating that social learning theory is still relevant to your proposed solution, you are following up that statement with evidence from current research that supports your position and explains why.
o You will demonstrate your informed opinion and articulate its viability. Your article should address research that exists against your position and your articulation of why or why not that research is viable and how it impacts what you are stating in your own article.
o You will address what research needs to be done to further support or not support the position you are taking. What sort of research would validate or invalidate your position? For example, when you restate your proposed solution in closing, you might say something like, "If we want to fully explore the implications of this learning theory in early childhood development, the type of research we would need to engage in for a more comprehensive dialogue would consist of..."
Instructions
There are two components to this project. The first component is your student-authored article, which will focus on an appropriate solution to the complex problems this theory addresses and draw upon the contemporary research and principles to support that solution. This is due in Module Nine. In the second component, you will present your analysis and proposed solution in a peer-review forum in Module Ten, which entails defending your position with your peers and engaging in a dialogue. This dialogue will not only address the role personality psychology plays in the broader field of psychology and its relevancy to practical issues, but it should also inform your own understanding of various foundational theories of personalities in the field-not just one that you chose as the focus of your own article. Refer to the separate Peer Review Guidelines and Rubric document for instructions and grading criteria on this second component.
Milestones
This component of your project is divided into four milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions:
1. Milestone One: Topic Selection: Review both components of the final project in Module Two. This document addresses the first component of your final project. Post any questions you may have to the Final Project discussion forum.
2. Milestone Two: Abstract: Submit an abstract of your proposed article to a class-wide forum in Module Three.
3. Milestone Three: Abstract Feedback: Provide your peers feedback on their abstracts by Module Five.
4. Milestone Four: Draft/Outline: Submit a draft/outlineof your article to your instructor in Module Seven. This will be submitted for feedback; you will be awarded full points for the submission or 0 points for no submission.
5. Final Project Component 1: Student-Authored Article Final Draft delivered to your instructor at end of Module Nine and uploaded to the Module Ten discussion in preparation for the peer review in Module Ten.
6. Final Project Component 2: Peer Review/Position Defense (through a discussion forum) in Module Ten.