Psychological Foundation of Leadership

Psychological Foundation of Leadership

 

Question 1

 

Reflecting upon an organizational experience, please relate your assessment of a leader who demonstrated high competence in one of the four foundations but weakness in at least one other. Provide a prescriptive remedy for improvement.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 

Question 2

Identify a leader with significant growth opportunities. Share how their influence did not result in either commitment, compliance, or resistance. Please provide supporting examples. If you have never had a leader, you may be hypothetical in your response. Provide some advice you would give this leader to help them improve.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 

Question 3

Reflect upon a situation in your workplace or other organization where effective collaboration was absent during a challenging time for leadership. What was the root cause? Did the leader demonstrate behaviors conducive toward building a shared vision for organizational success? Explain.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 

Question 4

Reflect upon how you would use either Fiedler’s theory, the path-goal theory, or the normative decision model in a newly assigned leadership role, where you have been a supervisor for 5 years and progressed through promotions within the company. Several of your peers hoped to be selected for the position; you notice a sense of indifference from them as you will now directly supervise them. Please discuss how you would assess the environment of the workplace to decide which theory to apply.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 

Question 5

As we are exploring the dimensions of charismatic and transformational leadership, reflect on whether you believe these styles cognitively develop or if you believe they are directly a function of genetic traits. Please select your position, and justify with at least two examples.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

Question 6

Please reflect upon a leader, either from experience or from research, who created a learning organization. Examples to consider are Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Identify leadership characteristics that you believe are essential in driving a learning organization toward success, and support your selection.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 

Question 7

A leader needs to have followers in order to succeed. Please identify two characteristics you could implement as a leader to mold followers into a high-performing team. Then, share an experience where you observed a leader in any capacity with these skills.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 

Question 8

Reflect on how the concepts in this course can be applied to real-world situations and increase your chances of career or life success.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

Leadership is relationship business

Ldrshp Dev & Coaching

 

Question 2

Describe techniques you have used to succeed in your position, especially when your leadership style does not mesh fully with your supervisors.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 

Question 3

How would you describe your management style? What efforts do you feel you could take to change, strengthen or improve its effectiveness in the workplace?

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 

Question 4

Prior to responding, you are encouraged to find and take an online personality assessment, though not required. Based on either the online personality assessment or your own personal beliefs, how does your leadership style mesh with your personality profile?

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 

Question 5

Reflect on the similarities and differences (if any, in either case) between your emotional intelligence and your personality profile, based on your personality assessment from Unit IV.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

Question 6

Reflect on how emotional intelligence can be used to defuse a situation where two subordinates are feuding over a proposed change, knowing that each has valid points in the discussion. How would your personal emotional intelligence assist you in this situation?

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 

Question 7

It has been stated that leadership is a relationship business. Reflect on how relationships and relationship building is critical to performance.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

 Basic guide to program evaluation

To prepare for this Assignment, review “Basic Guide to Program Evaluation (Including Outcomes Evaluation)” from this week’s resources, Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Retrieved from http://www.vitalsource.com , especially the sections titled “Outcomes-Based Evaluation” and “Contents of an Evaluation Plan.” Then, select a program that you would like to evaluate. You should build on work that you have done in previous assignments, but be sure to self-cite any written work that you have already submitted. Complete as many areas of the “Contents of an Evaluation Plan” as possible, leaving out items that assume you have already collected and analyzed the data.

Submit a 4- to 5-page paper that outlines a plan for a program evaluation focused on outcomes. Be specific and elaborate. Include the following information:

  • The purpose of the evaluation, including specific questions to be answered
  • The outcomes to be evaluated
  • The indicators or instruments to be used to measure those outcomes, including the strengths and limitations of those measures to be used to evaluate the outcomes
  • A rationale for selecting among the six group research designs
  • The methods for collecting, organizing and analyzing data

References

Dudley, J. R. (2020). Social work evaluation: Enhancing what we do (3rd ed.) Oxford University Press.

  • Chapters 9, “Is the Intervention Effective?” (pp. 215–249)

Chapter 10, “Analyzing Evaluation Data” (pp. 255–275)

 

McNamara, C. (2006a). Contents of an evaluation plan. In Basic guide to program evaluation (including outcomes evaluation). Retrieved from http://managementhelp.org/evaluation/program-evaluation-guide.htm#anchor1586742

 

McNamara, C. (2006b). Reasons for priority on implementing outcomes-based evaluation.In Basic guide to outcomes-based evaluation for nonprofit organizations with very limited resources. Retrieved from http://managementhelp.org/evaluation/outcomes-evaluation-guide.htm#anchor30249

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

Read the following section:

 

“Social Work Research: Planning a Program Evaluation”

Evidence-based substance abuse treatment

In a 2- to 3-page APA-formatted paper, address the following:

· Select and describe one evidence-based substance abuse treatment and one prevention program from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website. Explain how you would apply this intervention to a population you plan on working with as an addiction professional.

· Explain the strengths and limitations of each program.

· Explain any insights you gained from evaluating these treatment programs.

 

 

Virtual book

Username: etallent9525@aol.com

Password: Lanodn2019!

Uses some of these reading sources!

Learning Resources

Required Readings

 

Heinrich, C. J., & Cummings, G. R. (2014). Adoption and diffusion of evidence‐based addiction medications in substance abuse treatment. Health services research, 49(1), 127-152.

 

 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2018). Evidence-based practices resource center. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/ebp-resource-center

 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009). Implementing change in substance abuse treatment programs (DHHS Publication No. SMA 09-4377). Retrieved from http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//SMA09-4377/SMA09-4377.pdf Read pages 1–18.

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons With Co-Occurring Disorders. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 42. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 05-3922. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005.

 

 

Vanderplasschen, W., Vandevelde, S., De Ruysscher, C., Vandevelde, D., & Broekaert, E. (2017). In search of evidence-based treatment in TCs for addictions: 40 years of research in TC De Kiem (Belgium). Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 12(2-3), 177-195.

 

 

Madson, M., & Schumacher, J. (2010). Motivational interviewing and alcohol. Healthcare Counselling & Psychotherapy Journal, 10(4), 13–17.

Genealogy of humanistic psychology

For this assignment, you will finalize your Final Project Assignment for final submission..

Select two psychological theories and consider how they relate to the topic you chose in Week 1 and Week 7.

Cognitive development theory conceived by Jean Piaget and Social role theory as refined by Eagly  are the two psychological theories I chose. Please include Jean Piaget references and Robert Eagly’s as well.

Final Project

need  5 pages  (apart from the title page and references) that references at least four scholarly articles and includes at least two unique articles for each theory you selected. Your final project should include the following:

  • A description of both theories you selected and why you think they are appropriate for the topic you chose from the list or that was pre-approved by your Instructor by the end of Week 5
  • A comparison of the theories related to the topic you chose
  • An argument as to which theory provides a better understanding of the topic
  • An explanation of how psychological research grounded in these two theories helped you better understand the characteristics of the topic
  • An examination of cultural aspects that might contribute to that understanding

 

Required Readings

Brown, D. L., Rosnick, C. B., & Segrist, D. J. (2017). Internalized racial oppression and higher education values. Journal of Black Psychology, 43(4), 358–380. doi:10.1177/0095798416641865

D’Souza, J., & Guerin, M. (2016). The universal significance of Maslow’s concept of self-actualization. Humanistic Psychologist, 44(2), 210–214. doi:10.1037/hum0000027

Karaman, M. A., & Watson, J. C. (2017). Examining associations among achievement motivation, locus of control, academic stress, and life satisfaction: A comparison of US and international undergraduate students. Personality and Individual Differences, 111, 106–110.

Kumar, R. (2016). Motivation and culture. In H. L. Miller (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of theory in psychology (pp. 573–576). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications

Nguyen, T. (2016). Intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation. In H. L. Miller (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of theory in psychology (pp. 475-478). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L., (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 54–67. doi:10.1006/ceps.1999.1020

Document: Final Project Overview (PDF)

Document: Psychology Theories Template (Excel Spreadsheet)

Optional Resources

Moss, D. (2001). The roots and genealogy of humanistic psychology. In K. J. SchneiderJ. F. Bugental & J. F. Pierson The handbook of humanistic psychology: Leading edges in theory, research, and practice (pp. 5-20). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

 

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Context:  There are many conversations we have with our personal relations that may elicit emotionally charged feelings like frustration, disappointment, discouragement, anger, etc.  First take time to review social emotional skills linked below.  Sometimes when we have external stressors putting pressure on us, we may have less energy to devote to the stress in our relationships.  One tool, called the HARD conversation model, HALTING conversation, ATTENDING to our nervous system response, REPAIRING, and DEBRIEFING can be used to re-engage to problem solve.  Pick a situation in which you were able to notice increased anxiety or tension and used this model to calm the nervous system so you were able to re-engage relationship strategies.  Apply practical steps to each of the stages in this model.  How does this model impact awareness of the relationship and problem solving?  3 pages APA please.

LINK HERE Pos Psych SEM

Dropbox: Please submit a 3 page summary with references

 

 

Readings and Research

Textbook Read Chapter 10 in Intimate Relationships by Miller, R.S. Additional Readings Please read the following articles, available by entering the title of the article using Library Guides link to library above Baker, L. & McNulty, J.K. (2010). Shyness and marriage: Does shyness shape even established relationships? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 36(5) 665–676. Cacioppo, J.T., Fowler, J.H., & Christakis, N.A. (2009). Alone in the crowd: The structure and spread of loneliness in a large social network. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97(6), 977–991.

Additional Resources

· Overcoming Loneliness

· Are You Shy?

· How Shy Are You? Interactive online self-test

· Dr Murthy

· Across lifespan

· young adults and virus

Variety of mood and anxiety disorders

variety of mood and anxiety disorders, being presented with a teenager with her own set of mood and anxiety disorders can present Dr. Belle with a few different ethical standards and dilemmas which may include nonmaleficence, integrity, and responsibility. “According to Standard 2.01a of the American Psychological Association (APA, 2010) Ethics Code, psychologists should ‘provide services, teach, and conduct research with populations and in areas only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, consultation, study, or professional experience’ (Knapp et al., 2015, p 88). It is essential for psychologists to know the APA Code of Ethics but also be able to flexibly apply the Code of Ethics in different scenarios which will also help foster resiliency and promote the psychologist to flourish (Wise, Reuman, 2019). Although section 2.01 of the APA Code of Ethics says they should only provide services that are within their scope of competencies and training, it is important to note that 2.01b says that psychologists may provide services not within their scope of training if there are not any other services available. Section 2.02 also states that during a time of emergency, the psychologist may provide services without obtaining correct training until the emergency has passed. In this scenario, although Dr. Belle may not have the correct training to help a 16-year-old, but she does have the training to help with anxiety and mood disorders. Since there are no appropriate services available for this client, and an urgent request provided, Dr. Belle would be able to provide impermanent services while working to do no harm to this patient and provide temporary help.

4-2 LL Reply (250 words with 1 reference)

According to this scenario, Belle is a licensed psychologist for adults who are in elderly or aging. With Dr. Belle having the competence for treating mood and anxiety disorder within the older crowd, sending her a younger patient with disorders that she does not treat on a daily basis is not very ethical According to Lowman (2006), authorize only those responsibilities that such persons can be expected to perform competently on the basis of their education, training, or experience, either independently or with the level of supervision being provided. This situation may put her in a place where she gives and treatment that will not benefit the patient due to it not being Dr. Belle’s expertise. According to Fisher (2017), Ethics Code principles and standards, scientific and professional guidelines, laws, and organizational policies should help psychologists anticipate situations that require ethical planning before a problem occurs. In this case, Dr. Belle must consider if she has the correct knowledge to assist the 16 year old. Information and techniques constituting the core curricula of psychologists’ doctoral education and training often become outdated and are replaced by new information and more effective practices as decades pass. With this in mind the techniques that are used are often changed within the age groups and times (Fisher, 2017). The ethical standards that apply to this situation is fidelity and nonmaleficence. Reason being, there is an obligation to not harm others, and if Dr. Belle decides to take this patient she could in fact cause harm, being she is not competent in that area. Also fidelity is when one is faithful to something which one is bound by duty. Dr. H helps the older crowd, therefore taking the 16 year old client id not being faithful to her duty of call for older clients.

4-1AB Reply (250 words with 1 referemce)

“Continuing competence is a process that involves maintaining the ability to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills, judgment and diligence required to practice responsibly and ethically”.

(The Continuing Competence Program for Psychologists Practicing in Nova Scotia, n.d.).

I personally love learning, even when it is not in an actual school setting. Therefore, one way I believe a psychologist may achieve and maintain competence would be to come into the profession knowing that the learning does not stop at graduation. Seeking out knowledge is key to competence in my opinion.

Another way to achieve or maintain competence would be to take new courses or attend lectures on topics that you may not be as adept in. Learning from colleagues will help as well, on top of networking and being introduced to other mentors of the profession.

“Competence within the field of psychology is as important as any other standard and possibly more important inasmuch as the knowledge available to practicing psychologists is constantly growing and changing, making competency a lifelong goal that is never quite satisfied.” (Dean, 2010, 1).

Another form of maintaining competence within the field would be observations. However, this can be a little tricky because I believe it comes down to the integrity of the observer. I don’t like to assume, however, I am sure we have all had a boss that no matter what we were asked to do it was not done properly in their opinion. With that being said if you were unfortunate enough to have a boss like this then I do not believe that observations would be beneficial for either participant. However, if you were observed with the sole intent of betterment of your profession, practice, and clients, I believe that you can learn a lot from being observed and having an outside perspective.

With that comes the question of supervision. I believe that if you are working with a supervisor then it will be easier to maintain competence. Especially if your supervisor is good at their job, you will want to learn as much as you can from them, as well as to make a good impression on them. The supervisor will be the one that will assist you in continuing your education and inform you of lectures and other helpful information that you might not come about on your own. That being said you should not rely on your supervisor for this information, but be there when it is given.

Humanistic approaches to treatment

In this week’s discussion we will be exploring some professional treatment techniques in clinical psychology. Postmodern and constructivist psychotherapeutic strategies have become common, replacing or modifying traditional cognitive-behavioral, psychoanalytic, and humanistic approaches to treatment. Evidence-based research about the effectiveness of these treatments is accumulating. For this week’s discussion you are asked to:

Part I

Choose two of the approaches below, one from group a) and one from group b). Familiarize yourself with them by doing an online search and then share with us briefly a description of the approach you have chosen and any thoughts you may have about it.

1. First:

a)

Solution-Focused Therapy

Schema Therapy

b)

Emotion-Focused Therapy

Narrative Therapy

 

2.  Click on “Resources” on the NavBar > Library and enter separately each of your two. Be sure to search for “___________  Psychotherapy.” Just using the word “therapy” will often take you off track.

a) Investigate a few journal articles that have to do with the approaches you have chosen and then choose one of each of those articles to share the results with us. Be sure to provide us with a reference, APA style, so we can access the article ourselves.

b) Then, briefly share with us your thoughts and impressions about whether or not this type of treatment would be useful for Case Study 1 (Jessica) and/or Case Study 2 (Kristen) (see below):

Case Study 1 (Jessica):

Jessica is a 28 year-old married female. She has a very demanding, high stress job as a second year medical resident in a large hospital. Jessica has always been a high achiever. She graduated with top honors in both college and medical school. She has very high standards for herself and can be very self-critical when she fails to meet them. Lately, she has struggled with significant feelings of worthlessness and shame due to her inability to perform as well as she always has in the past. For the past few weeks Jessica has felt unusually fatigued and found it increasingly difficult to concentrate at work. Her coworkers have noticed that she is often irritable and withdrawn, which is quite different from her typically upbeat and friendly disposition. She has called in sick on several occasions, which is completely unlike her. On those days she stays in bed all day, watching TV or sleeping.

At home, Jessica’s husband has noticed changes as well. She’s shown little interest in things she used to like and has had difficulties falling asleep at night. Her insomnia has been keeping him awake as she tosses and turns for an hour or two after they go to bed. He’s overheard her having frequent tearful phone conversations with her closest friend, which have him worried. When he tries to get her to open up about what’s bothering her, she pushes him away with an abrupt “everything’s fine”. Although she hasn’t ever considered suicide, Jessica has found herself increasingly dissatisfied with her life. She’s been having frequent thoughts of wishing she was dead. She gets frustrated with herself because she feels like she has every reason to be happy, yet can’t seem to shake the sense of doom and gloom that has been clouding each day as of late.

Case Study 2 (Kristen):

Kristen is a 38 year-old divorced mother of two teenagers. She has had a successful, well paying career for the past several years in upper-level management. Even though she has worked for the same, thriving company for over 6 years, she’s found herself worrying constantly about losing her job and being unable to provide for her children. This worry has been troubling her for the past 8 months. Despite her best efforts, she hasn’t been able to shake the negative thoughts. Ever since the worry started, Kristen has found herself feeling restless, tired, and tense. She often paces in her office when she’s there alone. She’s had several embarrassing moments in meetings where she has lost track of what she was trying to say. When she goes to bed at night, it’s as if her brain won’t shut off. She finds herself mentally rehearsing all the worse case scenarios regarding losing her job, including ending up homeless.

c) Describe to us your thoughts about which of the two therapies you chose above might be the best choice for clients with a dominant trait of: Thinking, Feeling, Sensing, or Intuition, orientated toward extraversion or introversion, and experiencing the world with a preference for judging or perceiving. No need to labor over this. All we need is your perception of any specific types that you think might respond well to that particular treatment approach, or have problems with it. Might it be good for thinking type sensors, such as ESTJs? Feeling type intuitives such as INFPs? Might an ENTJ be uncomfortable with it? etc. Please just give us your thoughts.

Part II

Finally, you are asked to do an internet search for the technical notion of “Effect Size” in psychological research. Briefly tell us why psychology’s more recent interest and emphasis on effect size is important (vs. just reporting that a difference is “significant” (i.e. meaning that at a probability of .01 or .05 ( p=.01, or p=.05 , etc.) a result is significantly different from a “zero”). Note that you are not required to discuss the technical details of the concept of effect size. However, do tell us why you think the effect size should be reported and whether or not the effect size appeared to be mentioned in an article you read in response to in Part 1, 2 above.

 

WEEK 4:

 

Part 1.

The Clinical Interview is an important initial step in the Assessment process.  Clinical psychologists use the Clinical Interview for a number of reasons.  Read the following article by clicking on the link below.  In particular, pay particular attention on how to assess special populations.  In addition, please read the additional learning resources in Week 4.

https://learn.umgc.edu/d2l/le/content/759233/viewContent/265

While the article briefly mentions children and adolescents as special populations, please identify at least one additional special population.  Then, provide a rationale of why you believe this group should have specialized clinical interview questions.  Finally, specify at least one question to ask this group in your answer.

Part 2.

We also need to examine how the DSM 5 and assessment intertwine. For example, the DSM 5 proposed a Section III  Multidimensional Personality Trait Model suggesting that the Big Five, the Five Factor Model of personality (FFM), are similar to the domains of personality psychopathology. Thus, a continuum is proposed and extreme scores on those “Big Five” scales represent psychopathology: Neuroticism vs. Emotional Stability, Detachment vs. Extroversion, Antagonism vs. Agreeableness, and Psychoticism vs. Lucidity (high neuroticism and high openness to experience).

Familiarize yourself with these dimensions by taking a sample of the Big Five test at:http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/ and also take and explore Dr. Phil’s very quick version:

http://drphil.com/shows/bigfivepersonalityquiz

Give us your thoughts about the validity and importance of these personality dimensions as diagnostic categories. The Big Five was not originally designed for that. Is this program a responsible suggestion or is the possible motive likely related to increased profit, the diagnosis and treatment of more customers? Where would you draw the “disordered” line on an individual’s score on each of these five dimensions? The Big Five is a normative measure so all one would need to make an official diagnosis is a number.

Actually, the DSM 5 introduced an expanded interpretation of the Big Five in terms of these dimensions  It may be informative for yourself and us if you shared your actual Big Five test results with us if you are willing to. However, it is definitely not at all a requirement.

Part 3.

a) Go to resources > Library and search for “The Big Five and mental health.” Describe an article that interests you and share with us your thoughts about it. Of course, we will need a reference so we can access it.  Please include the link in your post.

b) Do a second search but this time search for Big Five and mental health and one of the five dimensions that interests you or a clinical syndrome that interests you (depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, etc.). Again, share with us your thoughts about it.

History of mental health challenges

APPLIED FINAL PROJECT

In your applied final project for this course, you will analyze a case study, select a diagnosis, create a treatment plan, and support your decisions with evidence from the course readings or outside scholarly resources.

STEP 1: Review the Case Report

 

Psychological Case Study

Name: Ms. Smith Dates of Interview: 03/18/19; 03/25/19

Date of Birth: 03/21/1987 Age: 32 years

Gender: Female Education: Highschool Graduate

Background information:

Ms. Smith is a 32-year-old biracial, female, who has completed high school and is currently employed as a waitress. Ms. Smith was taken to the hospital on 3/18/2019 by local police, who found her screaming, pacing, and weeping inconsolably outside of a local apartment building on 5th Street. Apartment residents called police to the scene, concerned by the disturbance Ms. Smith was creating.

Captain Logan, with Fire and Rescue, arrived second on the scene and treated Ms. Smith for multiple cuts on her arms. Exhausted by apparent despair, Ms. Smith conveyed she moved to town one month earlier from Memphis, TN, looking for a new start. She met her boyfriend, Frank, six days after starting her new job, and they have gone out six times. According to Ms. Smith, “Frank is my destiny, he has to love me as much as I love him!” Officers at the scene learn that Frank, hours earlier, told Ms. Smith he never wanted to see her again and that Ms. Smith has a restraining order against her in San Diego, CA.

Referral Question:

Ms. Smith has been referred to Dr. Liam for psychological evaluation due to immediate concerns for risk of self-harm.

Current Symptoms:

Currently, Ms. Smith, reports that her head sometimes feels numb and that her thoughts are confused. She is experiencing incredibly strong feelings of fear, seeing herself as being abandoned and alone in a strange new town. She self identifies as a passionate woman capable of foolish things that she is sometimes sorry for, to include unprotected sex with multiple partners before meeting Frank.

When interviewed by police the day Ms. Smith was escorted from his apartment complex, Frank reported that Ms. Smith’s behaviors toward him rapidly became impulsive and demanding after their first date. At first Ms. Smith was charming and thoughtful. She would surprise him with small, simple gifts (e.g., movie tickets). She then started to send affectionate text messages every half hour. The nature of the text messages quickly shifted from casual and flirty to strong expressions of passion and love sent every 10 minutes. When Frank did not respond to these messages, in frequency or kind, Ms. Smith would suddenly ignore him or lash out.

When asked about this behavior, Ms. Smith reported she regretted her negative actions towards Frank immediately after she did them, experiencing regret or panic after lashing out. Having been in many relationships before, that according to her, ‘did not work out,’ Ms. Smith could not stand the idea of Frank, her perfect love, seeing her as unkind.

Now that Frank has broken up with Ms. Smith, she feels empty, powerless, and worthless. She attributes this sorrow as the reasons behind her sudden mood swings. Her thoughts and emotions stray between extreme agitation and a compulsion to act out to apathy and a desire to withdraw.

Relevant History:

Developmental/Medical/Social:

Ms. Smith’s mother, Helen Taylor, and father, Jake Smith, were both heroin addicts. Her mother claims she did not use drugs while pregnant with Ms. Smith, attributing the life-style change to having completed rehabilitation two months prior to becoming pregnant. During the pregnancy, Ms. Taylor did not seek prenatal care due to a fear of doctors and a lack of financial security. At delivery, Ms. Smith reports she thinks she was a normal, healthy infant.

Ms. Smith reports that her mother, Ms. Taylor, was not interested in being a mother and abandoned her to the care of Mr. Smith when she was 8-months old, upon his release from jail, following incarceration for stealing a wedding band to wed Ms. Taylor.

Growing up, Ms. Smith had two older half-brothers, and one younger half-sister. Her mother had multiple relationships prior to meeting Mr. Smith and is the mother of Ms. Smith’s brothers. Ms. Smith’s half-sister is the child of her father and stepmother. Ms. Smith lived with her father and stepmother until she was 18 years-of-age. The years between 2 and 8 she describes as the most influential. She struggled with confusion as to why her mother did not want her and why her stepmother ignored her. She also suffered malnutrition due to lacking food in the home.

Between the ages of 7 and 17, Ms. Smith continued to lack food and emotional security. She also withdrew into bouts of self-loathing and wishing for a permanent out for her mental, emotional, and physical suffering. Her father’s moods were unpredictable, and her stepmother hit her frequently. Ms. Smith reports that no longer what she did (skipped school, brought home straight A’s), her stepmother expressed upset towards her. Owning one pair of jeans, four shirts and one pair of shoes by the time she turned 18, Ms. Smith was sensitive to the judgement of others. In middle school and high school, she was overly self-focused and overreacted if she sensed a hint of judgement or rejection from others. This reactance often led to sudden moments of violence (fights, throwing objects, verbal assaults) against those Ms. Smith felt wronged by. During this period, Ms. Smith also took up the use of alcohol to counter regrets for her negativity towards others, and the wallowing emotional pit of nothingness she sometimes found herself in.

Ms. Smith did disclose a family history of mental health challenges and anger management issues, though most she attributes to illegal substance use difficulties. Ms. Smith says she has worked with multiple therapists over the years but has not had luck finding one who understands her enough to bring about change. Reportedly, Ms. Smith was not athletic as a child or teen, but was good at art, music, and writing. She participated in band until her stepmother made it impossible for her to make it to band practice on time, making her miss the morning school bus.

Pointed to above, Ms. Smith’s relationships with others have, and continue to be brief, beginning with idealization of a person and then a rapid period of denigration and demands of that person.

Educational/Occupational:

Ms. Smith explained that she was an early reader and began to read while attending a Jump Start Program. Ms. Smith stated that, during the first grade, she “loved” her teacher Mr. V., but he never paid attention to her. Ms. Smith reported that she performed quite well academically from the second through the fifth grade. This period marks a time before a move across country to a new town. In sixth grade, Ms. Smith changed schools. The middle school and high school years marked a period where her teachers knew her homelife was poor and they worked to get her into advanced classes. Currently, Ms. Smith is working as a waitress, but aspires to enter the music industry as a song writer. She has always been talented with the written word, according to her. This career focus will be her fourth “remaking of herself” in the past 18 months.

Alcohol Substance Abuse:

Ms. Smith denied use of any illegal drugs or any prescription drugs, but does overindulge in alcohol.

Conduct and Legal:

Reportedly, Ms. Smith has a restraining order against her in the state of California. The order is to maintain over 100 feet from a past romantic interest. Ms. Smith acknowledge she was disappointed her affection was perceived as overly demanding and blames the failure of the relationship on the fact the person was married.

Observations:

Ms. Smith is a 32-year-old, biracial female of average height and petite frame. She appeared her stated age, arrived at the evaluation agitated and dressed in clothes that may have been slept in. She was polite and cooperative at one moment and then sarcastic or argumentative the next during the evaluation. Ms. Smith is left-handed. When challenged she would response with explosive anger, then retrack with an apology and body language that expressed guilt or remorse. Attention and concentration were slightly impaired. Ms. Smith’s thought processes were connected, while logic applied to decision making was not always coherent. Ms. Smith’s eye contact during the evaluation was dependent on her mood.

Regarding her motor functioning, there are no apparent abnormalities. No evidence of impaired vision or hearing was present during this evaluation. Ms. Smith did not demonstrate any difficulties with speech and appeared to demonstrate the ability to both understand and express the English language without notable exceptions. The content of her thought was occasionally tangential, moving off topic to the discussion of Frank, or to make personal inquiries directed at getting to know Dr. Liam. Her preoccupation with being abandoned does not appear to reflect paranoid thinking. Her affect shifts rapid, contingent on topic of the discussion. She did not report hallucinations or delusions. Ms. Smith’s gait and pace reflected shifts in mood throughout the session. She did express suicidal but not homicidal ideation.

STEP 2: Draft a Case Conceptualization

 

Apply cumulative knowledge from this course and others (i.e., abnormal psychology) to diagnosis Ms. Smith, support your diagnosis with evidence from the case and recommend further assessment and treatment options. Your paper should consist of the following sections:

Title Page

Part I: Reason for Referral

1. What was the reason for the referral?

1. What sources of data do you have and need?

Part II: Background Summary

1. Family/Social, (supports) Include ethnic/racial/cultural

1. Medical/ developmental

1. Educational/occupational (hobbies)

1. Behavioral observations

Part III: Assessment Data

1. Assessment:

1. In addition to a good diagnostic interview, what assessment tools would you recommend using to aid in giving an accurate diagnosis and developing a treatment plan?

Part IV: Tentative Diagnosis

1. Select a diagnosis using the DSM-5

· DSM codes (add resources) http://ezproxy.umgc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1610168&site=eds-live&scope=site&ebv=EK&ppid=Page-__-1

2. Defend which diagnosis/diagnoses are possible using specific examples from the case.

 

Part V: Treatment Recommendations

1. Consider which treatment would be the ethical choice (community, group, referral to a forensic psychologist, psychiatrist, physician or for a neuropsychology evaluation).

2. Provide one or two Evidence Based Treatment recommendation for the diagnosis given.  Be sure to cite the source that helped you to determine the best Evidence Based Treatment for this diagnosis.

 

Part VI: Considerations

Clearly present your analysis of developmental, sociocultural, and ethical considerations that contribute to the diagnosis and treatment recommendations made.

1. Developmental Considerations

1. Sociocultural Considerations

1. Ethical Considerations

Part VII: Conclusion

1. Conclude with a summary of your findings.

Part VIII: References

Your paper should be 6-8 pages in length. Use APA style headings and subheadings, double-spacing, an appropriate serif or sans serif font (e.g., Times Roman12-point; Arial 11-point; Calibri 11-point), one-inch margins (left, right, top, and bottom), page numbering, and logical flow from topic to topic. Write with clarity, paying attention to spelling, grammar, and syntax.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

While a typical Case Conceptualization would not contain a reference section, we are asking you to include one here to demonstrate good practice in attributing and citing the ideas of others correctly. Please also include in text citations as appropriate.

Consult the UMGC Citing and Writing Guide, for proper form of APA Style in-text citations and references.

 

Please reference the rubric accompanying this assignment for scoring details.

Observation of Social Behavior

Applied Final Project – Observation of Social Behavior

This assignment will leverage your curiosity. It will invite you to explore your ideas and connect social psychology to daily life.

The Observation of Social Behavior project is an integrative assignment that supports synthesis and the third learning outcome for the course:

· explain and analyze the underlying causes of behaviors to inform decisions in social, personal, and professional interactions

Objective :  Design, conduct, and report on a brief study that uses naturalistic observation in a public/communal space to answer a research question you develop on a topic related to social psychology. Submit a 6- to 8-page, APA style research paper, that communicates how specific topics, theories, and research findings discussed in this course shaped: 1) your research question, 2) the approach applied and behaviors observed, and 3) your understanding of the observation(s) upon conclusion.

What is Naturalistic Observation?

In Principles of Social Psychology, our eBook for this course, Jhangiani and Tarry (2014) introduce observational research.  In Chapter 1 they outline how observational research refers to different types of qualitative studies in which behavior is systematically observed and recorded in an objective manner. The goal of observational research is to capture a snapshot of the characteristics (to include behaviors) of an individual, group, or setting, at a given place and time. As such, observational research is considered non-experimental because nothing is manipulated or controlled; thus, cause-and-effect conclusions cannot be drawn.

There are several different types of observational research designs. These include case studies, structured observations, participant observation, and naturalistic observation. For this assignment you will use naturalistic observation. [If you would like to read further on the other design types, a useful, brief description is offered by  Price et al. (2017) .]

According to Salkind (2010), naturalistic observation affords us the opportunity to observe organisms in their natural settings. “Behaviors or other phenomena of interest are observed and recorded by the researcher, whose presence might be either known or unknown to the subjects….No manipulation of the environment is involved in naturalistic observation, as the activities of interest are those manifested in everyday situations” (para. 1).

 

Using naturalistic observation, you will seek to answer a research question you develop on a topic related to social psychology.  In doing so you will: 1) describe behavior as it occurs in the natural setting, and 2) describe the variables that are present and the relations among them.

 

 

Instructions Summary : The principal steps for the assignment are…

1. Choose a topic or theory covered within the course content (e.g., altruism, attraction, conformity, gender, group influence, persuasion).

2. Research the topic using the UMGC Library to learn more about it.

3. Develop a research question you would like to explore through naturalistic observation. Question must be answerable through observation.

4. Create your observation strategy that will enable you to explore your research question. Include in this planning data collection/coding strategies.

5. Conduct the observation and evaluate the qualitative data collected.

6. Write and submit for grading a well composed, 6- to 8-page APA style formatted Observation of Social Behavior research paper. Included in the submitted document will be an Appendix containing Annotated Abstracts.  The Appendix will  not  count towards the required page count for the body of the paper.  The all-inclusive page count for the submitted document (Title Page, Report, References, and Appendix) will be approximately 11 to 14 pages.

Requirements :

Submit a single document that 1) introduces an appropriate research question grounded in social psychology; 2) answers the research question through naturalistic observation; and 3) addresses the requirements listed here.

Observations are ONLY to be made in public places, communal spaces in your home, or via public webcams (e.g., Zoos have “live” webcams that enable one to see the public within habitat areas).  Observations may not be made in private areas (e.g., bathroom, bedroom).  Observations must be unobtrusive, meaning you may not interact with observed subjects. You cannot speak to subjects or solicit written responses to questions or surveys. [See the “More on Unobtrusive Observation” box below to learn more about why unobtrusive observation is important to your project.]

Your research can revisit a social psychology related question or study found within the empirical literature, or you can develop a new research question of your own design.  In both approaches, you will have the opportunity to synthesize information from the course, expressing your understanding on the topic.

Within the document…

1. Introduce . Concisely introduce the reader to the research topic addressed through your observation project. Clearly define terms and theory when introduced in the paper. Anchor the paper through a well-constructed thesis statement.

2. Have purpose.  Your research question should clearly relate to a social psychology topic/theory.  Dedicate discussion to the origins of the research question, to include support from existing studies. All topics are to be discussed in clear detail.

Connect.   In the introduction of the research question, and in the discussion of the observation outcomes, support assertions made. Express interrelated ideas coherently and logically.

1. Include sources.  Incorporate course sources and a minimum of five (5) peer-reviewed professional sources from our UMGC Library. [In an Appendix to the study, present a copy of the abstracts from five peer-reviewed journal articles, along with a summary of how the articles facilitated your research. More on the Appendix requirement is provided below.]

2. Use Authorial Voice.   Discuss materials in your own words and your own writing style and structure. Avoid excessive use of direct quotes. Doing so may incur a point penalty for each occurrence and will not be accepted as content towards the page count of the reflection paper.

3. Apply APA Style **. Neatly and concisely present an APA formatted document containing

· Title Page

· Introduction

· Method

· Subjects

· Setting

· Procedure

· Results

· Conclusions

· References

· Appendix

· Properly formatted in-text citations and references

**Use APA style  headings  and subheadings, double-spacing, an appropriate  serif or sans serif font  (e.g., Times Roman 12-point; Arial 11-point; Calibri 11-point), 1-inch margins (left, right, top, and bottom), page numbering, and logical flow from topic to topic.  Write with clarity, paying attention to spelling,  grammar , and syntax. Consult the  UMGC Citing and Writing Guide , for proper form of  APA Style  in-text  citations  and  references .  You can also take advantage of the UMGC Effective Writing Center to gain early feedback and assistance with APA compliance.

UMGC’s Effective Writing Center:  https://www.umgc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/writing-center/index.cfm 

*Check the Course Schedule in this syllabus for the due date. Your instructor will determine the penalty for late submission of papers.

More on Unobtrusive Observation

During your naturalistic observation study, it is important that you do not interfere or intervene in the behavior being studied. The main reason you must be unobtrusive in your study is to avoid interfering or changing the behavior of the participants being observed.  Being unobtrusive supports avoiding reactance or reactivity effect.  Reactance refers to the biasing of the participants’ responses because they know they are being observed.

To offer an example, consider the studies conducted at the Western Electric Company’s Hawthorne plant in Illinois between 1927 and 1933 (Roethlisberger & Dickson, 1939). The purpose of the studies was to determine the effects of working hours and lighting quality on employee productivity. When researchers compared the productivity of the participants in variable manipulated (test) conditions to others within the plant, unusual findings emerged. The participants in the manipulated conditions often produced at higher rates, to include under conditions that were deemed inferior (e.g., reduce lighting) to those within the standard operating conditions of the plant. The increased performance under inferior conditions was unexpected and thereby, puzzling. This prompted a series of additional studies to assess the source of influence that moved the participants in the inferior conditions to produce at rates higher than those within the general plant. The answer discovered: workers who knew they were research participants and that they were being observed increased productivity. Thus, the knowledge that one is participating in an experiment or is being observed may result in dramatic changes in behavior. [Because of the location of the original studies at the Western Electric Company, the reactivity phenomena are often referred to as the, Hawthorne effect.]