Applied Psychology

Be the Graduate Student – Individual Paper This assignment gives you the opportunity to take a deep dive into an area of applied psychology that interests you. Scenario Imagine that you are considering graduate school and are trying to determine which area of psychology to pursue. You have narrowed down your choices to what Capella has to offer and the next step is to pick one to explore further. Assignment Preparation STEP 1: If you haven’t yet picked one area of psychology, spend some time reviewing the master’s level graduate specializations in psychology offered at Capella. Which of these areas of psychology interest you the most? Which one would you like to explore further? Are you currently in our General Psychology Program? You might consider programs within our School of Psychology: MS in PsychologyLinks to an external site.. General Psychology. Developmental Psychology. Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Educational Psychology. Sport Psychology. MS in Clinical PsychologyLinks to an external site.. Applied Research. Clinical Counseling. Forensic Psychology. MS in School PsychologyLinks to an external site.. Are you currently in our Pre-Counseling & Therapy Program? You might consider programs within our School of Counseling and Therapy: MS in Clinical Mental Health CounselingLinks to an external site.. MS in Marriage and Family TherapyLinks to an external site.. MS in School CounselingLinks to an external site.. Are you currently in our Applied Behavior Analysis Program? You might consider the next degree: MS in Applied Behavior AnalysisLinks to an external site.. Don’t see a specific area of psychology here that interests you? Run a different idea by your faculty for approval. STEP 2: Locate two peer-reviewed journal articles on your selected area of psychology within the Capella University Library. Be sure that at least one of the two articles is related to the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). To learn more about Capella’s diversity mission, visit the Capella University Mission and LeadershipLinks to an external site. webpage. To accomplish this goal, find at least one article that either comes from an international journal, uses a non-Western population, or represents clearly the experiences of an underrepresented group in the literature. Assignment Instructions Prepare a 3-4 page paper discussing one area of applied psychology. Introduction to Field (suggested length: one paragraph). Name and describe the applied psychology area you have selected. What does it focus on? What is its purpose? Evaluate the social significance of the topic. History of Field (suggested length: 23 paragraphs). Explain the key ideas, theories, and historical milestones related to that applied psychology field. Recruit two scholarly sources; one may be your textbook; one must be a peer-reviewed journal article. Societal and/or Cultural Needs (suggested length: 23 paragraphs). Explain the societal and/or cultural needs that led to the development of this area of psychology and include examples. Analyze the driving needs behind why the field was created; interpret their importance and consider implications and consequences for the identified needs. Recruit 2 scholarly sources; one may be your textbook; one must be a peer-reviewed journal article. At least one peer-reviewed journal article must be tied to topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Professional Influences (suggested length: 2 paragraphs). Analyze how this specific area of psychology may influence current professional behavior. Review how this area of psychology may impact our workplace behaviors and experiences; interpret its importance and consider implications and consequences within the workplace. Include examples to support your analysis. Conclusion (suggested length: one paragraph). Describe potential future directions of this field on the individual, community, and global scales. Submission Requirements You do not need an index or abstract for this paper. Use the APA Style Paper Template [DOCX]. Length: Write 34 pages of content in addition to a title page and references page. Written communication: Must be free of errors that detract from the overall message. Resources and citations: A minimum of three sources is required. Two must be peer-reviewed journal articles and one may be a credible professional source, such as a textbook. One of the articles should represent DEI perspectives. Format according to current APA guidelines. Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point. Competencies Measured By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and rubric criteria: Competency 1: Explain the major events, schools of thought, and cultural influences that have affected the development of the science of psychology. Explain the key ideas, theories, and historical milestones for this area of psychology. Explain the societal and/or cultural needs that led to the development of this area of psychology. Competency 2: Evaluate the social significance of contemporary topics in psychology. Describe a specific area of applied psychology, including its area of focus and social significance. Competency 3: Analyze psychological theory and scholarly literature in history, systems, and contemporary topics. Analyze three scholarly sources on the history and systems of psychology. Competency 4: Apply psychological theory and research to guide professional behavior. Analyze how this specific area of psychology applies to current professional behavior. Competency 5: Articulate future directions on an individual, community, and global scale to promote positive change. Describes the field’s potential future impact on psychology on individual, community, and/or global scales. Competency 6: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology. Use APA style paper formatting with only minor errors. Use APA style formatting for citations and reference list with only minor errors. Address assignment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences. Week 3 Assignment: Be the Graduate Student Week 3 Assignment: Be the Graduate Student Criteria Ratings Pts Describe a specific area of applied psychology, including its area of focus and social significance. 15 to >12.75 pts DISTINGUISHED Describes in detail a specific area of applied psychology, including its area of focus and social significance. 12.75 to >10.5 pts PROFICIENT Describes a specific area of applied psychology, including its area of focus and social significance. 10.5 to >0 pts BASIC Describes a specific area of applied psychology, including its area of focus or social significance. 0 pts NON_PERFORMANCE Does not describe a specific area of applied psychology. / 15 pts Explain the key ideas, theories, and historical milestones for this area of psychology. 22.5 to >19.13 pts DISTINGUISHED Explains the key ideas, theories, and historical milestones for this area of psychology with cited scholarly evidence. 19.13 to >15.75 pts PROFICIENT Explains the key ideas, theories, and historical milestones for this area of psychology. 15.75 to >0 pts BASIC Describes this area of psychology, but is missing its key ideas, theories, or historical milestones. 0 pts NON_PERFORMANCE Does not describe the key ideas, theories, and historical milestones for this area of psychology. / 22.5 pts Explain the societal and/or cultural needs that led to the development of this area of psychology. 22.5 to >19.13 pts DISTINGUISHED Explains the societal and/or cultural needs that led to the development of this area of psychology; includes pertinent examples of societal and cultural needs that support the analysis. 19.13 to >15.75 pts PROFICIENT Explains the societal and/or cultural needs that led to the development of this area of psychology. 15.75 to >0 pts BASIC Describes the societal and/or cultural needs that led to the development of this area of psychology. 0 pts NON_PERFORMANCE Does not describe the societal and/or cultural needs that led to the development of this area of psychology. / 22.5 pts Analyze three scholarly sources on the history and systems of psychology. 22.5 to >19.13 pts DISTINGUISHED Analyzes three scholarly sources on the history and systems of psychology, with at least one study being from an international source or with a non-Western and/or underrepresented sample. 19.13 to >15.75 pts PROFICIENT Analyzes three scholarly sources on the history and systems of psychology. 15.75 to >0 pts BASIC Analyzes sources on the history and systems of psychology, but not all sources are scholarly. 0 pts NON_PERFORMANCE Does not analyze sources on the history and systems of psychology. / 22.5 pts Analyze how this specific area of psychology applies to current professional behavior. 22.5 to >19.13 pts DISTINGUISHED Analyzes how a specific area of psychology applies to current professional behavior and provides examples to support the analysis. 19.13 to >15.75 pts PROFICIENT Analyzes how this specific area of psychology applies to current professional behavior 15.75 to >0 pts BASIC Describes how a specific area of psychology may influence current professional behavior. 0 pts NON_PERFORMANCE Does not describe how a specific area of psychology may influence current professional behavior. / 22.5 pts Describes the field’s potential future impact on psychology on individual, community, and/or global scales. 15 to >12.75 pts DISTINGUISHED Describes the field’s potential future impact on psychology with multiple examples from individual, community, and global scales. 12.75 to >10.5 pts PROFICIENT Describes the field’s potential future impact on psychology on individual, community, and/or global scales. 10.5 to >0 pts BASIC Identifies, but does not describe, the field’s potential future impact on psychology. 0 pts NON_PERFORMANCE Does not identify the field’s potential future impact on psychology. / 15 pts Use APA style paper formatting with only minor errors. 7.5 to >6.38 pts DISTINGUISHED Uses proper APA style formatting throughout paper, including spacing, title page, page numbers, and headings. 6.38 to >5.25 pts PROFICIENT Uses APA style paper formatting with only minor errors. 5.25 to >0 pts BASIC Uses APA style paper formatting but has major errors. 0 pts NON_PERFORMANCE Does not format paper in line with APA style guidelines. / 7.5 pts Use APA style formatting for citations and reference list with only minor errors. 7.5 to >6.38 pts DISTINGUISHED Uses proper APA style formatting for citations and reference list. 6.38 to >5.25 pts PROFICIENT Uses APA style formatting for citations and reference list with only minor errors. 5.25 to >0 pts BASIC Uses APA style formatting for citations and reference list but has major errors. 0 pts NON_PERFORMANCE Does not have citations or a reference list. / 7.5 pts Address assignment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences. 15 to >12.75 pts DISTINGUISHED Presents a focused purpose through strong organizational skills. Presents evidence through strong paraphrasing/summarizing and appropriate tone and sentence structure. 12.75 to >10.5 pts PROFICIENT Addressed assignment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences. 10.5 to >0 pts BASIC Addresses the assignment purpose with minimal issues related to evidence, tone, and sentence structure. 0 pts NON_PERFORMANCE Does not respond to the assignment prompt and/or does not organize text appropriately, uses inappropriate tone, or does not include structurally sound sentences. / 15 pts