Psychology Question
Write a 5–7 page paper that focuses on challenging a flawed source of information about biopsychology, using evidence from credible and scholarly sources.
Introduction
Biological systems influence our motivations. Some motivations—like eating—are pretty well understood. Other motivations remain a bit harder to explain. Understanding the biological aspect of the motivation we have is imperative for practitioners when understanding the behavior of their clients. Biology further contributes to our emotions and health. Think of your own emotional reactions or experiences of stress: what biological actions underlie such emotions or experiences? There are also biological building blocks behind our understanding of sex and gender. With this assessment, you will explore further one of these areas.
The easy availability of poor quality, outdated, or inaccurate information about how our brains work can make it challenging to find trustworthy information. The objective of this assessment is to practice finding and using credible evidence to counter flawed sources.
Preparation
Choose one of the following controversial statements:
- Obesity is caused by a lack of willpower.
- There are large differences between men and women’s cognitive ability.
- Only women should compete in women’s sports.
- Topic of your choice related to the content in the chapters on Motivation, Sex, Gender, or Emotion in your course texts.
Find one flawed source of information on the Internet. To find a flawed source, look for one with a substantial number of errors.
- Read what the textbooks say about the controversial statement.
- Use the controversial statement mentioned above and use it as your search word/phrase.
- If you don't see a flawed source on the first page of results, skip to the third page of results or further.
- Look for sources that are not accurate based on the information in your textbooks.
- Tips for finding flawed sources:
- Scroll through your social media feeds.
- Scroll through your results and look for sources that are NOT:
- .gov websites.
- News or press websites.
Find three peer-reviewed journal articles in the Capella University Library that summarize a research study focused on the actions of the brain and body that underlie your topic. Reviews of literature or meta-analyses are not appropriate for this assessment.
Review the information about reliability, validity, and generalizability provided in the excerpt from Jhangiani et al.’s (2025) Research Methods in Psychology:
- Excerpts From Chapter 4, “Psychological Measurement” [PDF].
Review the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
Instructions
In your paper, address the following components:
- Identify ONE other academic field (e.g., biology, medical sciences) that also studies your chosen topic.
- Compare and contrast this field with psychology in terms of approach, methods, and focus.
- For your topic, what are the benefits of the two fields working together? In other words, explain the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Summarize your flawed source and explain why it is considered flawed.
- Use three peer-reviewed journal articles to support your analysis. For each article:
- Discuss the research methods, participants, and key results.
- Evaluate the reliability, validity, and generalizability of the sources.
- Discuss, using evidence from the article, the study’s adherence to TWO of the APA’s five Ethical Principles of Psychologists:
- Beneficence and Nonmaleficence.
- Fidelity and Responsibility.
- Integrity.
- Justice.
- Respect for People's Rights and Dignity.
- Relate the actions of the mind and body to psychological and physical health.
- Describe the biological processes of the brain and body involved.
- Connect these biological mechanisms to your topic.
Headings
Use headers to organize your paper. Recommended headers:
- Flawed Source (Level 1).
- Peer-Reviewed Sources (Level 1).
- Source 1 (Level 2).
- Source 2 (Level 2).
- Source 3 (Level 2).
- Biological Mechanisms (Level 1).
- Theories (Level 1).
- Conclusion (Level 1).
- References (Level 1 — start on a new page).
Additional Requirements
- Written communication: Written communication is in professional style with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.
- Resources: Use a minimum of six sources: your flawed source, a textbook, the APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, and three peer-reviewed journal articles.
- APA formatting: References and citations are formatted according to APA style and formatting.
- Use Academic Writer for guidance in citing sources in proper APA style. See the Writing Center for more APA resources specific to your degree level.
- Length: 5–7 double-spaced, typed pages.
- Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
- Competency 1: Relate the actions of the mind and body to psychological and physical health.
- Relate the actions of the mind and body to psychological and physical health.
- Competency 3: Examine psychological research from the standpoint of adherence to the APA Ethics Code in psychological research involving human or nonhuman research participants.
- Assess the extent to which research studies align with two of the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
- Competency 4: Expose flawed sources of information.
- Choose a flawed source of information.
- Explain peer-reviewed evidence.
- Competency 5: Write for purpose in a well organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
- Use APA style formatting for citations and reference list with only minor errors.
- Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.