Overview
While you can use positive psychology concepts to enhance your personal well-being, you can also use them to promote social change. For example, you could design a program to help former prisoners integrate back into society using the traits of perseverance and creativity. You could also help at-risk youth by creating a program that integrates bravery, persistence, and integrity into its curriculum. In this assignment, you will reflect on what you learned when completing one of the positive psychology activities related to justice, temperance, or transcendence and apply that knowledge to a social issue.
Preparation
Complete the following:
- Step 1: If you haven't already done so, choose one of the activities you completed related to justice, temperance, or transcendence in the Positive Psychology Activities media to focus on for this assignment.
- Step 2: Choose a social issue to focus on. Here are some examples to get you thinking:
- Wealth inequality.
- Racism, sexism, ableism, or ageism.
- Women's rights or LGBTQIA+ rights.
- Poverty and/or homelessness.
- Drug addiction.
- Gun violence or domestic violence.
- Step 3: If you didn't finish your research last week, use the Capella University LibraryLinks to an external site. to find scholarly articles. If you aren't familiar with the Capella library, the "Finding Articles" section of the Bachelor's in Psychology Library Research GuideLinks to an external site. is a great place to start your search. You are required to include a total of four peer-reviewed journal articles. You can use two of the peer-reviewed journal articles in your reading list for Weeks 6 and 7 if they are applicable to your topic.
Instructions
Create a short newspaper or magazine. For each of the four areas below, write a short article. Then arrange the articles to create a newspaper or magazine. You can include graphic or visual elements if you desire. Note: Remember to pay attention to copyrights on any visuals used and to give proper credit to the source of your images.
In your Week 7: Creating Newspapers and MagazinesLinks to an external site. reading list, you can find resources to help you with the formatting in MS Word and in Canva.
Article 1: The Social Issue
In approximately 250 words:
- Introduce the concepts.
- Describe the social issue and explain why this social issue is important.
Note: This article can be a sidebar or callout like publications use when highlighting background information on other topics covered
Article 2: The Positive Psychology Concept
In 350–500 words:
- Analyze the strengths and limitations of positive psychology.
- Describe positive psychology.
- Analyze the strengths of positive psychology.
- Analyze the weaknesses of positive psychology.
- Note: Include evidence from a source for support.
- Explain how a positive psychology concept relates to the social issue.
- Describe the positive psychology concept related to justice, temperance, or transcendence that you are focused on.
- Explain how the positive psychology concept relates to the social issue.
- Note: Include evidence from a source for support.
- Write to inform the audience.
Article 3: The Positive Psychology-Based Strategy
In 250–350 words:
- Explain the positive psychology-based strategy related to justice, temperance, or transcendence you've developed to facilitate social change.
- Explain how this strategy will help to reduce discrimination.
- Summarize the research, including future directions.
- Write to persuade your audience.
Article 4: The Editorial
In 250–350 words:
- Develop strategies to enhance resilience and maintain skills in response to rapid social change and related changes in the job market.
- Explain how you can use these strategies in the workplace.
- Explain how you can use what you learned about yourself regarding justice, temperance, or transcendence to enhance your resilience in response to rapid social change.
- Explain how you can use what you learned about yourself regarding justice, temperance, or transcendence to maintain your skills related to changes in the job market.
- Write in an editorial style.
Additional Requirements
Your assignment should also meet the following requirements:
- Written communication: Written communication is in professional style with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.
- Resources: Use a minimum of six sources: your textbook, the Character Strengths and Virtues ebook from your reading list, and four peer-reviewed journal articles from the Capella library. You may use the peer-reviewed journal articles from your reading lists in Weeks 6 and 7 for two of the four peer-reviewed journal articles if they are applicable.
- APA formatting: Attributes information to a source—either APA style or using footnotes. You will also be expected to provide complete references. See the Evidence and APALinks to an external site. section of the Writing Center for guidance.
- Length: 2–4 single-spaced, typed-page newspaper.
- Font and font size: 10–12 point font.