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Be the Graduate Student

Post ID: 3548587

Be the Graduate Student

Write a 3–4 page paper discussing one area of applied psychology, including its social significance, history, precipitating societal and/or cultural needs, professional influences, and future directions.

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Introduction

Psychology is a field rich in history with roots in other disciplines like philosophy. The history of a field affects the present and future state of a field—the order of events and development of theories over time can inform how we got to where we are now. In this course, you'll begin by tracing the history of psychology from its ancient roots and end with considering how you can be the positive change in psychology and society. Along the way, you'll learn about seminal theories, brilliant and influential minds, and the cultural influences and systems that have contributed to the development of the science of modern psychology.

In this first assessment, you'll “be the graduate student” via exploring an applied psychology area that you are interested in pursuing further. You'll trace its history along with considering the societal or cultural needs that led to the development of this area. You'll also consider how this psychological area can influence workplace behaviors and experiences. By further considering the social significance of the topic and future directions for the field, you'll be well on your way towards seeing how psychology changes and evolves across time.

Be the Graduate Student - Individual Paper

This assessment 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.

Assessment Preparation

Step 1: Pick one area of psychology via spending 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?

You might consider programs within our School of Psychology:

You might consider programs within our School of Counseling and Therapy:

You might consider Applied Behavior Analysis:

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' diversity mission, visit the Capella University Mission and Leadership webpage. To accomplish this goal, find at least one article that comes from an international journal, uses a non-Western population, or represents clearly the experiences of an underrepresented group in the literature.

Assessment 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: 2–3 paragraphs).
    • Explain the key ideas, theories, and historical milestones related to that applied psychology field.
      • Recruit 2 scholarly sources; one may be your textbook; one must be a peer-reviewed journal article.
  • Societal and/or Cultural Needs (suggested length: 2–3 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 two 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: two 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 3–4 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. See Academic Writer.
  • 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 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.
    • Articulate potential future directions of this field on individual, community, and 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 assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
    • Use the resources linked below to help complete this assessment.Collapse All

      Psychological Beginnings

      In the Beginning …People have always been fascinated with understanding others' thoughts and behaviors. The history of modern psychology begins in the 19th century, when psychology became a new and independent discipline. Early thoughts and ideas may, at times, seem farfetched based on today's understanding of the field. For instance, it was once believed that feeling for bumps on your head could reveal your underlying personality (a study known as phrenology). Such ideas, though radical by today's standards, also represent early schools of thought that went on to shape our field and make it into what it is today.Read the following from your textbook, A Brief History of Modern Psychology, to learn more about prescientific understandings of psychology and some of the challenges a scientific field might experience in its infancy.
      • Benjamin, L. T., Jr. (2023). A brief history of modern psychology (4th ed.). Wiley.
        • Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link. Watch this VitalSource video for more information.
          • Chapter 1, “Prescientific Psychology."
      Continue to explore the historical development of psychology while moving away from the prescientific underpinnings. The following chapters from your text, A Brief History of Modern Psychology, examine the different influences on this new and fascinating science of the mind:
      • Benjamin, L. T., Jr. (2023). A brief history of modern psychology (4th ed.). Wiley.
        • Chapter 2, “Physiology, Psychophysics, and the Science of the Mind."
        • Chapter 3, “Germany and the Birth of a New Science."
        • Chapter 4, “Origins of Scientific Psychology in America."

      Why?

      Why include a class on history and systems within the psychology program? “Can the history of psychology have an impact?” (Pettit & Davidson, 2014, as cited in Brock, 2016). In short, while there are different perspectives on the topic, historical psychology can have an impact. A critical understanding of the past, and the context in which the field has grown, can help inform the present. Read through the Brock article and APA's website for Division 26, which extends upon why we must appreciate this field of study.
      • History of Psychology reading list.

      Reference

      Brock, A. C. (2016). The future of the history of psychology revisited. History of Psychology, 19(3), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.1037/hop0000037

      Applied Psychology

      Applied Initiatives

      The following two chapters in your textbook, A Brief History of Modern Psychology, explore the birth of applied psychology as well as its modern inception:
      • Benjamin, L. T., Jr. (2023). A brief history of modern psychology (4th ed.). Wiley.
        • Chapter 6, “The Birth of the New Applied Psychology in America."
        • Chapter 9, “The New Profession of Psychology."
      The American Psychological Association has also established an Office of Applied Psychology with the express purpose of bringing like minds together to address many real-world issues. Review their website here to learn more.
      • Office of Applied Psychology.

      DEI and Writing Resources

      Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

      Using your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion reading list, complete the following readings:When looking at the history of psychology as a field, one critique is that perspectives were historically limited. In particular, older research and publications centered the voices of White authors and particularly males. Systematic inequality existed within research. Learn more by reviewing the article by Roberts et al. (2020), Racial inequality in psychological research: Trends of the past and recommendations for the future.To encourage systemic change in our approach to psychological science, we will be asking you to incorporate resources in your work that represent an eye towards diversity, equity, and inclusion. Learn more about how these terms are defined by reviewing the APA's framework and resources in your reading list. Henrich et al.'s (2010) article will further introduce you to why psychology samples, historically, have often been referred to as ‘WEIRD’.
      • Note - The linked Henrich et al. file in the library provides discussion from other researchers and authors after the article. The primary article is pages 61-83. You are welcome to review the additional discussion afterwards if you would like.
      The resources you select to support your assessments should reflect a diversity of perspectives and give voice and bring visibility to traditionally underrepresented groups in the field (e.g., BIPOC, women, LGBTQIA+, etc.). Your goal will be to find at least one peer-reviewed journal article for each assessment that either comes from an international journal, uses a non-Western population, or represents clearly the experiences of an underrepresented group in the literature.

      Writing Skill: Synthesis

      With so many perspectives on any topic, learning how to synthesize those perspectives together in your writing is an important skill. As you collect information on a topic and evidence to support various points in your writing, consider how you will weave these different pieces together in a way that makes sense and reads smoothly. This will require you to incorporate multiple of the other writing skills you've already learned about, including writing with purpose, summarizing, and organizing. Learn more about Developing Synthesis and then dig deeper into when synthesis is used and related examples and approaches by checking out the Writing Center's resource, The Meaning of Synthesis. You'll want to synthesize in any piece of writing when combining multiple sources together to make your arguments or support your key points - be sure to use this skill when working on your assessments in this course.

      APA Style: Paper Formatting

      Just like APA style has particular guidelines for citations and references, so too does it have particular guidelines for how you format your overall paper. This formatting includes a dedicated title page, page headings and numbers, set margins, paragraph indentation, and recommended font selections. As you work on your papers in this course (and other psychology courses), review the APA style guidelines here and apply the formatting details to your work. Use your APA Style Paper Formatting reading list for guidelines on these elements.

      Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

      As you recruit sources for your assessments, you'll be asked to find peer-reviewed journal articles to support your work. Peer-reviewed journal articles are a particular type of scholarly publication that serve as firsthand evidence and thereby add credibility to your writing. An article being peer-reviewed means that it is not just edited for typos or the like before publication, but it is reviewed by (usually) multiple experts in the field who often require a number of revisions before publication and help validate the credibility of the source before it ever reaches the physical page. Watch the video, What are Peer Reviewed Articles and then jump over to How Do I Find Peer-Reviewed Articles? to explore where to find peer-reviewed journal articles using our Capella library.

      Critical Thinking: Implications and Consequences

      Researchers take their knowledge, old and new, and harness it to impact positive change. If you've been reading the Discussion section of peer-reviewed journal articles, you've seen how psychologists mention this in their own research. They discuss the implications (what follows logically from their claims) and consequences (what follows from their actions) of their work, and suggest future directions for both research and the ‘real world’. When you work on your assessments, you'll be considering how you can help make positive change. To learn more about implications and consequences, review the section on ‘Implications & Consequences’ on the Analytic Stage of Thinking page on Campus.