Introduction to Mental Health Professions

In this activity, you will select any (2) psychological perspectives covered and explain how they can be applied to understanding behavior and mental processes. You will identify their main takeaways; then, discuss how they might relate to human behavior and mental processes.

Instructions: 

Step 1: Identify 

Select any (2) psychological perspectives - Biological, Psychodynamic, Behaviorist, Humanist, Cognitive or Evolutionary Psychology.

Step 2: Respond 

Analyze and prepare a discussion piece of 250-350 words that explains how the chosen perspectives can help to better understand or analyze human behavior and mental processes.

Step 3: Share 

To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas on other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.” You can use the following questions as a guide for your response:

• Which other perspective can be applied to your peer’s post?
• Do you notice any weaknesses/strengths of the particular perspective applied in your peer’s post?
• Do you have a particular example that can help build on your peer’s post?

In this activity, you will compare at least (3) domains in psychology and discuss the main viewpoints/core assumptions of each domain in analyzing human behavior.

Instructions: 

Step 1: Identify

Review the lesson’s readings and select at least (3) domains in psychology.

Step 2: Respond 

Write a 250-500 word essay. Discuss the main viewpoints/core assumptions of each domain. Make sure to include how each domain identified analyzes human behavior.

Step 3: Share

 To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

 Step 4: Interact

 To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.” You can use the following as a guide:   

• Do you agree or disagree with the identified domains and its analysis of human behavior?

In this learning activity, you will select any one of the psychology articles mentioned below. You will identify the study’s hypothesis, research methods, and conclusions drawn and will discuss why the selected research method was appropriate.

1. The Effects of Instagram Use, Social Comparison, and Self-Esteem on Social Anxiety: A Survey Study in Singapore.
2. Self-esteem, Social comparison, and Facebook Use.

You can use this as a guideline to help you navigate through the research articles.

Instructions: 

Step 1: Select 

 Select one of the two journal articles identified.

Step 2: Identify

Identify the study’s hypothesis, research methods and conclusions drawn.

Step 3: Respond 

Write a 250-500 piece of writing explaining why you believe that the chosen methodology was appropriate for the study based on the results presented and conclusions drawn. Ensure that you include the following information in your answer:

• What is the researcher’s main hypothesis?
• What methodology/research design did the researcher undertake?
• What conclusions can be drawn from the research findings?
• Do you agree/disagree with the methodology selected? 
• What are the main advantages and disadvantages of using the selected research method?

Step 4: Share

To share your work, click on the “Reply” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 5: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas on other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.” You can use the following as a guide:

• Did you observe anything different in terms of the study’s hypothesis, research methods or conclusions drawn?
• Do you agree or disagree with the rationale provided for the selected research method?

In this activity you will review a case study and interpret the statistical findings. 

Step 1: Review 

Data

The following dataset is based on the famous study “Internet Paradox. A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being?”  Kraut R, Patterson M, Lundmark V, Kiesler S, Mukopadhyay T, and Scherlis W. Am Psychol. 1998 Sep; 53(9): 101731.

STUDY:

The September 1998 issue of the American Psychologist published an article by Kraut et al. that reported on an experiment examining “the social and psychological impact of the internet of 169 people in 73 households during their first few years online.” In the experiment, 73 households were offered free internet access for 1 or 2 years in return for allowing their time and activity online to be tracked. The members of the households who participated in the study were also given a battery of tests at the beginning and again at the end of the study. The conclusion of the study made news headlines: Those who spent more time online tended to be more depressed at the end of the experiment.

The news reports about this study clearly concluded that using the internet causes depression. Is such a conclusion warranted?

DATASET

The original dataset consisted of 169 observations (cases) that were measured across 8 variables: Internet Use, Depression Before, Depression After, Gender, Race, Age Group, Household Income, and Household Size.

The given dataset is 12 observations based on the original.

Questions              

Graphing (Visualization)

1. What type of graph should be used to represent the data of Variable 1 (Internet Use), a bar graph, a scatter plot, or a stem-and-leaf plot? 
2. What type of graph should be used to represent the data of Variable 8 (Household Size), a histogram or a scatter plot?
3. Presented below is a graph with side-by-side boxplots for the Depression Before, and Depression After variables.

a. How do the ranges of the two variables differ?
b. Are there any potential outliers?
c. Compare the skewness of the graphs in terms of their being either Positively or   Negatively skewed, or roughly symmetrical.
d. Compare the boxplots in terms of their variability as shown in the plots.
e. Compare the Interquartile Ranges of the two plots.
f. Which variable has the higher median depression level?

Correlational Analysis

Now we will consider the scatterplot of the variables Internet Use (x-axis) and Depression After (y-axis). This graph is shown below.

1. From the scatterplot shown above, what type of correlation does it suggest: positive, negative, little, or none?
2. Calculate a Pearson’s r to determine analytically the type and strength of the relationship between Internet use and Depression After.
3. How much of the variability in Depression After is accounted for by the number of hours of internet use per week?
4. Calculate Cohen’s d for the variables Internet Use and Depression After, and give a brief explanation of what this statistic tells us.

Step 2: Interpret     

Analyze and prepare a discussion piece of 250-300 words that respond all the points stated below.

Step 3: Share 

To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas on other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this learning activity, think about and reflect on the personal relationships that you have experienced. You will be required to write on one of your most positive relationships and one of your relationships that has faced difficulties.

Instructions: 

Step 1: Review

Read all the required material and reflect on the following:

• One of your most positive relationships and one of your relationships that has faced difficulties.

Step 2: Respond 

Write a 300-400 discussion post. Ensure that your discussion post covers the following points:

• Discuss how positive personal values have played a role in each of the relationships chosen
• Explain the importance of benevolence, honesty, and integrity in building strong relationships with others

Step 3: Share

To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas on other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this learning activity, you will assess the hypothetical scenario and respond accordingly.

Step 1: Review

Read all the required materials for the lesson and review the scenario below:

You are part of the communications team at your local health authority office. There has been a spike in COVID-19 cases in the region, while vaccination has declined. Write a communication plan, which is to be distributed across three different types of media to help spread awareness and encourage the population to take precautions.

Step 2: Respond

Write a 300-400 word post in which you consider the following:

• Identify three (3) different audience groups within the population
• Apply the most effective type of media and communication strategy for each identified
• Ensure that you make a note of any special considerations in delivering information to the intended audiences

Step 3: Share

To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this learning activity, you will critically analyze the article provided below:

Adolescent smoking, alcohol use, inebriation, and use of narcotics during the Covid-19 pandemic.

You can use this as a guideline to help you navigate through the research article.

Instructions:

Step 1. Analyze

Analyze the psychology article mentioned here, or select a different article of your preference.

Step 2: Respond

You are to prepare a 5-minute narrated PowerPoint Presentation which explains/answers the following questions: 

• What was the focus of the study?
• Did the researchers draw appropriate conclusions based on the findings presented?
• Is the evidence presented in favor or against the researcher’s research question?
• Do the research findings allow for generalizability? If not, why?
• Does the research identify any limitations of the study?
• Does the research article suggest ideas for further research?

Step 3: Share

 To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

 Step 4: Interact

 To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this learning activity, you will discuss how culture, values, and biases can produce misunderstandings in communication. 

Instructions:

Step 1. Review

Read the required materials for this lesson and reflect on the question below: 

• How can culture, values, and biases produce misunderstandings in communication?

Step 2: Respond

Write a 200-350 word discussion post with the following inclusions:

• How misunderstanding may arise from culture, values, and/or biases?
• Draw on examples from news, media, or everyday life experiences illustrating how culture/values or biases may produce misunderstandings
• How can individuals be mindful of such barriers to decrease the likelihood of misunderstandings?

Step 3: Share

To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this learning activity, you will discuss how you view psychology’s applicability to your professional life/development.

Instructions:

Step 1: Review

Read the required materials for this lesson and reflect on the questions below: 

• How do you see psychology’s application to your professional life? 
• What dimensions of professional life?
• Is there a need? 
• How can it help improve relationships/decision making/stress management?

Step 2: Respond 

Analyze and write a 300-400 word discussion post, ensuring that your response includes the following:

• The applicability of psychology in your professional life
• Use of examples where necessary

Step 3: Share

To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”