Determine which type of analysis would be appropriate to answer this  research question. Be specific. Please support your answer using the  textbook or other course materials.

/in /by

Research Scenario 1
A researcher is interested in the  effects of a new weight loss supplement. Participants in this  double-blind study are randomly assigned to either a group that receives  the new supplement or a group that receives a placebo. Participants are  weighed before starting the program. After 6 weeks of taking either the  new supplement or the placebo, participants return to the lab to be  weighed.

  • Provide the appropriate null and alternative hypotheses.
  • Determine which type of analysis would be appropriate to answer this  research question. Be specific and support your answer using the  textbook or other course materials.
  • Name the independent and dependent variables used in the analysis. What are the levels of the independent variable?
  • Indicate the levels of measurement for each variable.
  • Describe the Type I error for this study.
  • Describe the Type II error for this study.

Research Scenario 2
A researcher is interested in whether  certain memory strategies help people to remember information. This  researcher employs students from a local college, and then randomly  assigns them to one of three groups—the visualization group, the  mnemonic technique group, and the rote repetition group. Participants in  each group receive an hour of instruction regarding how to use the  particular technique to remember lists of words. After the instruction,  all participants are presented with a list of 60 words that they are  instructed to remember. The words are presented one-at-a time on a  computer screen. After the last word is presented, all participants are  instructed to recall as many words as possible by writing them on a  blank sheet of paper. All participants are given 10 minutes to recall  the words.

  • Provide the appropriate null and alternative hypotheses.
  • Indicate which type of analysis would be appropriate to answer this  research question. Be specific and support your answer using the  textbook or other course materials.
  • Name the independent and dependent variables used in the analysis. What are the levels of the independent variable?
  • Indicate the levels of measurement for each variable.
  • Describe the Type I error for this study.
  • Describe the Type II error for this study

Research Scenario 3
A local manufacturing company is  interested in determining whether their employees are as happy with  their jobs as other employees. The manufacturing company asked the  workers, who volunteered to participate, to rate their happiness at work  on a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 was not at all happy and 10 was  extremely happy. The manufacturing company found that the mean happiness  rating for their employees is 7.3. In the general population of workers  in the United States, the mean happiness rating is 6.

  • Provide the appropriate null and alternative hypotheses.
  • Determine which type of analysis would be appropriate to answer this  research question. Be specific. Please support your answer using the  textbook or other course materials.
  • Name the variables used in the analysis.
  • What are the levels of measurement for each variable?
  • Describe the Type I error for this study.
  • Describe the Type II error for this study

Length: 1-2 pages

Your paper should demonstrate thoughtful  consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by  providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic.  Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standard

Provide at least one specific example of an element or elements of your personality that are explained by your selected model.

/in /by

For your Final Paper, you will identify and synthesize the concepts and constructs of personality theory that you find to be the most accurate and appropriate in explaining personality and development.

Throughout the course, you have engaged, probed, picked apart, and evaluated the thinking of a large number of theorists who wrote during different historical periods from different disciplinary, paradigmatic, and ideological perspectives. Based on different realms of human experience, the theorists moved toward a fundamental understanding of a single topic and fundamental question: What is the human personality, and, more generally, what makes us what we are as individuals and as a species?

You have already begun this task by identifying what you feel are the most compelling concepts in the first four of the seven theoretical models covered in the course during the Week 3 Primary Concepts assignment. You will continue that process in the first part of this Personality Theory Final Paper by identifying what you find to be the most compelling concepts in the remaining three models. Then you will continue that assessment by synthesizing the concepts of personality that

  • Best explain the roles of heredity and environment.
  • Provide the best means of assessing personality.
  • Provide the best theoretical explanation for your personal journey of personality development.
  • Provide the most useful applications for you as a scholar and professional.

Your paper should be organized according to the following scheme, with sections organized under the following APA-formatted headings. Address the following specifications for each heading. (For instructions on writing proper headings and other document elements, see the Ashford University Writing Center’s APA Style Elements (Links to an external site.).)

In your paper, include the following:

Introduction

Start your paper with a general, academic introduction to the topic of theories of personality.

  • Explain what you plan to cover and the direction your paper will take.

Major Concepts

In Week 3, you identified what you considered to be the most important concepts from the psychodynamic, the neurobiological, the cognitive, and the trait models of personality. In this section of the Final Paper, you will present a concept from each of the remaining three models—behavioral, interpersonal, and self-psychology models.

For each of these three concepts:

  • Apply a proper APA heading to separate the section.
  • Describe the concept.
  • Identify the theorist associated with the concept.
  • Provide a rationale for why the selected concept is the most applicable from that model.

Keep in mind that the object of this assignment is to identify and discuss a specific concept from each model and not to focus on just one model or provide overviews of the models per se.

The Roles of Heredity and Environment

In this class, we have explored the roles heredity, the environment, and epigenetics play in the development of personality. In this section,

  • Synthesize your views on how heredity and the environment affect personality development.

Assessment in Personality Theory

In this section, reflect on the various methods for assessing personality that have been presented in this course, and select one that you feel is most useful.

  • Describe briefly the assessment method that you believe is most useful in assessing personality.
  • Justify your selection of this method.

Personal Applications

In this section of the paper, reflect on your personality and address the following items:

  • Identify which of the seven models best explains your developmental journey.
  • Provide at least one specific example of an element or elements of your personality that are explained by your selected model.

Career Applications

In this section, consider how you can use the knowledge from this course as a professional, addressing the following item:

  • Explain how you can use the knowledge you have gained about personality development to help achieve your career goals.

Conclusion

Provide a brief conclusion, addressing the following:

  • Summarize the ideas presented in your synthesis of, and reflection on, personality theory.

The Personality Theory Final Paper

  • Must be eight double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and must use proper APA headings with all document and citation formatting according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.)
  • Must include a separate title page with the following:
    • Title of paper
    • Student’s name
    • Course name and number
    • Instructor’s name
    • Date submitted
    • For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).
  • Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
  • Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
    • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
  • Must use at least six scholarly sources in addition to the course text and other required sources to support your conclusions, including at least one scholarly source for each substantive section.
    • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
    • To assist you in completing the library research required for this assignment, view this Ashford University Library Quick ‘n’ Dirty (Links to an external site.) tutorial, which introduces the Ashford University Library and the research process and provides some library search tips.
  • Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.)
  • Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

Provide at least one specific example of an element or elements of your personality that are explained by your selected model.

/in /by

For your Final Paper, you will identify and synthesize the concepts and constructs of personality theory that you find to be the most accurate and appropriate in explaining personality and development.

Throughout the course, you have engaged, probed, picked apart, and evaluated the thinking of a large number of theorists who wrote during different historical periods from different disciplinary, paradigmatic, and ideological perspectives. Based on different realms of human experience, the theorists moved toward a fundamental understanding of a single topic and fundamental question: What is the human personality, and, more generally, what makes us what we are as individuals and as a species?

You have already begun this task by identifying what you feel are the most compelling concepts in the first four of the seven theoretical models covered in the course during the Week 3 Primary Concepts assignment. You will continue that process in the first part of this Personality Theory Final Paper by identifying what you find to be the most compelling concepts in the remaining three models. Then you will continue that assessment by synthesizing the concepts of personality that

  • Best explain the roles of heredity and environment.
  • Provide the best means of assessing personality.
  • Provide the best theoretical explanation for your personal journey of personality development.
  • Provide the most useful applications for you as a scholar and professional.

Your paper should be organized according to the following scheme, with sections organized under the following APA-formatted headings. Address the following specifications for each heading. (For instructions on writing proper headings and other document elements, see the Ashford University Writing Center’s APA Style Elements (Links to an external site.).)

In your paper, include the following:

Introduction

Start your paper with a general, academic introduction to the topic of theories of personality.

  • Explain what you plan to cover and the direction your paper will take.

Major Concepts

In Week 3, you identified what you considered to be the most important concepts from the psychodynamic, the neurobiological, the cognitive, and the trait models of personality. In this section of the Final Paper, you will present a concept from each of the remaining three models—behavioral, interpersonal, and self-psychology models.

For each of these three concepts:

  • Apply a proper APA heading to separate the section.
  • Describe the concept.
  • Identify the theorist associated with the concept.
  • Provide a rationale for why the selected concept is the most applicable from that model.

Keep in mind that the object of this assignment is to identify and discuss a specific concept from each model and not to focus on just one model or provide overviews of the models per se.

The Roles of Heredity and Environment

In this class, we have explored the roles heredity, the environment, and epigenetics play in the development of personality. In this section,

  • Synthesize your views on how heredity and the environment affect personality development.

Assessment in Personality Theory

In this section, reflect on the various methods for assessing personality that have been presented in this course, and select one that you feel is most useful.

  • Describe briefly the assessment method that you believe is most useful in assessing personality.
  • Justify your selection of this method.

Personal Applications

In this section of the paper, reflect on your personality and address the following items:

  • Identify which of the seven models best explains your developmental journey.
  • Provide at least one specific example of an element or elements of your personality that are explained by your selected model.

Career Applications

In this section, consider how you can use the knowledge from this course as a professional, addressing the following item:

  • Explain how you can use the knowledge you have gained about personality development to help achieve your career goals.

Conclusion

Provide a brief conclusion, addressing the following:

  • Summarize the ideas presented in your synthesis of, and reflection on, personality theory.

The Personality Theory Final Paper

  • Must be eight double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and must use proper APA headings with all document and citation formatting according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.)
  • Must include a separate title page with the following:
    • Title of paper
    • Student’s name
    • Course name and number
    • Instructor’s name
    • Date submitted
    • For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).
  • Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
  • Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
    • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
  • Must use at least six scholarly sources in addition to the course text and other required sources to support your conclusions, including at least one scholarly source for each substantive section.
    • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
    • To assist you in completing the library research required for this assignment, view this Ashford University Library Quick ‘n’ Dirty (Links to an external site.) tutorial, which introduces the Ashford University Library and the research process and provides some library search tips.
  • Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.)
  • Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

 Research questions that lend themselves to a qualitative approach often address questions about how people construct meaning. In this way, qualitative research questions set the stage for open-ended, inductive inquiry.

/in /by

Research questions that lend themselves to a qualitative approach often address questions about how people construct meaning. In this way, qualitative research questions set the stage for open-ended, inductive inquiry.

For this Discussion, review the case study entitled, “Social Work Research: Program Evaluation.” Consider the kinds of questions that inform a qualitative approach. Think about the quantitative method described in the case study and consider methods you might use to investigate the effectiveness of a program from a qualitative perspective.

Post your explanations of the following:

  • What kinds of research questions lead to a qualitative approach?
  • If you chose to conduct quantitative research in your Week 4 proposal, how might you reframe the research question in a way that lends itself to a qualitative approach?
  • If you focused on a qualitative proposal in Week 4, describe the qualitative research question and explain the rationale for choosing a qualitative approach.
  • Be sure to explain how you might collect the data.
  • Consider which qualitative method (case study, grounded theory, ethnographic research, cross-sectional research, feminist research, or participatory action research) would be most suitable for answering the research question.

Case Study entitled Social Work Research: Program Evaluation

 

Social Work Research: Program Evaluation

Major federal legislation was enacted in 1996 related to welfare reform. Financial assistance programs at the national level for low-income families have been in place since the mid-1960s through the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, or welfare reform, created TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Major components of the new TANF program were to limit new recipients of cash aid to no more than 2 years of TANF assistance at a time and to receive no more than 5 years of combined TANF assistance with other service programs during their lifetimes. The goal was to make public assistance a temporary, rather than a long-term, program for families with children. Beyond these general rules, each of the 50 states was given substantial latitude to adopt requirements to fit their own objectives. The new law also allowed states that reduced their public assistance expenses to keep whatever support was already being provided by the federal government for use at their own discretion. This was seen as a way to encourage states to reduce welfare dependency.

In response, the state of California decided to call its new program CalWORKs, the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program. CalWORKs is California’s application of the new TANF federal law. Like most of the other states, CalWORKs provided its 58 counties with a fair amount of discretion in how to implement the new provisions. Some counties chose to develop strong upfront “employment-first” rules that mandated recipients be employed as soon as possible. Others chose a response that included testing and assessment and the provision of education and training services.

One of the largest counties in the San Francisco Bay Area developed several options for CalWORKs recipients, including immediate job readiness (Job Club) help, remedial education for recipients lacking basic skills, and vocational training at local community colleges and adult education centers for those seeking higher level education and skills. Recipients could take up to 5 years to complete these activities and even longer in certain circumstances to maximize their chances of success. Recipients were predominantly single mothers. If recipients fully complied with the rules, they received a variety of financial incentives, while those who did not comply received sanctions that often resulted in reduced benefit levels. The county provided grants to a wide array of education, training, and service programs to work as partners in serving the needs of participants.

In 1996, the county’s CalWORKs program enrolled approximately 22,000 families in various forms of public assistance programs. Of these, approximately 10,000 elected to participate in one of the education and training programs, 9,000 elected to attend intensive job placement (Job Club) classes, and the remaining 3,000 opted to not comply with the new program and accepted reduced benefit sanctions.

To meet its state and federal mandates, the county carefully tracked the progress of all program participants and compiled comprehensive quarterly reports that summarized assignments and outcomes at each of the contracted partner sites as well as countywide trends. During the first 11 years of the program, from 1996 through 2007, the county’s public assistance roles were reduced by approximately 40%, from more than 22,000 to about 13,000 families. The best results were obtained among participants in education and training programs, who accounted for about two-thirds of long-term outcome success, although this group was also found to be more costly to the local CalWORKs program during their years of study. These costs, in addition to the longer period of monthly benefits received, also included the cost of education and training and, in some cases, childcare expenses. Among the participants who were placed in the immediate job search (Job Club) program, total costs to the county were somewhat less per year, but more than 50% were still not successful in gaining employment, and those that did find a job received a much lower salary and fewer benefits, and another 23% fell back on CalWORKs after later losing their employment.

Although the results of the CalWORKs program in this county seemed to be following a mostly positive trend from 1996 through 2007, the situation changed dramatically in the opposite direction during the national economic downturn from 2007 through 2011. Total public assistance rolls more than doubled to about 30,000 during this time as the local and state unemployment rate rapidly grew from about 7% to more than 12%. The county was initially successful in getting the state to grant it waivers to allow recipients to extend their period of benefits during education and training, but these waivers were considerably restricted after 2011 due to major state budget cuts. Between 2011 and early 2013 the total number of recipients began to decline again by about 10% from its peak 2 years earlier. However, the total number of CalWORKs recipients is at 27,000, still about 5,000 recipients higher than when the program started in 1996.

Compounding the difficulty of more people becoming eligible for CalWORKs’ benefits due to poor economic conditions, the state’s budget crisis prompted a reduction in state allocations to counties and recipients. Nonetheless, county administrators were still pleased to report that more than more than 16,000 recipients during the program were able to obtain employment or other support that eliminated their dependency on cash public assistance.