week 2 discussion

1. You are required to have 3 posts in each discussion and these three posts must be made on three separate days. The first post is the initial response to the question that appropriately and completely addresses the topic. This must be completed by 11:59 pm (EST) Wednesday night. It is best to post it at the beginning of the week. The remaining two posts are responses to two different classmates. The first response to a classmate is due Saturday at 11:59 pm (EST) and the second response to a classmate is due on Sunday at 11:59 pm (EST). Responses to me do not count as a response to another student; however, I will interact with each of you throughout the course. I encourage you to respond back. If you do not post on three separate days you will lose points (possible 15 point deduction).

*There will be a deduction of 5 points per day that the initial post is late. Posts are not accepted after the week closes on Sunday night.

2. Your initial post (your response to the topic) must contain a citation. It is your ideas supported by research. Please refer to the APA Power Point in the Start Here section of the classroom for information on proper formatting. There will be a deduction of 20 points for failure to cite a source within your initial post and to provide a reference at the end of your initial post.

3. Your initial post must be a minimum of 300 words and each response must be a minimum of 200 words. Please double-check your word count. Only posts that meet the word count requirements receive credit.

4. Post your word count at the end of each post. There will be a 5 point deduction for each failure to provide a word count.
5. Please use spell-check and proper grammar. Points will be deducted for each spelling and grammatical error up to 10 points for each post.

Psych Discussion Post	Due By	Cited Source – In Text and Reference	Word Count	Point Value
Post 1 – Initial Response is well organized, includes a citation, addresses topic, and demonstrates critical thinking	Wednesday	Yes – mandatory	300	50 points
Post 2 – Response to 1st student is well organized, includes classmate’s name, addresses topic, and demonstrates critical thinking	Saturday	Not required, but must cite any work used	200	25 points
Post 3 – Response to 2nd student is well organized, includes classmate’s name, addresses topic, and demonstrates critical thinking	Sunday	Not required, but must cite any work used	200	25 points

PSYCHOLOGY DISCUSSION RUBRIC
Criteria	Exemplary (100%) 50/50	Above Average (89%) 45/ 50	Satisfactory (79%) 40/ 50	Approaches Standard (69%) 35/ 50	Needs Improvement (59%) 30/ 50	Unsatisfactory (0) 0/ 50
Initial Post (50)	Reveals mastery of the material, critical assessment, and thorough exploration of the subject matter. Demonstrates mastery of grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and usage and with no errors.	Reveals some mastery of the material although further exploration would have increased the value of the post; some critical assessment although portions of the material may be vague. Demonstrates proficiency of grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and usage with fewer than three errors	Reveals knowledge of the subject matter although more exploration is needed; some critical assessment was noted although more in-depth perspective would have enhanced the work. Understanding of grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and usage with fewer than five errors	May highlight what the reading material offers but does not apply further exploration of the subject matter; critical assessment is lacking. Improvement in some areas of grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and usage; fewer than ten errors but retains clarity throughout most of post.	Uses personal opinion only without any exploration of additional possibilities; no critical assessment is noted. Needs improvement in grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and usage; more than fifteen errors; errors affect clarity of post.	Unable to score because there was no engagement in the discussion.
Criteria	25/25 per post	22/ 25 per post	20/ 25 per post	17/ 25 per post	15/ 25 per post	0/ 25 per post
Peer Responses (25 per post)	Promotes further discussion on the subject matter through thought-provoking peer responses; demonstrates depth of analysis of topic and peer’s post; Makes use of source support, as needed, and in proper APA format, grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics and usage with no errors	Promotes further discussion on the subject matter through meaningful comments that demonstrate understanding of topic and peer’s post. Makes use of source support, as needed, but may not fully use proper APA format, grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics and usage with fewer than three errors	Engages peers but does not promote further consideration of the material so that additional learning takes place. Uses some source support, though it may not be scholarly or in the appropriate APA format, grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics and usage with fewer than five errors.	Peer engagement does not encourage depth of academic thought or is based on personal opinion only. Uses some source support, though it may not be scholarly or in the appropriate APA format, with fewer than ten errors in grammar, spelling, mechanics and usage	Peer responses do not add substance or promote engagement in the discussion in a meaningful way; comments are superficial or off topic. Extremely limited or no source support noted; improper or missing APA format, and grammar, spelling, mechanics affect clarity	Unable to score because there was no engagement in the discussion.

Professionalism is a very serious matter in your online class at Keiser University and in the field of psychology. Our mission is to provide you with an education that prepares you to succeed in the workplace and in graduate programs. Please use the following guidelines in our discussion forum and in all communication at Keiser University:

• I will “listen” to others respectfully.
• I recognize that online learning is devoid of physical cues that often support communication and will strive to use language that clearly expresses my views.
• I will strive to utilize language that is thoughtful, respectful, and collegial when communicating with my fellow students.
• When I disagree with someone, I will critique his/her ideas in a respectful and constructive manner.
• I will try to understand other people’s behaviors and perspectives rather than simply criticize them.
• I will avoid stereotypes and humor that is disparaging of others.
• I will avoid texting language, slang, or other non-professional communication.

Week 2 Discussion Topic:

“Elements of Research”

Part of analyzing research is being able to identify the different parts of a design and to be able to spot inconsistencies or flaws within it. Even published research may contain issues. Please read the scenario below and then answer the follow-up questions using support from chapter 3 or other sources for your discussion this week.

Maryann wanted to investigate the relationship between color and mood. After performing a review of the literature, she decided to place 10 participants in 5 different colored rooms to assess how their moods changed. Each participant was placed in a different room with a distinct wall color and then given a basic survey on how they felt about it. After 20 minutes, the researcher rotated the participants immediately to a different color room and then she repeated the process. 2 of the 10 participants were also part of a control group. Instead of being placed in rooms with distinct colors, they were rotated into rooms with white walls each time.

Please answer the following questions as your discussion post for this week.

• What are the independent and dependent variables for this experiment? Why?
• Why do we need to have a control group?
• Are there any issues with the control group?
• Can you establish a causal link between the variables with Maryanne’s procedure? Why or why not?
• Does this experiment have good external validity? Why or why not?

Remember to cite your source(s) using APA format.

To post to the discussion, click on the Week 2 Discussion title above, then Create Thread.