Contemporary focus in psychology

Even simple behaviors are complex at their core (Geher, 2021). We now turn to timeless debates in psychology; they are part of the history of the field and remain influential even as theories and research change and grow over time. As you read through debates and current trends in psychology, consider: How might these conversations inspire future psychology learners and help direct them towards different professional pursuits? Ultimately, some of you may pursue graduate school and some of you may pursue different part-time or full-time positions. Our journeys are inspired by different theories and histories within psychology, and, though we all end up on a different path, we share a love for psychology and for helping others. How will you leave your mark in psychology? We should all strive to be the change in one way or anotherhow can we have a positive impact on the lives of ourselves, those we love, and our communities around us? In the last assessment, you will create a podcast and reflect upon a contemporary focus in psychology – its social significance, the historical and societal influences that led us there, and its continuing impact on social thinking. You’ll end with a plan for how you can be the change in the future to improve the human experience related to this contemporary area of psychology. Reference Geher, G. (2021, January 24). 5 timeless debates in psychology. Psychology Today. Be the Change – Podcast For this assessment, you will reflect upon different concepts discussed throughout the course, their historical relevance and intersection with today’s psychology, and why you need to be part of the positive change moving forward. Submit a 69 minute podcast or audio file where you connect one HISTORICAL school of thought’s founding figures and ideas with one contemporary school of thought’s ideas. Assessment Preparation Step 1: Select one contemporary focus in psychology: Environmental psychology. LGBTQIA+ psychology. Black psychology. Feminist psychology and intersectionality. Decolonizing psychology curriculum/research. Step 2: Select one historical school of thought that you believe helped to somehow inspire or contribute to your contemporary focus selected in Step 1: Functionalism. Structuralism. Psychoanalysis. Behaviorism. Cognitive. Gestalt. Humanism. Step 3: Select one of the timeless psychology debates that may fit in from 5 Timeless Debates in Psychology from the Timeless Debates reading list: Nature versus nurture. Materialism versus constructionism. Person versus situation. Consistency versus change across development. Cultural universals versus cultural variability. Step 4: Locate four peer-reviewed journal articles that align to your contemporary focus. Be sure that at least one article represents diversity, equity, and inclusion. To accomplish this goal, find at least one article that either comes from an international journal, uses a non-Western population, or represents clearly the experiences of an underrepresented group in the literature. Note: Two articles may be from our course readings, but the other two should be from outside of course readings. Assessment Instructions For this assessment, create a podcast or audio recording. Your final product should be 69 minutes in length. Use the Assessment 4 Podcast Preparation Guide [DOCX] to help you prepare your script prior to recording your podcast. Describe the contemporary topic of interest. Evaluate its social significance. Analyze the historical and societal influences that have led to this new area of psychology via reviewing research from four peer-reviewed journal articles. Explain how the older school of thought influences the present-day field of psychology and specifically your contemporary topic of interest. Include at least one theorist name within this discussion! Explain how one of the five timeless debates from Geher (2021) fits with the contemporary topic of interest. Explain other historical events and/or movements that may have inspired interest in this topic area. Explain how this new school of thought may guide social thinking in the future. Create a plan for how you (and others) can help be the change in the future to improve the human experience in this contemporary area of psychology. Consider individual, community, and global scales. Submission Instructions There are two deliverables: Submit both your audio file or link and a reference page listing your sources. Length: 69 minutes. Oral communication: Must be clearly spoken and paced. Resources and citations: Use a minimum of four peer-reviewed journal articles. Two may be course readings. One must represent diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Citations may be stated orally to give due credit. Format reference list according to current APA guidelines. See Academic Writer. 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 connection between an older school of thought, present-day psychology, and your contemporary topic. Explain how one of the timeless psychological debates fits with the contemporary topic of interest. Explain other historical events or movements that may have inspired interest in this topic area. Competency 2: Evaluate the social significance of contemporary topics in psychology. Describe the contemporary topic of interest and its social significance. Competency 3: Analyze psychological theory and scholarly literature in history, systems, and contemporary topics. Analyze scholarly research related to historical and societal influences leading to this new area of psychology, with at least one study being from an international source or with a non-Western and/or underrepresented sample. Competency 5: Articulate future directions on an individual, community, and global scale to promote positive change. Articulate multiple ways in which this new school of thought may guide social thinking in the future. Create a plan for how to be the change in the future to improve the human experience in this contemporary area of psychology. Competency 6: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology. Deliver oral podcast appropriate to the audience with clear, organized delivery. Use APA style formatting for citations and reference list with only minor errors. Address assessment purpose with well-organized delivery, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.