Please select 2 (ONLY TWO) of the 3 prompts below and reply in paragraph form – (250 words)

YoU decide which 2 you want to write about. NOT ALL 3. TOTAL discussion must be 250 words long!!!

• The Chinese abacus is a cultural invention that leads to the use of a hexadecimal numeral system (i.e., base 16, rather than the base 10 numeral system commonly used throughout the world). Therefore, the hexadecimal numeral system is a very unique cultural practice that few other cultures have. Choose the position of either a general psychologist or a cultural psychologist; then, as your chosen psychologist, generate an explanation for the capacity to use the hexadecimal numeral system. (Chapter 1)

•  Your new job in a culturally diverse company requires you to figure out how to deal with this cultural diversity in such a way that yields the most benefits for the company. Your two options are to take the color-blind approach or the multicultural approach. Choose one, and justify your response based on the research presented in the textbook. (Chapter 1).
• There are three explanations posited to explain how primates developed such big brains. Name the three explanations and generate a study design that tests these competing explanations. (Chapter 2).

 

Week 7 Exercise: Prosocial Behavior

Much of what we tend to focus on when we study social psychology are topics that often have a negative connotation such as conformity, prejudice, aggression or obedience. A huge component of the study of social psychology; however, focuses on prosocial behavior – behaviors that focus on compassion and helping others. For this activity, you will focus on this more uplifting aspect of social psychology. Topics that fall under the area of prosocial behavior include altruism, helping, bystander intervention, empathy, and compassion, among others.

For this exercise, pick one day and seek to structure your thoughts and behaviors entirely around helping others. With each interaction or action you take, pause to think and ask yourself “is there a way I might help another here?” Hold a door for someone, offer your seat, share a smile, give a sincere compliment, show empathy to another, attempt to be more patient or understanding, etc. Your efforts should be in social settings that involve interactions with others (rather than something such as donating to a charity for instance). The goal is to be as thoughtfully prosocial in your interactions throughout the day as possible.

• At the beginning of the day, jot down your general mood, feelings, attitude, etc.
• Then throughout the day, whenever possible, carry a small notebook with you or make notes in an app on your phone to jot down meaningful encounters or experiences as you attempt to engage in prosocial behaviors.
• At the end of the day, again reflect and take notes on how you feel, your general mood, feelings and attitudes, etc.
   

In a 5-7 slide PowerPoint presentation, not counting title or reference slides:

• Summarize your experience. Describe the prosocial behaviors you engaged in, others’ reactions to these behaviors, and your assessment of any changes in mood, attitude, good fortune, or anything else of note you experienced.
• Review what you have learned about human behavior in social settings this week in your readings and CogBooks activities. Connect what you learned or experienced through your day of conscious, prosocial behavior with the terms, concepts, and theories from your research. Integrate at least two academic sources (your assigned readings/resources can comprise one of these sources), citing any references used in APA format.
• Describe any new insights you gained through this experience about your interactions with others on a daily basis, including any behaviors you wish to change or to continue.
• Use the features of PowerPoint to your advantage to communicate your ideas – include pictures, audio recorded narration, speaker’s notes, video, links, etc. as appropriate to enhance your ideas.
• Include an APA formatted title slide and reference slide. APA components such as an abstract, headings, etc. are not required since this is a PowerPoint presentation.

According to Cohen and Swerdlik (2018), Reliability means to be consistent. In psychometric terms, the meaning of reliability is based on when something is said to be consistent. The book defines “a reliability coefficient is an index of reliability, a proportion that indicates the ratio between the true score variance on a test and the total variance” (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2018, p. 141). Moreover, in testing and assessment there exist three sources of error variance such as test construction, test administration, and test scoring and interpretation. The text state that a measurement error is everything that is associated with the process of the variable being measured instead of the variable being measured (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2018). 

Internal consistency reliability coefficient = .92  

According to Cohen and Swerdlik (2018), states that internal consistency reliability is when a one can obtain an estimation of a test being reliable without creating a different form of the test nor administering the same test twice to the same individual (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2018). Furthermore, a test that has an Internal consistency reliability coefficient = .92 means that the item on the test must relate to one another and it also means that there exists a strong relationship between the content of the test. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post reliability means to be consistent. The higher the coefficient, the more reliable the test is. A .92 means that the test has excellent reliability and it is acceptable.

Alternate forms reliability coefficient = .82

According to Cohen and Swerdlik (2018), states that alternate forms are different types of test that are built to be parallel. Hence, the reliability of the alternate forms refers to “an estimate of the extent to which these different forms of the same test have been affected by item sampling error, or other error” (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2018, p. 149). An example we can use is when a person is given two different versions of the same test at a different time. 

Test-retest reliability coefficient = .50

According to Cohen and Swerdlick (2018), A test-retest reliability is when a test is administered twice at two different points of time. Moreover, one we have to evaluate the reliability of a test-retest that purport to measure is fairly stable over time (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2018).

The higher the coefficient, the more reliable the test is. .92 means that the test has excellent reliability and it is acceptable the higher, the greater. An Alternate forms reliability coefficient = .82 is still high reliability, and it is also acceptable. A test-retest is a correlation of the same test over two administrator which relates to stability that involves scores. The book states that the more extended time has, the higher the chances that the reliability coefficient will be lower. Therefore, the passage of time may be an error of variance (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2018). Thus, depending on what the individual has been through some traumatic event it may also create an error variance which will impact their score variance and which will change, and the reliability will be lower than if that individual did not have any traumatic event. Therefore, if it is below .50 is not considered to be a reliable test nor acceptable. The book also states that “If we are to come to proper conclusions about the reliability of the measuring instrument, evaluation of a test-retest reliability estimate must extend to a consideration of possible intervening factors between test administrations” (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2018, p. 146).

Reference

Cohen, R. J., Swerdlik, M. (2018). Psychological Testing and Assessment. [Capella]. Retrieved from https://capella.vitalsource.com/#/books/1260303195/

Response Guidelines

Read as many of your peers’ posts as time allows, and respond to at least two of them. Try to choose posts that have had the fewest responses.

Your responses to other learners are expected to be substantive in nature and to reference the assigned readings, as well as other theoretical, empirical, or professional literature to support your views and writings. Use the following critique guidelines:

• The clarity and completeness of your peer’s post.
• The demonstrated ability to apply theory to practice.
• The credibility of the references.
• The structure and style of the written post.

C. Rowan (peer 1)

Adolescence is known by the changes in cognitive, physical, and psychological development. These changes occur to adapt to what is happening around them and what is expected of them (Steinunn, 2008.) Therefore, this requires a person to adapt individually to the circumstances and the environment around them. In many cases this is referred to as context acting on the person and the person acting on the context (Steinunn, 2008.)

With this information we can understand that action and understanding will change in relation to the cultural environment that one was brought up in. For example, American and Chinese culture, the vast differences cause the development to differ. Where American culture is relaxed on education and moving at one’s own pace Chinese culture is strict causing study habits and commitment habits to differ (Graaff, 2014.) This information provides a clear understanding of how we must approach adolescence and the information they take in and process from their environment. 

Gender also influences physical and cognitive developments, such as the development of empathy between males and females. For example, development of empathy compared between boys and girls, the information shows that girls score higher in this area. The article also provided information showing that boys that are more physically fit show lower levels of empathetic concern (Graaff, 2014.) Gender causes difference in hormone levels which causes developmental changes to appear at different times throughout adolescence between men and women.

Though, it is difficult to pinpoint the physical change that signals adulthood as it is seen as subjective than an exact science (Broderick, 2014.) 

Broderick, P. C., Blewitt, P. (01/2014). Life Span, The: Human Development for Helping Professionals, 4th Edition. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781269907422/

Gestsdottir, S., & Lerner, R. M. (2008). Positive Development in Adolescence: The Development and Role of Intentional Self-Regulation. Human Development, 51(3), 202-224. doi:10.1159/000135757

Graaff, J. V., Branje, S., Wied, M. D., Hawk, S., Lier, P. V., & Meeus, W. (2014). Perspective taking and empathic concern in adolescence: Gender differences in developmental changes. Developmental Psychology, 50(3), 881-888. doi:10.1037/a0034325

L. Rinner (peer 2)

The physical and cognitive changes that a child goes through to become an adolescent are immense. The physical changes are marked by the beginning of puberty; otherwise known as the sexual maturation stage (Broderick & Blewitt, 2014, p.326). For girls, this means that the breasts develop, hips broaden, pubic hair grows, and they will have their first menstruation near the end of this process. Boys also develop pubic hair, testes and scrotum grow, their voices deepen, and near the end of their process they will experience their first ejaculation. According to Broderick and Blewitt (2014), same sex parent age of menarche/spermarche is usually indicative of when an adolescent will have theirs, but not always (p.326). In a study completed by Louis et al (2008), there was a positive correlation between the adolescent’s BMI and precocious puberty; defined as development of secondary sex characteristics at or before the age of eight in both boys and girls (p.198). Another study by Colon et al (2000) claimed a positive correlation between serum pesticide exposure (through food ingestion) and early breast development in girls (p.897). Therefore, environmental factors may be contributing to our children looking sexually developed at a very young age. Broderick and Blewitt (2014) say that these changes also come with a price later in life; children that experience early onset puberty are more likely to experience breast cancer and behavioral and mental health issues (p.327).

On the other side of development, a child must also determine their ideals. This is a major part of cognitive development. Figuring out who you are as a person can lead to changes in personality, moodiness, and anxiety in adolescents (Broderick and Blewitt, 2014, p. 344). This can be particularly difficult for LGBTQ adolescents. It is difficult and awkward enough trying to find yourself and place within society when you are in the majority. LGBTQ adolescents feel even more different and unusual than average, thus leading them to engage in more risky behaviors than their cisgender/heterosexual counterparts (Broderick and Blewitt, 2014, p.414).

In conclusion, we have all gone through puberty and comprehend what adolescents feel when they are going through it. Hopefully, one day sexual, physical, and cognitive development will not be a social taboo and we will be able to make this process as comfortable as possible for our youth.

References

Broderick, P. C., Blewitt, P. (01/2014). Life Span, The: Human Development for Helping Professionals, 4th Edition. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781269907422/

Colón, I., Caro, D., Bourdony, C. J., & Rosario, O. (2000). Identification of phthalate esters in the serum of young puerto rican girls with premature breast development. Environmental Health Perspectives, 108(9), 895-900. 10.1289/ehp.00108895

Louis, G. M., Gray, L. E., Marcus, M., Ojeda, S. R., Pescovitz, O. H., Witchel, S. F., . . . Euling, S. Y. (2008). Environmental Factors and Puberty Timing: Expert Panel Research Needs. Pediatrics, 121(Supplement 3). doi:10.1542/peds.1813e

A _____ scale is a scale that scores an object or property without making a direct comparison to another object or property.

 

ranking

 

rating

 

categorization

 

sorting

 

Northwest Airlines applied mathematical models to determine which customers in its database were currently responsible for most of its profitability and which customers were not currently profitable but had similar characteristics to the most profitable customers. Northwest Airlines utilized _____ to identify these customers.

 

computer programming

 

customer relationships management

 

data mining

 

data warehousing

 

 

To be categorized as a customer, an individual must have a history of shopping at the establishment at least twice before the start of the study with expenditures of more than $10. This is an example of _____.

 

an operational definition

 

a hypothetical construct

 

a dictionary definition

 

a conceptual scheme

 

 

The goal of ethics in research is to _____.

 

ensure research sponsors fulfill their legal obligations

 

ensure that no one is harmed

 

protect researchers from legal liability

 

identify what behavior is appropriate

 

What type of data is produced by simple category scales?

 

Nominal

 

Interval

 

Ordinal

 

Ratio

 

The use of a control group in experimentation _____.

 

serves as a comparison to assess the manipulation

 

provides for the manipulation of the independent variable

 

allows for discovery of the average effect of the independent variable in different situations

 

minimizes the cost of experimentation

 

Which of the research questions/hypotheses below is best answered using cross-tabulations?

 

What happens to sales when prices drop?

 

What percentage of men and women prefer Brand A over Brand B?

 

What percentage of residents shop at the local grocery store?

 

Is brand loyalty related to brand image?

 

Minute Maid sees research as the fundamental first step in any business decision, and it created proprietary methods for conducting research. At what level of the hierarchy of business decision makers does Minute Maid operate?

 

Foundation tier

 

Top tier

 

Middle tier

 

Base tier

 

James is entering data on client gender. Because the values entered reflect male or female, this variable is _____.

 

continuous

 

discrete

 

dichotomous

 

ratio-scaled

 

In the Southeast, the potato chip market share held by the Lays brand is 46%. This is an example of _____.

 

an explanatory hypothesis

 

a research question

 

a descriptive hypothesis

 

a relational hypothesis

 

If a difference is not caused only by random sampling fluctuations, it is said to have _____.

 

substantive significance

 

statistical significance

 

resistance

 

reasonable doubt

 

Which variable in an experiment is the variable expected to be affected by the manipulation?

 

Extraneous variable

 

Independent variable

 

Moderating variable

 

Dependent variable

 

The measure of deviation from the mean such that cases stretch toward one tail or the other is called _____.

 

ku

 

kurtosis

 

platykurtic

 

skewness

 

The goal of a formal study is to _____.

 

provide insight

 

discover future research tasks

 

expand understanding of a topic

 

test hypotheses

 

Which of the following is true of quantitative research?

 

Data analysis is ongoing during the project

 

Sample sizes are generally small

 

Results are generalizable

 

It uses a nonprobability sampling method

The list of elements in a population from which the sample is drawn is known as the _____.

 

sampling frame

 

population extent

 

database

 

sampling base

 

The process of ensuring the accuracy of data and their conversion from raw form into classified forms appropriate for analysis is called _____.

 

data measurement

 

data entry

 

data preparation

 

coding

 

Which of the following questions is considered first when discussing a management dilemma?

 

What is the recommended course of action?

 

What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of action?

 

What symptoms cause management concern?

 

How can management eliminate negative symptoms?

 

Which type of management question asks what do we want to achieve?

 

Evaluation of solutions

 

Choice of purpose

 

Control

 

Troubleshooting

 

What is the first step in conducting an experiment?

 

Control the experimental environment

 

Select relevant variables

 

Choose the experimental design

 

Specify the level(s) of the treatment

 

The fundamental weakness in the research process is _____.

 

identifying a flawed sampling frame

 

incorrectly defining the research question

 

misdefining the target population

 

failing to identify all relevant secondary information

 

_____ occurs when the participants are told only part of the truth or when the truth is fully compromised.

 

Coercion

 

Informed consent

 

Debriefing

 

Deception

 

The standard error of the estimate is a type of measure of _____.

 

significance

 

accuracy

 

central tendency

 

standard deviation

 

Data originating from studies that are conducted by others and created for a purpose different from the purpose of the study for which the data are being reviewed are called _____ data.

 

statistical

 

secondary

 

quantitative

 

primary

 

_____ is the extent to which a measurement tool actually measures what we wish to measure.

 

Significance

 

Practicality

 

Validity

 

Reliability

 

The process of stating the basic dilemma and then developing other questions by progressively breaking down the original question into more specific ones is called the _____.

 

management question

 

research question

 

management dilemma

 

management-research question hierarchy

 

_____ involves assigning numbers or other symbols to answers so that the responses can be grouped into a limited number of categories.

 

Editing

 

Data entry

 

Measurement

 

Coding

 

Qualitative research seeks to _____ theory while quantitative research _____ it.

 

apply; builds

 

test; understands

 

examine; interprets

 

build; tests

 

_____ are summary descriptors of variables of interest in the population.

 

Sample statistics

 

Standard errors

 

Systematic estimates

 

Population parameters

 

An increase in hours of television viewing leads to increases in the sales of snack foods. This is an example of a _____.

 

descriptive hypothesis

 

research question

 

causal hypothesis

 

correlational hypothesis