psychology 177

Exploration of a Professional Journal Article in Psychology

Due in Week 5 and worth 230 points.

In the Strayer Library, go to the EBSCO-Host Academic database. Find a recent research article from a scholarly journal in the field of psychology. It must have been published less than twelve (12) years ago. Be sure to select an article for which the full-text is available. This will be your “target article”. Actual journals for which full-text is available include Advances in Cognitive Psychology, British Journal of Social Psychology, Journal of Positive Psychology, Issues in Forensic Psychology, Journal of Psychology, among many others. In some cases, publishers do not make the full-text available on EBSCO-Host for twelve (12) months after publication. Note: Do not use newspaper or magazine articles or Websites such as Wikipedia to complete this assignment. Read Strayer University’s guidelines against plagiarism.

Your selected article must meet all of the stated criteria or your assignment will not be accepted. Before proceeding, please ensure that your selected article meets the following criteria:

Full-text is available in EBSCO-Host database.
Is a scholarly journal article in the field of psychology.
Was published less than 12 years ago.

Read key sections of the chosen article in order to derive its general gist. Begin by reading the Abstract of the article. Subsequently, read the Introduction and the Discussion sections. Search through the paper for any figures or tables. Be sure to read as much of the paper as is practical in order to digest as much as you are able.

Write a paper of 450-600 words (1.5 to 2 pages) in which you:

Identify your selected article, using a proper APA-style in-text citation that corresponds to an entry in the reference section, as explained below under “How to properly cite your article”.
Describe what type of article it is and how you are able to discern its type. For example, is it primarily a review of existing research, a report of new research, or an analysis of a professional issue? If it is a research article, identify the type of research involved.
Summarize, in a paragraph or two (2), what you have learned about the content of the article. Include the main purpose of the article, the major findings, and how the major findings are supported.
Explain the manner in which your selected article fits into the overall field of psychology. Next, identify the corresponding chapter(s) from your textbook, using a proper APA-style in-text citation to your text.
Explain the fundamental reasons why this article is different from and similar to articles in non-scholarly periodicals, such as magazines and newspapers.

How to properly cite your article

In APA format, we put the full listing of each source in a “reference” list at the end of the document. In the body of the text, we use what are called in-text citations. Here is an example of an in-text citation:

The article I selected is one about well-being in senior citizens who are housebound (Houston, McKee & Wilson, 2000).

For the purposes of this assignment, you only need to put one (1) in-text citation to your target article and one (1) in-text citation to the textbook. However, you may cite either of these sources as many times as needed. For instance, you must always give an in-text citation with a quote. Here is an example.

This study was grounded in “Hopelessness Theory”. The authors state that “according to the theory, the causal chain to hopelessness and depression begins with either a perceived negative life event or the perceived non-occurrence of positive events” (Houston, McKee, & Wilson, 2000).
This relates to the chapter in our textbook (Santrock, 2006) on “Coping”.
We should keep in mind that “the context of our lives includes our homes, schools, churches, cities, neighborhoods, communities and colleges, as well as nations” (Santrock, 2006, p. 6).

Since there are only two (2) required sources in this paper (the target article and your textbook), you only need to cite these two (2) courses. However, in a longer research paper, you would use an in-text citation for every source. Please note that if you do use additional sources in this assignment, then you must provide the corresponding in-text citations and references for each and every source.

Citing a book:

References to books use the following format:

Author list. (year of publication). Title (should be italicized). Volume or edition information, if applicable. Place of publication: Publisher.

Example:

Santrock, J. W. (2006). Human adjustment. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

The corresponding in-text citation would be: Santrock (2006).

Citing a journal article:

References to journal articles use the following format:

Author list (Year of publication) Title of article. Name of Journal, Volume number, page numbers.

Examples:

Houston, D. M., McKee, K. J., & Wilson, J. (2000). Attributional style, efficacy, and the enhancement of well-being among housebound older people. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 22, 309-317.

Ludicello, J. E., Woods, S. P., Scott, J. C., Cherner, M., Heaton, R. K., Atkinson, J. H., & Grant, I. (2010). Longer term improvement in neurocognitive functioning and affective distress among methamphetamine users who achieve stable abstinence. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 32, 708-718.

Peterson, C., Bonechi, A., Smorti, A., & Tani, F. (2010). A distant mirror: memories of parents and friends across childhood and adolescence. British Journal of Psychology, 101, 601-620.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; Since the only resources you will be using for this assignment are the article and your textbook, you need not include a reference page. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Identify key concepts that provide a foundation for the study of adjustment.
Summarize the major psychological perspectives.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in psychology.
Write clearly and concisely about psychology using proper writing mechanics.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Assignment 1: Exploration of a Professional Journal Article in Psychology
Criteria	Unacceptable Below 60% F	Meets Minimum Expectations 60-69% D	Fair 70-79% C	Proficient 80-89% B	Exemplary 90-100% A
1. Identify your selected article, using a proper APA-style in-text citation that corresponds to an entry in the reference section, as explained below under “How to properly cite your article”. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely identified your selected article, using a proper APA-style in-text citation that corresponds to an entry in the reference section, as explained below under “How to properly cite your article”.	Insufficiently identified your selected article, using a proper APA-style in-text citation that corresponds to an entry in the reference section, as explained below under “How to properly cite your article”.	Partially identified your selected article, using a proper APA-style in-text citation that corresponds to an entry in the reference section, as explained below under “How to properly cite your article”.	Satisfactorily identified your selected article, using a proper APA-style in-text citation that corresponds to an entry in the reference section, as explained below under “How to properly cite your article”.	Thoroughly identified your selected article, using a proper APA-style in-text citation that corresponds to an entry in the reference section, as explained below under “How to properly cite your article”.
2. Describe what type of article it is and how you are able to discern its type. For example, is it primarily a review of existing research, a report of new research, or an analysis of a professional issue? If it is a research article, identify the type of research involved. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely described the type of article it is; did not submit or incompletely described how you can tell. Did not submit or incompletely identified the type of research involved, if applicable.	Insufficiently described the type of article it is; insufficiently described how you can tell. Insufficiently identified the type of research involved, if applicable.	Partially described the type of article it is; partially described how you can tell. Partially identified the type of research involved, if applicable.	Satisfactorily described the type of article it is; satisfactorily described how you can tell. Satisfactorily identified the type of research involved, if applicable.	Thoroughly described the type of article it is; thoroughly described how you can tell. Thoroughly identified the type of research involved, if applicable.
3. Summarize, in a paragraph or two (2), what you have learned about the content of the article. Include the main purpose of the article, the major findings, and how the major findings are supported. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely summarized what you have learned about the content of the article. Did not submit or incompletely included the main purpose of the article, the major findings, and how the major findings are supported.	Insufficiently summarized what you have learned about the content of the article. Insufficiently included the main purpose of the article, the major findings, and how the major findings are supported.	Partially summarized what you have learned about the content of the article. Partially included the main purpose of the article, the major findings, and how the major findings are supported.	Satisfactorily summarized what you have learned about the content of the article. Satisfactorily included the main purpose of the article, the major findings, and how the major findings are supported.	Thoroughly summarized what you have learned about the content of the article. Thoroughly included the main purpose of the article, the major findings, and how the major findings are supported.
4. Explain the manner in which your selected article fits into the overall field of psychology. Next, identify the corresponding chapter(s) from your textbook, using a proper APA-style in-text citation to your text. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely explained how this article fits into the overall field of psychology. Did not submit or incompletely identified the corresponding chapter(s) from your textbook.	Insufficiently explained how this article fits into the overall field of psychology. Insufficiently identified the corresponding chapter(s) from your textbook.	Partially explained how this article fits into the overall field of psychology. Partially identified the corresponding chapter(s) from your textbook.	Satisfactorily explained how this article fits into the overall field of psychology. Satisfactorily identified the corresponding chapter(s) from your textbook.	Thoroughly explained how this article fits into the overall field of psychology. Thoroughly identified the corresponding chapter(s) from your textbook.
5. Explain the fundamental reasons why this article is different from and similar to articles in non-scholarly periodicals, such as magazines and newspapers. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely explained why this article is different from and similar to articles in non-scholarly periodicals, such as magazines and newspapers.	Insufficiently explained why this article is different from and similar to articles in non-scholarly periodicals, such as magazines and newspapers.	Partially explained why this article is different from and similar to articles in non-scholarly periodicals, such as magazines and newspapers.	Satisfactorily explained why this article is different from and similar to articles in non-scholarly periodicals, such as magazines and newspapers.	Thoroughly explained why this article is different from and similar to articles in non-scholarly periodicals, such as magazines and newspapers.
6. Writing / Support for ideas Weight: 5%	Never uses explanations, examples and evidence that logically support ideas.	Rarely uses explanations, examples and evidence that logically support ideas.	Partially uses explanations, examples and evidence that logically support ideas.	Mostly uses explanations, examples and evidence that logically support ideas.	Consistently uses explanations, examples and evidence that logically support ideas.
7. Writing / Grammar and mechanics Weight: 5%	Serious and persistent errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.	Numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.	Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.	Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.	Free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
8. Writing and Information Literacy / Integration of Sources Weight: 5%	Serious errors in the integration of sources, such as intentional or accidental plagiarism or failure to use in-text citations.	Sources are rarely integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.	Sources are partially integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.	Sources are mostly integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.	Sources are consistently integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.
9. Information Literacy / Crediting Sources in APA Weight: 5%	Lack of citations and /or lack of reference section and / or citations don €™t correspond to listed references	In-text citations and references are given, but not in APA format	Partially shows correct (or approximately correct) use of in-text citations, with matching references using APA-format	Mostly shows correct use of in-text citations with matching references using APA-format	Consistently shows correct use of In-text citations with matching references using APA-format
10. Information Literacy / Research Weight: 5%	No sources are used and / or quality of sources are unacceptable.	One (1) source is used and / or references are of poor quality.	Two (2) sources are used and / or the quality of sources is questionable.	Three (3) sources are used and the quality of sources is mostly good.	Four (4) or more sources are used and the quality of sources is good.