Personal Statement for College Admissions – Economics, Social Psychology, Behavioral Psychology and the Environment

Brief for Personal Statement

The main topics are social psychology as a tool do design better public policy, same with behavioral psychology and combining studies in economics, psychology, and environmental issues to become a great professional who can truly design and implement successful and impactful public policy to improve the state of the environment.

You should base the final essay on the following rough draft, which was written by the student:

“Behavioral economics is the study of the effects of psychological, social, cognitive, and emotional factors on the economic decisions of individuals. Besides helping solve many classical economic problems, such as the generation and distribution of financial wealth, the tools and methods of behavioral economics can also key to solving many of the environmental problems we have today. We live in a sad World where people don’t care about the condition of the environment and think it will stay the same way forever. However, this is not true; our planet is collapsing. And as the Planet implodes around us, we are content to continue pursuing pseudo-solutions whose effects will either vanish or prove inadequate in the long run. I think it is much more important to work on changing people’s minds and attitudes to create an inherently sustainable civilization. With the help of behavioral economics -the powerful marriage of psychology and economics- we can design an environment, a playing field that perennially, constantly nudges humans towards acts that are environmentally sustainable. Through behavioral economics, we can create an ecologically balanced society by design. A society that systematically pushes individuals and organizations towards environmentally sound practices and dissuades them from doing things that are potentially harmful to the environment.

Air pollution is responsible for more than 400 000 premature deaths in Europe each year; approximately 40% of the lakes in America are too polluted for fishing, aquatic life, or swimming; and pollution is one of the biggest global killers, affecting over 100 million people. Facts like these are the ones that make us realize, helping the environment is not something someone can decide to do or not to do, we are all forced to help the planet. If we all do not pitch in to help, the planet won’t survive, and we will perish along with it. Or rather, we will perish together with the many other biological species that we are forcing into extinction and the Planet will go on without us. These problems are only our responsibility, and they happen because most people don’t have that sense of consideration towards the environment or are not even conscious of the magnitude of the problem we have.

We know the problem is that the environment is in critical condition. The main reason for the bad state of the Earth is that people simply don’t care enough about it. The secondary reason behind the problem is our inability to design viable long-term solutions. That is to say, the problem is that societies aren’t addressing the calamitous environmental disaster properly. Why? People are focusing on solving compartmentalized ecological problems, but they aren’t trying to get at the root of those problems, which lie in our total disregard for our substrate. We need to start correcting and influencing everyone’s mentality so that they become environmentally aware and that way we would not only help reduce the impact of the environmental problems we have, but we could also prevent future ones.

I became interested in environmental problems at school when we got involved in a project to clean rivers and establish recycling programs. That was when I realized I was very interested in environmental and conservationist issues. That was when I realized that not many people paid attention. In the field of economics, I like mathematics, and I think it’s very interesting to understand the distribution and consumption of the good and how it is all about the psychology behind human behavior. I have also always been very interested in human behavior; I have learned it is not predictable and that it all depends on the way things are presented to us, that humans are emotional, irrational and that we get carried away by incentives. So it’s very difficult to predict that by putting some ad or billboard, it is going to have the same impact or that everyone will act in the same way when they see it. Issues like these that are not evaluated or taken into account before presenting an environmental project or initiative to the people cause many of them to fail. Maybe the project itself is very promising, and it probably could solve the problem that proposes to solve but perhaps the town where they put the product was not studied and wasn’t shown in a way that to that specific people would have caused some effect. If we apply behavioral economics and study every aspect that surrounds the project, then we could truly get people to act or think in the sustainable way we need to help solve these problems.”

Also, it is important to mention that the student wants to study a double or triple major or degree in Economics, Social Psychology/Behavioral Psychology and Environmental Issues. Why? To learn how to conjugate the sciences of psychology and economics to design better, more impactful pro-environment, pro-sustainability public policies and private policies. Policies for both governments and private organizations. Policies that have a better chance of succeeding because they are financially viable, because they are efficient (regarding resources spent versus positive impact achieved). Policies that are better because they appropriately take into account human behaviour to make the policies truly implementable and durable. Because by taking into account human behaviour and social dynamics, said policies can catalyze long-term culture shifts to make people’s attitudes, systems, and social structures environmentally friendly and sustainable.

It is important to note that the student was a superior student in high school, earning a 4.0 GPA, but also earning college credit because she took and passed university classes in Costa Rica: University Pre-Calculus, University Calculus, and University General Chemistry.

Note that Marielle’s father is a successful self-made businessman in the construction and real-estate development businesses and that Marielle wants to take her learning from her education to help transform her father’s building and development company into a sustainable building and sustainable urbanization company.

Marielle has great intellectual ability in all areas (most notably in maths and hard sciences) and a predilection for the hard sciences. However, she also has a great commitment to the environment social issues in general. She has developed a keen interest in the behavioral sciences, and she wishes to combine said interest (in the behavioral sciences) with her inclination for the hard sciences (research, calculations, analytical math) to do very robust, rigorous research and R&D in the social sciences. She wants to work in economics, psychology, and public policy to elevate said endeavors to the level of legitimacy and effectiveness of the natural and hard sciences, so that social problems can be truly solved using not just well-intentioned creativity but scientific rigour and precision. Especially regarding the social problems that pertain to sustainability and environmental solutions.

Also, it is important to note that Marielle has always had an interest in the human mind; at one point she even considered studying criminal science and criminal psychology because he was son interested in learning about the depths of the human mind.

It should NOT be ignored, but rather forcefully acknowledged, that Marielle is in greatly inspired by the awesome social achievements and social and political idiosyncrasy of her home country of Costa Rica. From this inspiration comes her determination to tackle the fields of psychology, economics, behavioral science and environmental issues. From this patriotic inspiration stems her yearning to become a great producer of insights and designer of strategies to create better, more innovative, modern public policies. Costa Rica, although a small, poor country, is a great social innovator, especially in the areas of sustainable development, production of clean energies, creation and protection of biological reserves and other protected areas. Costa Rica houses about 5% of the whole World’s biodiversity and strives hard to protect these species from extinction. Our country’s great statesmen (Presidents of the Republic, etc.), have done a lot to put us at the forefront of sustainable development. President Daniel Oduber created lots of protected areas, which earned him a knighthood from the Queen of England. José María Figueres Olsen made sustainable development a core element of his government. José Figueres Ferrer abolished the army, thereby creating a lasting piece and absence of civil war that we still enjoy today. Luis Alberto Monge declared Costa Rica perpetually neutral/non-aligned in armed conflicts, which has kept us out of international military conflicts. Óscar Arias Sánchez (a Nobel Peace Price laureate) ended the Central American civil war, and made worldwide disarmament his life’s mission. Many great Costa Ricans have truly strived (like our whole society) to create a peaceful, egalitarian and sustainable society. Although we have many social and environmental challenges yet to solve, we continue to be inspired by people such as Karen Christiana Figueres Olsen. Ms. Figueres Olsen is a Costa Rican lady who heads the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and who is considered the most likely leader to be able to negotiate a significant impactful international treaty whereby governments and private enterprises will commit to specific actions to curb climate change and heal the environment.

Marielle, for now, sees herself working mostly in Academia and the Private Sector after finishing her undergraduate and graduate studies. Nevertheless, she surely draws lots of inspiration from the previously mentioned heroes. She wants to follow in their footsteps and do her part to leave behind a better World. She is determined to do so because she knows she possesses the right combination of intelligence, discipline, commitment and passion for doing so. And she will not let her talents and zeal do to waste.

Costa Rica (Marielle’s country) is well on its way to becoming carbon neutral in the decade of the 2020’s. We heavily base our energy production mix on clean sources of energy and renewable sources of energy. Sustainable usage of our water supplies has become a key national priority, as has environmentally sustainable waste management.

Our constitution and jurisprudence from the Constitutional Court have upheld that the human, fundamental rights to peace, life, and health depend on ensuring the well-being of the environment, for which reason Costa Rica has exceptional protections for the environment.

However, Marielle knows that the legal status of the environment and political and popular will to defend and heal the environment are not enough. Scientific, technical, interdisciplinary, complex, thoughtful, research and ulteriorly, intelligent and viable (economically, scientifically, socially, psychologically, technologically) solutions and new structures, systems and paradigms are necessary.

Part of this challenge is designing policies based on an appropriate understanding of people’s motivations and conducts. All this to craft more viable policies from the perspective of whether people will be able to comply with them. But it also involves changing people’s hearts and minds to create a new world culture where sustainability and environmental health are automatically, second-naturedly take into account in all human actions and all individual and social endeavors.

Marielle aspires to go to a school and higher education program where she can study psychology, economics, and environmental issues. Hopefully, she will enroll in a program where she can get involved in research projects, activist groups, networks of like-minded people and, thus, be challenged to gain a deeper, more sophisticated understanding of the problems that concern her. And not only will she get a more complex, strong understanding of the problems and issues themselves, but also (maybe more importantly) of the world of possibilities to address them, fix them and create a better, more prosperous, yet more balanced world for all. All the while without recurring to authoritarian policies or systems, but rather by changing hearts and minds and approaches and philosophies.

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS:

You should write the essay in the first person (Marielle being the narrator).

You should include lots of research and external references, especially regarding how interdisciplinary approaches such as environmental psychology and design for social innovation, amongst others, if approached with scientific rigor, truly are our best chance of solving complex social problems.

The final product will consist of two parts: a) an extended essay of 1,500 words; b) an abridged (yet not less forceful nor less impressive) abridged version of 650 words.

Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology Paper

 
Choose one of the case studies provided in the Electronic Reserve Readings for Week 1, please do not choose a video, choose one of the Journal Articles provided.
Write a 1,050- to 1,200-word paper in which you analyze cross-cultural psychology. As a part of your analysis, do the following:

Provide an overview of the case study.
Use the case study to provide a definition and an example of cultural and cross-cultural psychology.
Analyze the relationship between cultural and cross-cultural psychology.
Discuss the methodology associated with cross-cultural research.
Discuss how the case study helps you better understand how ethnicity, race, and worldviews are separate yet related concepts.
Discuss how enculturation may play a role in the case study you have chosen.

Incorporate at least THREE credible, PEER-REVIEWED references.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Consultation in School Psychology

 
This last semester so I want to work very well
Please read the plan of study and lectures to help required to understand

Final Consultation Project:

In this project, you will deepen your understanding of consultation
by serving as a consultant in your practicum site. The focus of the consultation is limited to your
area of expertise but may concern any problem related to schooling including academic,
behavioral, social, or motivational concerns. You may address a problem at the individual,
classroom, or school level. For most projects, the client is typically an individual student. The
consultee may be a teacher, parent, staff member, or a combination of individuals (e.g., conjoint
behavioral consultation). The intervention that you propose must be evidence based and have
empirical support. A central part of the project involves data collection to evaluate the
effectiveness of the intervention as well as to monitor intervention integrity. You will work with
the consultee to collect baseline and outcome data and develop procedures to monitor the fidelity
of the intervention. While not always possible, plan to tape and transcribe the interviews with the
consultee and submit the tapes for formative feedback and supervision. (Note: Consultation is an
indirect form of service delivery. But, as part of your professional development, you may opt to
provide the intervention yourself as a form of direct service. Please seek approval from the
instructor if you opt to go this route.) The consultation should include the following steps:
a. Entry and establishing relationships
b. Problem identification (PII)
c. Problem analysis (PAI)
d. Intervention plan
e. Outcome evaluation (TEI, including evaluation of treatment integrity, treatment
acceptability, consultee satisfaction)
f. Termination and exit
g. Follow-up (ideal, if possible)
Work early with your field supervisor to identify potential consultees and problems of appropriate
scope and focus (e.g., general education teacher, parents, child study team). You will need to
obtain written consent from the client’s (student) parents/guardians before you may proceed.
Consultation Project Write-Up: You will prepare two papers: an analytical paper of the
project and a summary report for the consultee. The analytical paper consists of two parts: a
report of the content of the consultation and an analysis of the processes of consultation. The
first part of the analytical paper discusses the problem and its analysis, the intervention, and
the outcome data. The discussion of the intervention should be grounded in the research
literature providing evidence for the intervention’s efficacy. The process section is an
analysis of how the consultation was carried out and examines the processes ranging from
entry to problem identification to intervention to evaluation. The total page length for this
paper is approximately 12-15 pages. The summary report is intended for the consultee and
consists of a 2-3 page executive summary that concisely describes the nature of the problem,

the intervention, and the outcome. You may optionally include suggestions for follow-up
activities. This portion also needs to be turned in as a part of the assignment.
Tentative project ideas are due on November 4, 2015. PowerPoint presentations of these projects,

as well as the project write-ups are due on December 2, 2015. Trainees will present their
consultation to the class. Please note that the case should be completed at the time of presentation.
Although exceptions may be made if trainees are unable to complete their case studies; this will
be reflected on their final grade as an “incomplete.” Thus, it is much better to get a head start on
the case early in the semester so you have plenty of time to complete the case study and in turn
complete the course. The case presentation, as well as all of the pertinent paperwork documented
over the course to be included in the portfolio, will follow the same sequence (i.e., referral
problem, background information, etc.). Grading will not only be based on the information
delivered to the class, but also the manner in which it was delivered. In other words, providing a cursory overview of the case or providing a brief written summary of the information to the class
will not be accepted. Rather, the presentation should be considered a “mock case conference.” In
short, grading will be based on the quality, as well as the breadth of the case study.

Comprehensive Exam

 
Master’s in Forensic Psychology Comp Exam
Need this by Wednesday November 25th at 1pm PST
MAFP Comp Exam
Master’s in Forensic Psychology

Here is the comp exam requirements: ****In this paper we do not diagnose and or prescribe anything as we are a forensic health expert but we are not licensed. You can suggest and say that because Ana’s is presenting with signs of depression that meet the definition of depression in the DSM-5, it could be suggested that Ana may be depressed, but that would need further follow up by a licensed psychologist.
Answer questions in body of paper – each question must start on a new page!

Case Vignette for Comprehensive Examination
Please read the vignette carefully. Based on information provided in the vignette, please compose a well-written and organized response to each of the questions that follow:
Offense Identification:
A citizen summoned police to a city park. The police made the following report:
Ana had spent the afternoon at the park and fell asleep at a picnic table. When the time came to close the park and lock the park gate, a Parks & Recreation worker shook her shoulder to wake her. She yelled and swung a knife at him, grazing his abdomen. She then continued swinging the knife and yelled, “Let me go! Get off of me! Get off of me!” She then became confused, began sobbing, and was easily subdued. Ana was charged with assault. She was then quiet and cooperative. However, she did not want to discuss matters related to her arrest. A urinalysis tested negative for drugs and alcohol.
Psychosocial History: Ana is 35 years old. Having been born in the U.S., she is a U.S. citizen. Ana’s mother returned with her to Mexico when Ana was a small child—three years old. Ana was then raised in Mexico by her single mother. She has two older brothers, an older sister, and a younger sister. Finances were always strained, and her mother worked extra hours whenever possible. As a child, the oldest brother often watched after her while her mother worked. As a preteen, she became withdrawn and depressed. Then, at fifteen years old, she says that a friend of her brother raped her. Her brother laughed at her and nobody believed her, and the friend continued to be a frequent guest at the home.
Ana graduated from high school and got a job in a factory. As she got older she expected to marry, but she was unable to find any man who interested her. Since she continued to be depressed and withdrawn, few showed any interest in her either.
At age 22, Ana fell in love with a female coworker. This was contrary to her religion and her depression deepened. She did not act on this attraction, and tried to stay away from the woman. At age 25, she fell in love with another woman, and felt that she was happy for the first time in her life. When the two women were caught kissing, neighbors beat them both. The women then took an apartment together in another part of town. However, neighbors there eventually became suspicious that the relationship was romantic. One evening, two men from the apartment building arrived at her apartment with another man. Ana was alone. The men gang-raped her, taunting her that she should learn how to have the “right” kind of sex. She was afraid to report the rape to the police. She and her partner moved again, and again were socially rejected and taunted by their neighbors.
Ana and her partner, who is a Mexican national, decided to move to the U.S. in hopes of greater tolerance. In their first neighborhood in the U.S., they became frightened when they believed that they were again being treated with open hostility. They responded by moving to their current residence in another new town, where they have now lived for three years. Ana has worked at a series of low-paying jobs here, and she is currently unemployed. She has trouble focusing on her work, and employers have considered her a marginal worker. Her partner is employed as a grocery cashier, and was at work at the time of Ana’s assault. Ana often falls asleep at odd times—such as on this day in the park—because her nighttime sleep is disrupted by nightmares.
Ana has no record of previous criminal activity or violence. She was referred to the mental health department because of suicidal preoccupations, nightmares, withdrawn behavior, and ongoing irritability toward others in jail. Ana has shown little motivation in therapy and says that it is useless.
Task Identification
You are being asked to conduct a pre-trial psycholegal evaluation of Ana for the court to which she is initially assigned. You are to act as a forensic mental health evaluator and produce a written report addressing the questions, below. The report will be submitted to the appropriate supervisor and presented to the court.
Behavioral Observations
When the forensic evaluator meets with Ana, she seems sullen and hopeless about her situation, and states that it does not matter what happens to her in court because she is a sinner and will be punished for eternity anyway. She answers questions, but offers nothing unless asked and does not seem invested in collaborating in the procedure or helping herself. Her psychosocial history was gathered with some resistance on her part, and only after patient prodding and support.
Based on the vignette provided, please compose a well-written and organized response to each of the following questions. When writing your responses, please:

• Use APA (6th Edition, Second Printing) Style, with 1-inch margins, double-spaced, 12 font, with a reference list at the end.
• Write clearly and concisely.
• Cite appropriate, and especially current, literature (empirical and/or theoretical).
• Avoid all sexist idioms and allusions.
• Remember to demonstrate your multicultural competence where appropriate.

Psychological Theory and Practice

A. What assessments would you conduct to enhance your understanding of the client’s problems and how would your choice of assessment(s) inform your diagnostic formation and treatment planning? Assessments may include structured or unstructured interviews, valid and reliable assessment measures, and/or formalized assessment procedures that may be conducted by yourself or by someone else referred by you.

B. Provide your diagnostic impressions (based on the DSM-5) for this individual. In narrative form, please describe how the individual meets the diagnostic criteria for the disorder(s) chosen in addition to the differential diagnostic thought process that you used to reach your hypotheses. Be sure to include any additional (missing) information that is needed to either rule out or confirm your differential diagnoses.

Legal Theory and Application

A. Explain the background, current presentation, and behavior of the client utilizing theories of offender and/or victim psychology and personality/psychological theories to support your position. Do not simply restate the client’s presentation from the vignette. Instead, provide a theoretical-based discussion of the client’s behaviors as presented in the vignette.

B. Describe the psycholegal standards and/or definitions for each of the following: competence to stand trial, risk of dangerousness, and insanity.
Identify and describe one or more landmark case(s) for each standard (at least three cases total). Describe the elements or issues that a mental health professional usually focuses on when assessing a person’s adjudicative competence, risk and insanity, and any additional items that might be especially important to focus on in the provided vignette.
Research and Evaluation

A. Describe tests or assessment procedures you would employ to address the psycholegal issues of (competence to stand trial, risk of dangerousness, and insanity). You may refer to these from the Psychological Theory and Assessment Section “A” if you already covered them there. Discuss what the anticipated conclusions would be based upon information provided in the vignette.

B. Develop one empirically supported therapeutic treatment plan for the client in the vignette. Please make sure you summarize the empirical evidence with appropriate citations to support your treatment choice(s) in working with your client. Be sure to discuss the effectiveness and limitations in working with this particular client, including this client’s background, using the above treatment plans.

Interpersonal Effectiveness

A. What diversity factors, cultural considerations, or other demographic variables pertaining to this client would you take into account in rendering diagnoses, choosing assessment measures, forming case conceptualizations, and designing the treatment plan? Be sure to discuss cultural/diversity factors that could apply even if they are not explicitly mentioned in the vignette.

B. Your writing, use of citations, ability to form a logical argument, and proper APA Style, including the use of paraphrasing, will be evaluated as a measure of your interpersonal effectiveness. No response is required for “B”.
Leadership, Consultation, and Ethics
A. Describe how you would work within a professional treatment team to consult, triage, and treat this case. Include a description of the various members of the professional team with whom you would be likely to interact. Additionally, explain the roles and responsibilities of each member of the treatment team.

B. What are the ethical and legal dilemmas this vignette introduced? What would be your immediate steps and why? Please be specific and make sure that you describe your process of ethical decision making and the solutions/consequences to which this process might lead. Your discussion should be informed by the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code as well as the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists

To the 100% American writer: I started part of my paper. A case history must be included and you can blend this to meet your writing style and please add any information that I missed in the section: You will see the questions again in the below section.
Case History
The court has requested that a pre-trial psycholegal evaluation be conducted on Ana, a 35-year-old Hispanic female that has been charged with assault. It is reported that Ana had fallen asleep at a park bench and when the park employee went to wake by shaking her on the shoulder, she yelled and swung a knife at him grazing his abdomen. It was also reported that Ana yelled, “Let me go! Get off of me! Get off of me!” while she continued to swing the knife about. The report continues to describe Ana as becoming confused, crying and was easy to subdue. Once Ana learned that she was charged with assault, she became quite and cooperative but was not wanting to discuss the issues related to her arrest. Police ran a urinalysis test and Ana’s test showed negative results for drugs and alcohol.
Ana is a natural born citizen to the US but her mother moved the family back to Mexico when Ana was just 3 years of age. While in Mexico, Ana lived with her two older brothers, an older sister and a younger sister. Ana’s mother did not earn a large salary, so she would take on extra hours whenever the opportunity presented itself; therefore her older brother looked after Ana. In her preteen years, Ana became depresses and withdrawn. At the age of fifteen, Ana revealed to her brother that a friend of his had raped her. The brother did not believe Ana’s accusations. He actually laughed at her and continued to have his friend over routinely.
Ana was successful in graduating from school and went onto work in a factory. The expectation was that Ana would eventually find a man and get married but she never found a man that she was interested in so the marriage never materialized. Ana at this time continues to be withdrawn and depressed and therefore finding a suitable partner for her becomes even harder.
At the age of 22, Ana fell in love with a female co-worker but knew that this was not in line with her religious beliefs, so Ana did her best to avoid the female. Three years later at the age of 25, Ana fell in love with another female and reported that she was happy for the first time. When her and this female were caught kissing, the neighbors beat them both. Because of their relationship the women opted to move to a new apartment complex. In this new complex, neighbors became suspicious of their relationship and one evening, two men from the apartment complex and another friend entered into Ana’s apartment where she was alone. She alleges that the three men gang raped her all the while telling her that she should learn how to have the “right” kind of sex. Ana never reported the rape to the authorities, as she was too afraid too. The couple moved yet again but encountered the same treatment as they had at the last complex, where they were socially rejected and taunted by their neighbors. Eventually the pair decided to move to the US in hopes of finding a better life. In their first apartment, Ana and her believed yet again they were being targeted with open hostility and so they relocated to a new residence in which they still reside currently and have for the past three years.
Records show that Ana has no previous criminal activity and or violence. Because of Ana’s difficulty in dealing with other inmates, Ana was referred to mental health services because of her withdrawn behavior, suicidal preoccupations and nightmares. Once in therapy, Ana showed no interest and says that it is useless.

Psychological Theory and Practice
C. What assessments would you conduct to enhance your understanding of the client’s problems and how would your choice of assessment(s) inform your diagnostic formation and treatment planning? Assessments may include structured or unstructured interviews, valid and reliable assessment measures, and/or formalized assessment procedures that may be conducted by yourself or by someone else referred by you.
Assessments suggestions to use:
Mental Status Exam – always use this one
Beck Depression – matches for her depression
Suicide Risk Evaluation
CAI Competency Assessment Instrument or competency to stand trial
PTSD – nightmares, this is because she was allegedly raped twice and she reports that she was beaten for being gay – you will have to research an assessment for this.
Clinical Interview- talk about doing a clinical interview to obtain the assessments and gather information; please reference any and all past medical records if applicable, you can mention that you would interview family members if they were available.
I would also like to rule out a few disorders and or syndromes, this might work – Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) 300.23 (F40.10) according to the (DSM-5 2013) anxiety of social settings where scrutiny may occur, fears that he or she will act in a certain way that will show anxiety, social situations always provoke fear, the fear out of proportion of the actual situation etc. I included this diagnosis because Brine spoke of his reluctance to interact with his peers and also the fear of rejections of females in high school.
D. Provide your diagnostic impressions (based on the DSM-5) for this individual. In narrative form, please describe how the individual meets the diagnostic criteria for the disorder(s) chosen in addition to the differential diagnostic thought process that you used to reach your hypotheses. Be sure to include any additional (missing) information that is needed to either rule out or confirm your differential diagnoses.
I feel that Ana presents with symptoms of the below:
PTSD
Rape Trauma Syndrome / Rape Crisis Syndrome
Depression
Legal Theory and Application
C. Explain the background, current presentation, and behavior of the client utilizing theories of offender and/or victim psychology and personality/psychological theories to support your position. Do not simply restate the client’s presentation from the vignette. Instead, provide a theoretical-based discussion of the client’s behaviors as presented in the vignette.
This is where you can relate Ana’s background to her being raised in Mexico, she has religious beliefs but not sure what religion, but we know that being a lesbian was not acceptable where she was from. This is one of the hardest questions on the test.
Behaviors – female Hispanic, cultural issues, gay, religion, allegedly raped twice, withdrawn, depressed, trouble sleeping, nightmares,
D. Describe the psycholegal standards and/or definitions for each of the following: competence to stand trial, risk of dangerousness, and insanity.
Identify and describe one or more landmark case(s) for each standard (at least three cases total). Describe the elements or issues that a mental health professional usually focuses on when assessing a person’s adjudicative competence, risk and insanity, and any additional items that might be especially important to focus on in the provided vignette.
Durham vs. Unites States 214 F.2d 862 (1954) / Competency to Stand Trial (CST)
Dusky v. United States -362 U.S. 402 (1960).
I’ve listed two very popular landmark cases, please find a third.

Research and Evaluation
C. Describe tests or assessment procedures you would employ to address the psycholegal issues of (competence to stand trial, risk of dangerousness, and insanity). You may refer to these from the Psychological Theory and Assessment Section “A” if you already covered them there. Discuss what the anticipated conclusions would be based upon information provided in the vignette.
D. Develop one empirically supported therapeutic treatment plan for the client in the vignette. Please make sure you summarize the empirical evidence with appropriate citations to support your treatment choice(s) in working with your client. Be sure to discuss the effectiveness and limitations in working with this particular client, including this client’s background, using the above treatment plans.
A therapeutic treatment plan that I think may work for Ana is – a residence care facility, including group and individual therapy. Would need to research meds used for PTSD that might be prescribed by a psychologist (in this paper we do not prescribe and or diagnose anything)
Interpersonal Effectiveness
A. What diversity factors, cultural considerations, or other demographic variables pertaining to this client would you take into account in rendering diagnoses, choosing assessment measures, forming case conceptualizations, and designing the treatment plan? Be sure to discuss cultural/diversity factors that could apply even if they are not explicitly mentioned in the vignette.
B. Your writing, use of citations, ability to form a logical argument, and proper APA Style, including the use of paraphrasing, will be evaluated as a measure of your interpersonal effectiveness. No response is required for “B”.

Leadership, Consultation, and Ethics
A. Describe how you would work within a professional treatment team to consult, triage, and treat this case. Include a description of the various members of the professional team with whom you would be likely to interact. Additionally, explain the roles and responsibilities of each member of the treatment team.
In this section you can list everyone that you would be involved with: Social Worker, court personnel, attorney, licensed psychologist and any other person…
B. What are the ethical and legal dilemmas this vignette introduced? What would be your immediate steps and why? Please be specific and make sure that you describe your process of ethical decision-making and the solutions/consequences to which this process might lead. Your discussion should be informed by the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code as well as the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists
Might be able to use this information:
Per the American Psychological Association, Ethical Principals of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA 2002 & 2010) 2.01 – Boundaries of Competence, the expert will provide services, teach, and conduct research with populations and only in his area of expertise. This code states that the expert that has been retained to give testimony can only give his opinions regarding his area of expertise and it is based of their education, training and experience. The Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (SGFP) code 2.03 – Representing Competencies, the forensic practitioners adequately and accurately inform all recipients of their services, about relevant aspects of the nature and extent of their experience, training, credentials, and qualifications, and how they were obtained. It is also important for the psychologist to maintain credibility and adhere to code 1.01 (APA 2002 & 2010) – Professional Responsibility, making sure that the information they represent is not misused in anyway and or misrepresented.

Some other information to help with this paper: Just some random notes and yet again, the questions are listed below:
Comp Exam Notes
Answer questions in body of paper – each question must start on a new page!
Psychology Theory & Practice
Past records – need consent
Clinical interview
Mental Status exam – give reasons why this assessment is needed. Cite the mental status exam and cite why you are choosing it for your specific scenario. You can also write about test assessments that would not work and list why they would not.
Suicide risk evaluation –
Testing: any test you use, cite this test and discuss pros and cons of this assessment for your scenario
Beck Depression inventory
Substance abuse if applicable – not applicable
Briefly summarize history – may include interviewing spouse if relevant
Additional psychological testing – make sure to do baseline assessment testing i.e. How often does he subject think about suicide?
Be prepared to speak about cultural differences. i.e gay, different race, or whatever the difference is, speak about it. The SPFG, you can cite this guide and cultural issues
**she seems ill, to establish a baseline of current functioning the treatment team is going to do…
Differential diagnosis – i.e – I thought it was this, but after reviewing this, I know believe that this fits because of this reason.
Legal Theory & Application:
A) Cognitive behavior or social learning theory – how could one learn to do this erratic behavior?
Positist Theory – actions learned from parents
Once you have identified the theories, tie it back into the vignette
Clinical symptomology – forensic involvement of the client – theoretical formulation tied back into vignette
Positive theory does not always explain but it is ….. cite the theory and the reason it did not apply
B) Application – Psycho legal
Tarasoff , Dusky, McNaughten, Durham – then explain the elements to help your defense
Standard and definitions – describe elements and relate vignette
– At the current moment Jane Doe is acting so incompetent that she is not competent to stand trial. Further assessment is needed to accurately assess

Research & Evaluation
A) Forensic test assessment: procedures comp to stand trial – cite
Risk of dangerousness – VRAG, PCER
Sanity – RCREST – Rodgers Criminal Responsibility, anticipated conclusions & relate back to the vignette –language, cultural or whatever
Tie in treatment go back and refer to question. The theories of treatment.
Triage – be sure to elaborate on all answers, provide reasons why. Explain how assessment – Jane Doe is still erratic, need to consult psychiatric doctor, her pain level is still at x, she may need meds, follow with medical doctor, psychological crisis interrogation – may need to consult social worker- follow up care. Want to see improvement from her baseline assessment. Assess an appropriate treatment plan, ie. Therapy
Relapse prevention plan –
Interpersonal Effectiveness
A) Factor or cultural consideration, American Soman, lesbian according to the APA guidelines cite what you can and relate back to vignette. Gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, identity development, demographic location. According to APA no bias should exist
Leadership, Consultation and Ethics
Attorney, clinician, medical pain meds – Stabilize, address pain, work on discharge if applicable.
State how you would work on interdisciplinary team – find source and cite. Also cite APA code that speaks to working with other professionals
Informed Consent
Site ethics code here – rights of others – you can use the Bush Decision making model in tis section, make sure to cite
Potential problems – applicable laws, consultation to protect, always seek consultations
The below are suggestions from one of my instructors:
With insanity or other situations you will not be able to address all possible laws, since they do change somewhat by state. You should however be prepared with a few key landmark cases as they apply to the case study discussion such as M’Naughten and Durham. You can find some relevant cases at:
https://www.aapl.org/landmark_list.htm
Ah, I see now. Yes, most every case will have different people to interact with. Some will be one-time debriefings or interviews, while others will be ongoing. It depends on the actual case. For example, for CST, you would be consulting with witnesses and attorneys, while on the treatment side, you may be interacting more with the psychiatrist, physician etc. The team work may evolve over time also from the initial assessment roles through the ongoing treatment. See also the rubric page 11 for some more ideas.

The Melton text: Psychological Evaluations for the Courts is my usual “go to” text. (ps recommend it if you don’t have it, but I’m not sure of the cost of it these days). There is not a separate section just on interactions, but as I mentioned, there are brief pieces dependent on the specific type of case (for example, child custody, or types of interactions on the court level etc.) I’ll keep looking around a bit, but have not seen a single article/book just on this topic, so much as sections discussing information sharing in certain contexts.
*CBT is certainly one of the most common treatment approaches, and a good base, but you have also learned several theories that specifically apply that approach to criminality.
*Good question about the assessment results. This is tricky. Do not insert any information or make things up. In real life it is very common to have incomplete information. Based on your diagnosis and the information provided you should be able to discuss in detail which diagnosis best fits (and exclude others since they do not). I would generally recommend staying away from Internet sources. They are a poor quality source without research backing. In general, if you had one or two it would not be bad, but if for example they were Wikipedia, for example, or something that gave you mis-information, it could be bad.
2005 Summary of laws and regulations related to the practice of psychology, penal and evidence code
And more notes:::
Triage & Assessment:
-Be sure to elaborate on all answers. Provide reasons why.
-Explain how assessment test measures what someone is diagnosed with. What aspects does it measure? What about its reliability and validity? Provide more description on reliability and validity. Is it standardized on certain groups (men, lesbians, Hispanics, etc.)? In other words, is it unique to a certain population? Be more specific and descriptive about the instruments you will be using. Explain HOW the test measures competency and insanity for that population.
-Explain WHY we are using that particular test, and what it is designed to measure.
-Show how the test works and why it’s valid.
-Discuss how assessment test will address any culture issues. Show awareness of culture issues.
-“What does the administration of the test look like?”
-Do not forget to include validity and reliability of each test.

Diagnosis:
-Make the distinctions between each diagnosis: if more than one diagnosis exists, then clearly distinguish each diagnosis, and the symptoms that make them 2 separate diagnosis (or 3, or 4, etc.). For example: what is the need for the additional diagnosis? In other words, can all the clients symptoms fit under the same diagnosis? If not, then why? For instance, if they have formal depression, and then later on you believe they have anxiety too, then what is the other symptom(s) that would cause them to quality for a diagnosis under anxiety as well?
-We cannot diagnosis, we can only make the suggestion: For example, instead of saying “Mel has depression”, say “According to the DSM-V, Mel qualifies for depression because…”. Then list the symptoms. But first, you must back this information up with the assessment tests that you plan to use, because the assessment test will render the diagnosis—not you. Ask yourself: “do we have enough evidence to diagnosis this person with this disorder?” Incorporate this answer into your paper. Only provide a diagnosis off what the assessment tests (that you provided) are able to measure.
-It is appropriate to use a R/O diagnosis (rule out), but only if we provide a reason for it.
-Only make a diagnosis using information provided in the vignette. We cannot make up or add any info.
-Remember, we cannot diagnosis off of assumptions. We have to test them first. However, we can still include it in our paper, and say something like “more research needs to be done on this”, or a “mental health professional needs to look into this”. For example, it’s ok to say stuff like “Alice may have a mood disorder, but more information is needed on her symptoms to come to this conclusion”.

Forensic Evaluation:
-Clearly articulate on HOW assessment tests will be used. Are they culturally appropriate? Any culture issues? How might the client’s charges be affected by competency issues? How might the client’s family history impact the court’s opinion of whether they knew right from wrong?

Treatment:
-Be sure to integrate culture. Address all clients’ acute symptoms
-Fully discuss interventions.

Other reminders:
-Don’t forget to discuss any immediate problems, such as a danger to one’s self, or a danger to someone else. Discuss what action should be taken.
-Try to include at least 1 quote used from each book in class.
-Each question must begin on a new page. Bold and centered headings.

exam – Applications of Social Justice in Psychological Treatment

 
1. Consider Jun’s discussion of “clocking” the inner and outer experiences on page 75; how are the therapist’s assumptions similar to those in the case example on page 20?

2. On page 63 Jun states “Changing feelings, thoughts, and behaviors requires examining a client’s whole self.” in reference to the importance of clinicians’ efforts to examine, understand, and change their own biases. How might this process mirror the same defenses in a clinician that you would expect to see in a client during the therapeutic process?

3. Complete any one of the activities in chapter three of the Jun text; what defensive or rationalizing thoughts or reaction did you experience? How were they meant to preserve potential biases that you have?

4. Chung and Bemak present examples of “unfair treatment of specific groups” on page 27; what are two concrete things you could do for each of these groups in your capacity as a psychologist?

5. What role does your value system play in how (meaning in what capacity) you see yourself being able to help? What risks do you run in relation to your own privilege? What risks do you run in relation to any of your minority statuses?

Building of Memory: Managing Creativity Through Action

Assignment 4: Building of Memory: Managing Creativity Through Action

Due Week 8 and worth 240 points
Read the weekly assigned chapters and view the lectures before beginning the assignment.
Read the case study titled “Building of Memory: Managing Creativity Through Action” before starting this assignment.

Review the Week 10 Individual Assignment in which you develop a Personal Leadership Plan.

Write a four to five (4-5) page paper in which you:
1.Suggest three (3) specific change management techniques that Shimon Kornfield should have used in order to manage the morale of the team assigned to the YadVashem memorial site project.
2.Outline the essential steps that Shimon Kornfeld could have taken in order to ensure that all team members learned of any proposed changes. Provide the rationale and justification for each step outlined.
3.Assess the criticality of the timing of communication in the success of the YadVashem memorial site project. Support the response with three (3) specific examples.
4.Assume that two (2) key members of the team were replaced during the executing phase of the YadVashem memorial site project due to family crises. Discern actions Shimon Kornfield could take in order to establish trust and gain credibility with the remaining project participants.

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; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. 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 and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
•Apply the concepts of project leadership to implement sound leadership practices and effectively lead high-performance teams in a project environment.
•Develop productive relationships with project participants to gain the trust of project team members and build the personal credibility required for effective leadership.
•Use technology and information resources to research issues in project management leadership.
•Write clearly and concisely about project management leadership using proper writing mechanics.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills. Click here to access the rubric for this assignment

Memory

 
3 page chapter review on memory for general psychology. Just has to cover basics of memory.
-what is memory?
-encoding
-storage
-retrieval
-short/long term memory
-etc.

ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY Chapter 2, analyz

n

After a close reading of Chapter 2, analyze the differences among the various contributions and factors relevant to psychopathology. Compare and contrast the included approaches, citing differences and similarities. DO NOT SIMPLY REPEAT WHAT IS IN THE BOOK, BUT ANALYZE HOW EACH APPROACH INFLUENCES THE CONSTRUCTION OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. YOU WILL NEED TO GO BEYOND THE BOOK AND USE SCHOLARLY SOURCES AS FOUND IN THE ESC ONLINE LIBRARY. You may compose a written analysis of at least 6 pages,

the book Abnormal Psychology, An Integrative Aiipproach, 7th edition by Barlow and Durand, ISBN: 978-1285755618.

Rubric
I. Description of your topic, problem, or research findings. (9 pts.)
a. Provided a review of the relevant literature
b. Described the focus of each section of the assignment, and if applicable, addressed comparisons among multiple approaches.
c. Identified key aspects of the topic, problem, or research findings.

II. Critique of your findings (9 pts.)
a. Identified any “gaps” present in the topic, problem, or research findings and how they affect your overall theme.
b. Justified the importance of each section of the paper or project–i.e., how does it contribute to knowledge gained from this assignment?
c. Assessed each section’s usefulness in explaining your research question and assertions.

III. Organization & other logistics (7 pts.)
a. The paper or project was of an appropriate length to explain and analyze your focus and theme.
b. The paper or project was well written or presented, and clearly organized (introduction, body, conclusion)
c. The paper or project advanced a clear central thesis
d. The paper or project was professionally presented and free of typographical, spelling, grammatical and/or verbal errors.
e. The paper or project highlighted aspects of this study in a way that complemented class discussions & readings

heuristics and cognitive biases

 
discuss heuristics and cognitive biases which affect our thinking, reasoning, and decision-making processes.
Develop one or two paragraphs that presents a one-sided, simplified argument about some psychological issue. Examples might be a) low self esteem causes bullying, b) parenting/nurture is more important than nature, c) repressed memory/ memory recall claims, d) low self esteem is the cause of low academic success, etc.
How did you use language, wording, and terminology to frame your one-sided argument?
What biases or mental short cuts were used in your explanations?
If you were presented with this argument, how could you refute the biases and suggest a more balanced explanation?

Humanist psychology what it means

 
Making use of the readings of the Unit, post a brief but thoughtful reply to answer the Reflection Question, What do you think it means to do research in psychology, human sciences, or organizational systems, as a phenomenologist or a grounded theorist? Important note: Without direct quotation, paraphrasing in your own words, be sure to include clear citation in your text of sources that provided the basis of your contribution, which in conventional scholarly format means author, year, page numbers, so that peers and the instructor may know and go to these sources to become informed and contribute further to the discussion.