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Subject:
Psychology
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Research Paper
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Topic:

Theoretical Applications II

Research Paper Instructions:

Theoretical Applications II
All assignments MUST be typed and double-spaced, in APA style and must be written at graduate level English. The content, conciseness and clarity of your answers will be considered in the evaluation of your work. You must use and integrate the material presented in the course text and cite your work according to APA format. Use of outside resources can be used to enhance the text information, but cannot replace the text.
Respond to each question in approx 1-page per question.
Total assignment should be 8-9 pages total plus a Title and Reference Page
Do not copy the questions in your responses. See APA style on how to create Topic Headings. Suggested Topic Headings follow each question. You may use them or create your own.
Question One: Consider the Research by Zhu, Ziang, Fan, and Han in the text on Cross-Cultural Differences in Brain Activation When Considering the Self. What does it mean to have a self-concept that is so fused with representations of others? What does it mean to have a self-concept that is NOT fused with representations of others? What might the behavioral implications be?
Suggested Topic Heading: Self-Concept and Cross-Cultural Differences

Question Two: Some psychologists have suggested that while individuals tend to use traits to describe themselves and others, this merely tells us something about the cognitive functioning of individuals and about their interpersonal perceptions-- it does not tell us that traits represent the best tools for the scientific analysis of personality. How important is the fact that the layperson finds the trait a useful construct? If we accept the importance of the layperson’s use of this construct for theory development, does this also commit us to accepting the specific trait names and categorizations used by the layperson (e.g., honest, aggressive, sympathetic)?
Suggested Topic Heading: Trait Constructs

Question Three: Big five terms are great for describing differences between people. But are they also good for explaining people’s behavior? Is it reasonable to say that “Liz smiled and greeted people happily because she is an extravert”? Or is that similar to saying “It is sunny and warm in San Diego this week because San Diego has nice weather”? In other words, is this sort of “explanation” one that just takes you around in circles?
Suggested Topic Heading: The Five-Factor Model
Question Four: The text discusses research on brain systems involved in higher-level psychological functions, such as self-concept. How much do we learn about such psychological functions by studying the brain? In other words, since we know that some systems in the brain have to be involved in any psychological function, does an analysis of underlying neuroanatomy answer the most pressing questions about personality? Or does it leave unanswered critical questions about the ways in which these psychological capacities develop and function in the social world? In short: Can there be a neuroscience of personality?
Suggested Topic Heading: The Brain and Psychological Functions
Question Five: Skinner suggests that since environmental control is ever-present, we should learn to make maximum use of these environmental influences. He also suggests that concern with internal variables, such as emotion and motivation, as explanations of behavior has led psychologists astray. Do you think this approach would lead to a more scientific psychology? Or might it instead create a psychology that fails to develop a science of important aspects of human experience?
Suggested Topic Heading: Skinner and Environmental Influences

Question Six: In considering Kelly’s constructive alternativism, does it seem odd to read about a theorist who holds little stock in idea that there is an objective reality or absolute truth to discover? Can we conduct a science of persons if there is no objective reality or truth to discover? How might Kelly’s constructive alternativism foster an even more fruitful scientific investigation of persons than other theories?
Suggested Topic Heading: Kelly's Constructive Alternativism

Question Seven: B. F. Skinner questioned people’s capacity for free will and self-control. In what ways does social cognitive theory, and its associated programs of research, provide a counter-argument to Skinner’s position? How does a focus on expectancies differentiate social-cognitive theory from behaviorism? How does this shift enable social-cognitive theorists to explain why two people react differently to the same environment?
Suggested Topic Heading: Skinner vs Social Cognitive Theory

Question Eight: People seem to differ in their “moods.” Some people are commonly “upbeat” and “lively.” Others seem lower in energy. Some people seem commonly to be depressed. How does social cognitive theory explain these individual differences? Or does it? Might this be a limitation to the social-cognitive approach? What are your thoughts about problem-focused and emotion-focused coping?
Suggested Topic Heading: Social Cognitive Theory, Problem-Focused and Emotion-Focused Coping
Assignment Outcomes
Evaluate psychological, neurological and environmental influences on personality development
Identify factors relevant to culture and diversity in theories and interventions

Research Paper Sample Content Preview:

Psychology
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Self-Concept and Cross-Cultural Differences
The self-concept is the individual perception of a person’s behavior and other unique characteristics. The specific individual develops a mental picture of the self. There is the possibility of having a self-concept that is fused with the representations of others. The definition of this type of self-concept is that an individual tends to view the self according to others' opinions (Zhu et al., 2017). For instance, other people may view one as ugly. This opinion then becomes the perception of the affected individual, who views the self as ugly. The concept is most common amongst children experiencing bullying in schools. In most cases, people who depend on other people's opinions to develop their self-concepts usually associate with lots of negativity. However, it is also clear that there are cases when they may experience positivity, particularly when other people believe in their capabilities.
In the same way, there is the self-concept that is not fused with the representations of others. It implies that the individual’s perception of the self is specific to personal opinions and not influenced by other individuals' external thoughts. People with this type of self-concept usually depend on their personal opinions to conclude who they think they are or even how they look. People who tend not to rely on others’ opinions for their self-concept perceptions tend to associate with a lot of positivity (Zhu et al., 2017). Such people may also form negative thoughts about themselves, which may negatively impact their self-perceptions. This kind of perception is usually rooted in the individual and may not be easily influenced to change as the person does not rely on others' perceptions.
Trait Constructs
The layperson may find the concept of traits as a useful construct in describing the patterns of behavior. These descriptions usually depend on the persistence of such behaviors for long periods. The patterns are typically stable and are likely to have a wide range of consequences on individuals' behaviors. The Acceptance of the layperson’s use of this construct to establish scientific theories amounts to accepting the categorizations they commonly use, such as arrogant or welcoming (Cervone & Pervin, 2018). Traits are essential in the process of identification of individualistic behaviors and may help in differentiating the personalities of different individuals. It is also clear that laypersons' traits in defining character reflect the cognitive functioning of the individuals. This means that they can study their colleagues' characters and develop conclusions on the specific character traits.
The layperson helps to define character from a non-scientific approach. This angle is essential in building the most basic constructs of traits. Scientific research on traits first depends on theoretical definitions that may also include the laypersons’ approaches to defining character based on traits. Traits do not provide the best tools for scientific analysis, but they still play a role in the analysis. Scientific analysis often seeks to explain certain behavioral traits that are categorized as aggr...
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