Posted: November 18th, 2022

Psychotic disorders discussion

A Well Thought Out Response

It is important to view the posts that you are placing in the discussion board as the “proof” that you are mastering material in the class. It is my expectation that these discussions become part of the classroom and as such it requires effort and well thought out responses in order to forward the academic conversation. One simple way to look at this is – the discussion board is the place where you come to class. If you were in a traditional classroom about 2 ½ hours per week would be dedicated to our interaction together. You should plan on this same time on posts and inside the discussion board – with the added benefit of you can do it when it works for you.

Getting Ready:

A traditional classroom holds the expectation that you will read the necessary material for the week prior to coming to class. The same is true for approaching the discussion board. Expecting to sit down at the computer and bang out a response in 10 or 15 minutes will probably not offer a whole lot to the discussion. A well thought out response requires planning and then execution to add to the course.

Writing a Draft:

I recommend writing a draft and editing in a word processor before copying and pasting into the discussion board. This may seem like duplicated effort, but will help greatly in gathering your thoughts and posting an informative, unique answer. I am looking for a couple of well-written paragraphs in response to each discussion topic. I do not want a term paper for each question nor do I want you to be the most concise discussion responder ever. A five sentence response will be graded accordingly. A twelve paragraph response will not be read by many and will have limited utility in forwarding discussion. Remember, this is your class-time. Each post should take approximately 30 to 60 minutes to construct and post – not 10 minutes or 3 hours.

I am often asked if “spelling counts” meaning — do I take into consideration the appearance of the post when grading. The truth is that I do. I have found that posts that have significant errors in formatting, grammar, and spelling are generally those that have had less effort applied to them. It is true that you might make some great point that allows me to overlook an untidy and poorly constructed post, however, it is more often true in my experience that a post that shows effort and energy will score higher.

Post Early:

I like to say post early. The presence of posts in the discussion allows us to engage in the conversations that will spark true learning. If everybody waits until late Sunday night to just get them in – the opportunity for other students to benefit from your thoughts is greatly reduced. It is also important to realize that I am looking for your post to be unique. Those who post early will never be accused of summarizing everyone else’s post, but those who post late run the risk of finding nothing original to say.

I highly discourage trying to complete both original discussion posts in one sitting. Take the advantage of the virtual classroom and spread the effort and energy out to where everything you offer is quality.

Replies and Responses:

Although it is not necessary for you to respond to any other learner (and you are NOT graded for any response other than your original post), respect is the rule for replies and responses. We will find (at least I hope) that we are a varied and unique set of individuals. We will not always agree – but we MUST always be respectful. Appropriate netiquette, language, and substance are mandatory. It is okay to disagree – but I will not tolerate demeaning, inflammatory responses. Disagree with substance – and live and let live.

If you choose to respond in the discussion board make your responses meaningful. I believe that you will be amazed at how much you can learn from “listening” to all your classmates conversations about the material. Replies do not need to be long, but need to add to and hopefully forward the conversation. If fellow classmates are engaged in a discussion and you have something to add – jump in. Remember, the discussion board is the evidence that your are learning something so show me!

Appropriate Citation and Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is the act of copying and claiming ownership of someone else’s thoughts, ideas, or words. Please take a moment to tell us where they came from. Include links to online resources and citations at the end of each post (see examples below). Throughout the course, you may notice me providing some guidance on formatting and presenting citations and references from some of our library resources as needed – anything I use can be found in the SFSC lib guide on APA and can be reviewed directly at https://libguides.southflorida.edu/writing resources/APA. Remember, I need to see whose material you’re using so you can avoid accusations of plagiarism. Plagiarism will be dealt with harshly in accordance with SFSC policies.

One final note – please do bring in other materials to your post. We will have all read the same text so explore other materials and bring them to the discussion as appropriate.

Examples of Well-Thought Out Posts:

I am offering the following three examples of well-thought out posts from a college
social psychology course. Please review them prior to posting your first discussion
response. These should serve as a model of excellence and incorporate many of the ideas shared above.

Ex. #1

Please describe the origins of aggression from your text.

Feldman concludes that aggression is the intentional harm to another individual (2001).

Several theories have been provided as to the origins of aggression. A number of historical perspectives have proposed that aggression is a result of instinct. Proponents of this theory like Freud and Lorenz have argued that man has instinctive impulse toward aggression. In addition to these notables evolutionary psychologists entertain the notion that this impulse is actually a desire for genetic survival. While I find these theories fascinating from a biopsychological perspective I believe it is significant to note Feldman’s reservations including the lack of empirical data to support such theory.

A second theory which aligns itself more closely with most social psychologists is social learning theory. Social learning theory incorporates principles from both cognitive and behavioral domains. Bandura emphasizes outcomes as continuous cycling interactions between cognition, behavior and environment. Most significantly, Bandura suggests that learning can take place passively as an observer of another individual’s behavior. For example, if my son sees a classmate pushing a classmate, there is a greater likelihood that he will reproduce the action of his classmate. Key processes of social learning theory include attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation. Importantly, Feldman points out that in the same way that modeling can be mimicked toward aggression the social learning approach provides for flexibility to model away from aggression.

In summary aggression has several different theories of its origins including instinct and social learning theories. On a personal note I believe the blending of several of the different theories provides the most promise for more definitively understanding the origin of aggression.

References:

Feldman,R.S. (2001). Social psychology (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Ex. #2

Discuss the social learning approach to reducing aggression.

First, and perhaps most promising is diverting attention away from the act of aggression and exploring the motivation of the aggression. I find a lot of promise in this theory, and this matches closely with the point that Feldman makes that anger is a psychological state (2001). Better understanding what benefits the aggressor gets from aggression can be used in building strategies for reducing aggression. For example, if I know that aggression releases energy in the short term I can begin to work toward healthier long-term energy release objectives. If violence in television is perceived as a healthy outlet that generally produces the desired effects for the aggressor we can combat this perception with real life examples about the negative consequences of aggression. I believe a strategy similar to what Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) has implemented to combat drugs and alcohol among adolescents could be successful. Identifying the realities of violence and aggression could result in a better understanding of healthier alternatives.

The second point that Feldman makes about the role of the social learning approach to reducing aggression is outright reduction of exposure to aggressive models (2001). I believe as a society we have become too lenient in exposing people to aggression. In recent years the implementation of a parental guidance system on video games, and television shows has increased adult awareness of the substance of some of the media violence and aggression, but has not successfully curbed the appeal of this violence. Effectiveness may be increased if society were to begin reducing examples of aggression and violence in the media. While I don’t want to get into freedom of speech discussions I do think it is important that society addresses the desensitization aspects of continued exposure to aggression and violence.

On a practical note I believe that much of this starts at home. Parents should be involved in all events which expose children and adolescents to violence and aggression. Involvement and direction through much of this exposure will allow for realistic modeling, and will additionally allow parents the ability to process through both positive and negative consequences of behavior. Additionally, classrooms and schools should begin prioritizing curriculum to provide education to children about the realities of aggression and violence. A joint effort to inform and educate youth will minimally provide information that can be used as thoughts about aggression are formed.

Reference:

Feldman,R.S. (2001). Social psychology (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Ex. #3

How has the methodology of social psychological research changed throughout history? How has the process of critical thinking changed?

Social psychology like all psychological fields of study is young. With just over 100 years as a recognized field of study the methodological shifts that have taken place have been dramatic. This can be attributed to the pendulum effect that often accompanies new theoretical perspectives. From its beginning as a collective versus individual and vice versa field of study social psychology has grown and refined itself. As Feldman points out critical factors of evaluating data include people’s thoughts, feelings and behavior (2001). In much the same way that societal shifts have happened categorically throughout the history of social psychology the processes, theories and models of study have shifted with them. An example of this can be seen in the introduction and widespread appeal of cognitive dissonance and cognitive balance in the 1960s. By its very nature studying society’s influence of others on an individual or group becomes dependent on current social attitudes.

In the same way that social psychology has changed, changes and refinement in the process of critical thinking have included the introduction of concepts including assumption challenges, logical consistency, context consideration, and the inclusion of alternatives. Each of these is detailed by Feldman, as important to evaluating the massive amounts of information that we are introduced to each day (2001). The critical thinking process differs from the cognitive thinking process in that it is a more analytical approach that is based in the analysis and Assessment of qualitative data, while the cognitive thinking process is more likely to analyze the quantitative data that accompanies thought, feeling and action. Both become important tools for the goals of the social psychologists.

References:

Feldman,R.S. (2001). Social psychology (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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