PSY4007 Introduction to Studying Psychology Portfolio Assessment Brief: Five Tasks from Perspectives to Academic Skills | Arden University

PSY4007 Introduction to Studying Psychology (Arden University): Portfolio Assessment Brief

The PSY4007 portfolio introduces first-year Arden psychology students to the main parts of psychological study and academic skill development through five short tasks: a perspectives presentation, a research paper summary, an ethics concept map, an evidence versus misinformation comparison and a reflection on academic skills. All five tasks must be completed.

Task 1: PowerPoint, “Perspectives in Psychology” (300 to 400 words)

Produce a PowerPoint that explains how one psychological perspective explains a specific human behaviour (for example fear, aggression, learning or addiction). Choose one perspective: psychodynamic, cognitive, biological, developmental, social or behavioural. Include:

1. An introductory slide that defines your chosen perspective.
2. A second slide outlining how the perspective explains the behaviour (e.g. how biological psychology explains addiction, or how social psychology explains bullying).
3. A third slide presenting a research study or real-world example of the perspective and behaviour.
4. To push further, a final slide critiquing the perspective (strengths, limitations, implications and applications).

Support your points with scientific evidence such as academic textbooks or published journal articles.

Task 2: Written, “Research Paper Snapshot” (350 to 450 words)

Choose one empirical paper on a psychological topic and summarise it using the APFC(E) structure: Aims, Procedure, Findings, Conclusions and, to push further, Evaluation (strengths, limitations, implications and applications). The paper must be within psychology, peer-reviewed and published in a journal within the last 10 years, in English, a primary research study (the authors collected and analysed the data themselves), and included in full in your reference list.

Task 3: Concept Map, “Ethics Spotlight” (450 to 550 words)

Produce a concept map on one historical study in psychology that answers:

1. Which ethical issue(s) were present?
2. Which BPS principles are relevant to the study?
3. How could the study be improved regarding ethics?
4. To push further, discuss the challenge of balancing new knowledge with ethical requirements, or research that explored the same topic while maintaining ethical standards.

Task 4: Written, “Evidence versus Misinformation” (400 to 500 words)

Choose one topic from the Task 4 Resource Bank on iLearn and read all three sources for it: a journal article, a news article and a social media post or blog. Then answer:

1. Which source is most credible, and why?
2. Which would you cite in academic work, and why?
3. To push further, explore the consequences of using non-credible sources in real-world decision making.

Task 5: Written, “Academic Skills Reflection”

Reflect on your academic skills development using prompts such as one strategy you will use next semester (e.g. planning ahead to manage time), one way you have collaborated with other students (e.g. in-session teamwork or replying to a peer’s forum post), and one piece of feedback you will apply in future assessments. To push further, explore how and why this development will help you in the future and how you may approach future challenges.

Learning Outcomes

The portfolio assesses all four module learning outcomes, including LO1 (identify and describe historical and ethical issues within psychology) and LO2 (explain core theoretical perspectives in psychology). Templates for Tasks 1 to 5 and the Task 4 Resource Bank are on the iLearn module page.

Answer

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