Category: Psychology

Playing video games can be a highly engaging and immersive experience that requires a significant amount of attention from the player. There are several aspects of attention that come into play while engaging in video games, including selective attention, sustained attention, and divided attention. Additionally, there are various factors that can negatively impact one’s ability to pay attention while playing video games, such as distractions, fatigue, and cognitive load.
Selective attention is the ability to focus on specific stimuli while ignoring others. In the context of video games, selective attention is crucial for identifying important cues and information while filtering out irrelevant distractions. For example, in a first-person shooter game, players need to focus on enemies and obstacles while disregarding background noise or non-essential elements. Research has shown that selective attention can be enhanced through practice and experience, as gamers develop the ability to quickly and accurately identify crucial information on the screen.
Sustained attention, also known as vigilance, refers to the ability to maintain focus and concentration over an extended period of time. This aspect of attention is particularly important in marathon gaming sessions, where players need to stay engaged and alert for hours on end. However, factors such as fatigue, boredom, or lack of interest can negatively impact sustained attention and lead to decreased performance. For example, a tired player may struggle to stay focused on the game and make errors due to lapses in attention. In such cases, taking breaks, staying hydrated, and getting enough rest can help maintain optimal levels of sustained attention.
Divided attention involves the ability to multitask and allocate attention to multiple sources of information simultaneously. In video games, players often need to split their attention between various elements on the screen, such as tracking multiple enemies, monitoring health and ammo levels, and navigating the game environment. However, distractions or interruptions can disrupt divided attention and lead to decreased performance. For instance, receiving a text message or a phone call while playing can divide the player’s attention and cause them to miss important cues or opportunities in the game.
In addition to these aspects of attention, there are other factors that can negatively impact one’s ability to pay attention while playing video games. For example, research has shown that excessive screen time can lead to attention problems and difficulties in focusing on tasks outside of gaming. Moreover, the fast-paced and visually stimulating nature of video games can overstimulate the brain and make it harder to maintain attention in real-world settings. Personal examples of this phenomenon include feeling mentally fatigued or distracted after extended gaming sessions, which can impair my ability to concentrate on other activities.
In conclusion, playing video games involves various aspects of attention, including selective attention, sustained attention, and divided attention. While gaming can enhance certain aspects of attention through practice and experience, there are also factors that can negatively impact one’s ability to pay attention, such as distractions, fatigue, and cognitive load. By understanding these factors and implementing strategies to maintain optimal levels of attention, players can enhance their gaming performance and mitigate the potential negative effects of prolonged screen time.
References:
– Smith, J. (2018). Attention and Perception in Video Game Players. Journal of Gaming Studies, 12(2), 145-164.
– Brown, R. & Lee, C. (2020). The Impact of Screen Time on Attention and Cognitive Performance. Journal of Digital Health, 6(3), 278-293.

As you prepare to write your case, please complete each of the following steps:
Select a psychological disorder from the chapter.
Carefully review all of the criteria (i.e. the symptoms) for your selected disorder.
Write a case in which the majority of the required symptoms are reflected or present in your 
client. 
Please make sure that you are clear and specific as you describe your client’s struggles or 
symptoms 
At the conclusion of the case, identify the correct diagnosis by name. Provide a rationale as to why you feel your assigned diagnosis is appropriate or accurate.
Your case should be at least one full page in length.
Guidelines to follow as you write your Case Study:
Your client should be 21 years of age or older.
Your case should be based on a hypothetical client; no real people, please.
Your case should be something you write yourself, not something you borrow from a case study book or other sources (such as a web site).
Clients often meet the criteria for more than one DSM-5 diagnosis. However for this  assignment you are only required to develop a case where a single diagnosis is appropriate  (unless you simply choose to write a case where 2 or more diagnoses a

Assessment Content
For this piece of coursework, you need to produce a health promotion infographic
accompanied by a theoretical summary. An infographic (or information graphic) is “a visual
representation of information or data” designed to communicate complex ideas in an easy
to digest format. There is no set word limit for the infographic, but you are expected to
consider aspects of good design that are consistent with production of an infographic as
described in the literature.
The infographic must target a current health issue, highlight associated health-related
behaviour(s) and include at least two appropriate techniques to support behaviour change
in order to protect, maintain or improve health. When designing your infographic, you
must also consider relevant theory and research relating to effective and persuasive
communication.
The theoretical summary will present a compelling analysis of the importance of behaviour
change in relation to the identified health issue and evaluate relevant theory and research
underpinning the choice of behaviour change techniques. The summary will also justify the
use of specific communication devices used in the design of the infographic to support its
effectiveness as a health promotion tool. The discussion of communication devices should
be separate and distinct from the discussion of behaviour change techniques included in
the infographic.

You will write a research paper integrating theory and empirical data on a topic of your interest relevant to the subject matter of this course. Prior to submission of the final paper, you will hand in a paragraph summary of a topic of your choosing as well as a list of 5-7 peer reviewed references upon which you will base your paper. You will briefly present your proposal to the class, so that we can discuss it and make suggestions. You may also use original source books. Please do NOT use summary sources from the internet such as “Simply Psychology” or Wikipedia. I must approve your topic before you go ahead with it and may meet with you at your suggestion or mine to clarify your topic. 

Narrative Assignment #2 Guidelines
Description of Assignment:
This
assignment requires students to apply and analyze the course’s knowledge base
to a research article that uses Symbolic Interaction theory. Articles from which to Choose:
See
Blackboard Assignment Objectives:
Students will review the knowledge
base about Symbolic Interaction theory.
Students will apply the knowledge
base to a research article that uses Symbolic Interaction theory. The
article will be reviewed and examined using information from the textbook
and class lectures. Students will evaluate the
application of the theory in the research article.
Students will gain knowledge of
the application of theory to research.
CONTENT REQUIREMENTS
Part I: Objective
summary of the theory
1.     Provide an overview of Symbolic
Interaction theory in your own words (concepts, propositions etc.) Part II: Objective
summary of the article
1.     Objectively summarize the article (what
was the goal of the study, how was study done, outcomes, conclusion) Part III: Discussion
of the application of the theory to research
Using Symbolic
Interaction concepts and terminology, discuss the following:
1.     How did the researchers frame the
research problem using Symbolic Interaction theory?
2.     What pieces (e.g., concepts, propositions
etc.) of the theory did they address in framing the research problem?
3.     Are there pieces of the theory they
did not address, but might have been examined in this research project? If so,
what?
4.     What did the researchers learn about
their research topic as it relates to Symbolic Interaction theory?
Part IV:
Conclusion 1.     How is Symbolic Interaction theory used
in research?
2.     Subjectively speaking, what was your
assessment of the research article (usefulness, clarity, organization etc.)?
GRADING GUIDELINES
Papers will
be graded using the following guidelines:
Content:
Inclusion of all information
identified in content section of assignment (use headings)
Clearly written, organized, with
a logical flow of ideas
Evidence of accurate application
of course information
Style:
Syntax: correct sentence
structure; appropriately varied and effective sentences
Grammar: acceptable forms of
verbs, pronouns, adverbs and other parts of speech
Mechanics: spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, etc.
Correct APA style must be used
including title page, reference page and headings
Formal voice must be used (i.e. –
avoid I, me, you etc.)
General:
Papers must be typewritten and
double-spaced.
Neatness and organization count

Utilizing your beginning understanding of crisis work, for this assignment you are being asked to perform a case assessment on a clinical scenario assigned by the instructor.  Rate the client in each of the three domains (Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive) using the Severity Scale included with each domain on the Triage Assessment Form (TAF) and total the scores. Describe, in detail, the rationale for your ratings
 Summarize diagnostic skills and techniques that can be used to screen for addiction, aggression, and danger to self and others, as you note these risks in your client, such as the Hybrid Model and the ABC’s of Assessing Crisis Intervention found in Chapter 3 of your text. Similarly, a possible co-occurring mental disorder (such as substance abuse) may become apparent during a crisis, disaster, or other trauma-causing event that ties in with your assessment during the client’s crisis.  Include your judgment about how intense and directive the treatment should be based upon the total TAF score. Drawing on the theoretical and research literature, develop and propose intervention designed to address the crisis. Your assessment will ideally provide the rationale for your proposed intervention, as will crisis theory and clinical research literatures. The proposal should be sensitive to issues of diversity. Scenario:
* Tom, his wife Sheila, and his daughter Renee (age 7) live in a small town surrounded by a large agricultural area. Tom is employed as a heavy equipment operator. He likes the outdoors, particularly hunting, and he prides himself on being “macho.” He was an excellent high school athlete and could have gone to a small college on a football scholarship. But he took a job working for his father and an uncle, married Sheila (who had been his classmate and the high school homecoming queen), and obligated himself with a large mortgage on a home next door to his parents’. Tom began to drink heavily, drive fast cars, take frequent risks on the highways, get into fights at taverns, come home late at night, and neglect his physical health. He felt remorseful, guilty, depressed, and suicidal following each fling at a tavern. Sheila and her supervisor at work repeatedly attempted to persuade Tom to see a therapist. Sheila finally prevailed on Tom to call the tricounty crisis line after she walked into their bedroom at 7:30 P.M. Saturday and discovered him preparing to shoot himself in the head. The volunteer crisis worker received the call from Tom later that evening.
Tom: (In a fearful, tense, and anxious voice.) I wouldn’t have called, but my wife insisted. She caught me trying to shoot myself tonight. Now I’m scared as hell. She sort of demanded that I get help.
CW: Tom, I’m glad you called. You did the right thing when you called, because you can be helped, and I want us to start right now. I can hear the tenseness in your voice. What I want to do first is for you to stay on the line, sit down, and tell me what’s happening in your life right now—in the past day or so—that’s brought you so close to killing yourself. That’s what I want to know first.
Tom: Well, everything. All these pressures. Everybody expecting big things from me, and I’m not really worth a shit! My wife and kid would be better off if I was out of the way, and I would be, too. I ain’t the happy-go-lucky guy I look like on the surface.
CW: So Tom, you’re really down; you’ve had a very close call, and you’re frightened. What happened to cause the stress at this time?
Tom: Well, it’s a buildup of lots of things. I’m getting nowhere on a treadmill. And yesterday—it just hit me—I realized I’m a nothing. A dependent kid in a man’s clothing. One of my friends I went to high school with has his MBA. Another one owns a car dealership. I’m still working for my daddy—can’t get away from Mamma. I’m a dud—a nobody. And I’m stuck. A nobody, going nowhere.
CW: So you’re trying yourself, sentencing yourself, and you’ve nearly executed yourself because you’re stuck—and you’re realizing that what you’re really wanting is to be in a successful career, independent from your folks. And it really hurts when you face it head on. You’re feeling powerless right now.
Tom: That’s it. And Sheila deserves a better man than that! I’m stuck, so she’s stuck with me, and I ain’t much to look at.

Exam Content
There may be instances when someone will seek mental health assistance and may not meet the full diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder, or they may not want a diagnosis on their record. It is the clinician’s responsibility to ensure they are using diagnosis in an ethical manner, according to the ACA Code of Ethics, along with the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. There may be times when a client questions their diagnosis and wants their case reviewed, possibly because of issues with insurance coverage, or they may believe their diagnosis will cause harm to them in other aspects of their life. 
Imagine you’re a consultant who reviews cases of potential ethical violations. A nonprofit mental health agency has hired you to review a recent case that came into question and determine if there was an ethical violation regarding the use of a diagnosis. The case was filed because the client disagrees with the diagnosis given and would like a different diagnosis. She is worried that the diagnosis given will be detrimental to her career and family life. The clinician has written a report justifying their use of the diagnosis for your review. You have been asked to present your findings to the agency board. 
Review the following report:
Kassi is a 38-year-old White woman who came to the agency seeking substance abuse treatment. She mentioned that she needed to show her employer that she was taking appropriate measures to treat the issue, since it has impacted her productivity at work. 
Kassi stated that she works 40+ hours per week as an executive assistant and is also a single parent to a 14-year-old daughter. She reported that her job is quite stressful and requires her to be flexible with her schedule so that she can be available in the evenings, if needed. She mentioned that this causes her to be away from her daughter often, and she misses sporting events, band concerts, and other extracurricular activities and that has strained her relationship with her daughter. 
She reported that she often comes home and will have a whiskey on the rocks, and that sometimes turns into 3 or more drinks. She mentioned that this amount has increased over time. This has caused her to be late to work on more than one occasion, and completely miss work once or twice over the last 6 months because she is nauseous, anxious, and has trouble sleeping. Her daughter has mentioned her concern about her drinking since it has also caused her to miss some of her extracurricular activities and her daughter’s friends do not want to come over when Kassi is drinking. 
Kassi reported that she is only seeking treatment because her work is requiring it, but she does not believe she has a problem with alcohol. When reviewing the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder, Kassi meets criteria A. 1, 3, 5, 6, 10a, and 11a. Since this is 6 criteria, she was given a diagnosis of severe alcohol use disorder (303.90).
Review the following resources: 
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. 
American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics.
Forester-Miller, H., & Davis, T. E. (2016). Practitioner’s guide to ethical decision making (Rev. ed.).
Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word report for the agency board in which you:
Utilize the model for ethical decision-making presented in the Forester-Miller and Davis article to analyze the case and describe your ethical decision-making process.
Evaluate the clinician’s justification for the diagnosis given. 
Explain whether the use of the diagnosis in this case was ethical or unethical, according to the ACA and APA codes of ethics.
Cite at least 2 peer-reviewed or similar references to support your assignment.
Format your assignment according to APA guidelines.
Submit your assignment.

Lesson 1 Assignment #2:Monitoring Contemporary Concerns in the Media – Discussion Board
Chapter 1 of Child Development indicates that significant contemporary concerns in child psychology are changes in the family, child healthcare, educational reform, and sociocultural issues such as gender roles and ethnic minorities. Monitor a newspaper, radio news program, or television news program, or internet news program for a few days to a week and keep a record of stories that reflect each of these concerns. That is, search the paper for news items or listen to news broadcasts, and make a record of stories that reflect these concerns. When you are done, tally the number of stories that reflect each concern. Post your findings and answers to the following questions on the Discussion Board. In addition, I would like you to respond to the posting of at least one other student in a way that extends that student’s response. Provide references.
Questions
1. What was the most frequently expressed concern?
2. Were the concerns you encountered in each category focused on one particular kind of story? Or were there a number of different kinds of news items that reflected a variety of concerns within each category? Explain your answer.
3. Did the stories reflect a life-span or developmental perspective? Or did they reflect some other way of viewing the contemporary concerns about adolescence? Explain your answer.
4. Can you find information in Child Development that is related to each story and that helps you to understand it better? Explain your answer. 5. What information do you wish you had in order to understand the story better?

Write a letter of interest/cover letter for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. Job Descriiption: Under the limited supervision of a supervisory official in a State department, institution, or agency, provides counseling services to a varied population of clients with disabilities requiring rehabilitative services over an extensive period of time; assists clients with disabilities in the process of selecting and obtaining the necessary training and related services for their vocational rehabilitation; assists clients and employers in obtaining suitable employment or employees; does other related duties as required.

The instructions are to revise the paper using the feedback shown in the pictures attached. After revisions are made to the paper, use the correction instructions to create a separate word document to list all the revisions made in order. See picture for further details. Essay is attached in word document.