Write a 6–8-page action plan to resolve issues in a case study based on evaluation of relevant psychological theory, research, principles, and standards.

When faced with a problem that involves psychology, you could merely rely on lessons drawn from your own personal experience, but of course, your education in this field has given you greatly enhanced sources of guidance.

Preparation

Return to the case study that you considered in Assessments 1 and 2.

• Identify two or three psychological theories and principles that help to explain the reasons for the problem and point toward potential solutions for it.
• Use the Capella University Library to locate at least three scholarly research studies in an area of psychology relevant to the problem. If you have had the opportunity to conduct or assist formal research in an academic or professional context, you may be able use the study in this assessment. However, if you wish to do so, e-mail a copy of the study to your instructor and ask for confirmation that it is appropriate for the assessment.

Instructions

Complete the following:

• Create a title page: Write a brief title that concisely conveys the purpose of this report. It is suggested that you use the APA Paper Template, linked in the Resources under the APA Resources heading, to format your paper to format your work according to the APA manual (current edition).
• Write an introduction: For the introduction section of your paper, include the title at the top of the first page. (In APA format, the word Introduction is not used as a heading.) Briefly summarize: 

  The case you have chosen.
  A high-level summary of ethical and cultural issues that you identified in the case.
  How theories and research, in general terms, help explain the problems in the case and point toward solutions.
  How the case relates to a larger societal problem or problems.

• Create a heading titled Case Issues: Review the case issues, including the ethical and cultural issues, in more detail.
• Create a heading titled Theoretical Framework: Analyze how two or three psychological theories help explain the problem and point toward potential solutions. In doing so, cite relevant principles or concepts derived from these theories. For example: 

  Let us say that we are assisting an adolescent from Germany who has moved to the United States and is having a rough time adjusting to her new high school. In addition to information gathered from her, her parents, and the school, we could consider Erikson’s psychosocial theory and the stage of identity and role confusion in which adolescents search to establish their own values, beliefs, and goals. During this important time of identity development, the teen has been immersed in an entirely different culture with values and beliefs different from the one which she knows. We could consider to what extent she was mastering the stage prior to and then after the move. Based on sociocultural theory, we would enquire about the differences in culture that may be impinging on her success in interacting in her new environment. By integrating the two theories, we can get a better understanding of how her developmental stage is clashing with her sociocultural context. We might search for research on adolescent development and cross-cultural experiences to get a better understanding of what research demonstrates is effective in assisting teenagers in this position.

• Create a heading titled Related Research: Summarize at least three research studies that pertain to the problem. A summary will provide your reader with a clear understanding of the purpose of the study, the methods, and the findings. 

  Describe the research designs and methods used in the studies.
  Use principles of critical thinking to evaluate the quality of the research and analyze the relevance to the problem. 

  Evaluate how the research methods employed support the studies’ findings.
  Analyze how the studies’ findings explain reasons for the problem and point toward potential solutions.
  Analyze how the studies’ findings relate to the psychological theories you previously cited.
  Compare findings of the studies and assess how they support or contradict each other.
  See if any contradiction is apparent. If so, try to explain why the contradiction may have developed and which position is more credible and why.

• Create a heading titled Action Plan: Based on your theoretical and research findings as well ethical and cultural considerations, provide an action plan with recommendations for how to resolve the problem you researched in a fair and just manner. 

  Make clear how the objectives of your plan are specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant to the problem, and the timeline for implementation should be.
  Integrate information from your sources to support your recommendations.

• Create a heading titled Conclusion: Briefly summarize the importance of the problem, how psychological theories, principles, and research may point to ways improve the problem, and the implications for a larger societal problem or problems.

Keep in mind throughout this assessment that while your writing must conform to APA standards, you must explain all information in a manner that can be easily understood by a nonacademic or nonscientific audience.

Refer to the Research Analysis and Action Plan Scoring Guide to ensure that you meet the grading criteria for this assessment.

Additional Requirements

Your assessment should meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication is well organized and free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA style: Comply with current APA style and formatting.
• Number of resources: A minimum of three academic resources.
• Length: 6–8 typed, double-spaced pages, excluding the cover page and references.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.