Designing a Translational Research Study

Overview

In the Week 5 assignment, you created a brochure that discussed a specific behavior to increase, the current applied literature that used a specific behavior analytic theory to inform interventions to change that behavior, and the ethical considerations of intervention. For this week’s assignment, you will be using the information from our previous assignments to create your own translational study proposal.

Instructions

In this assignment, you will devise a translational research study proposal using the Week 7 Translational Research Design Template [DOCX]. Your research proposal should include the following components:

Literature review: Summarize the existing literature related to your research topic including the both the EAB and applied literature citing specific gaps and how the specified theory can inform interventions that fill them.

Summarize the existing literature related to your research topic. Provide an overview of relevant theories, concepts, and empirical findings.

1. Identify the gaps or limitations in the existing literature that your research aims to address.

Justify the need for your proposed research by highlighting how it will fill those gaps or address the limitations identified.

Discuss how the identified theory informs the intervention(s) discussed in the literature.

1. Introduction to the Research Study.
2. Research Problem: Clearly state the research problem or question that your study aims to address.
3. Significance: Explain the significance of your research, including the potential contributions to theory, practice, or policy in behavior analysis.
4. Research Objectives: Clearly state the specific objectives of your research. What do you aim to achieve through this study? Ensure that your objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
5. Research Question(s) and Variables.

Research Question(s): Clearly state the research question(s) that will guide your study. Ensure they are aligned directly to the research objectives you discussed in the previous section.

Variables: Operationally define your Independent and Dependent Variables.

1. Research Methodology.
2. Describe the research design you will use and explain why it is appropriate for addressing your research questions. Remember that you must use a single subject method for this analysis. Group design, correlational research, or qualitative studies will not be accepted.
3. Participant and Sampling Methods: Provide information about the target population for your study, including relevant characteristics and sampling methods. Include specific inclusion and exclusion criteria.
4. Measures, Data Aggregation, and Visual Inspection: Describe the measurement system you will use in the study including the relevant dimension(s) of the dependent variable. Discuss how the data will be collected, how it will be aggregated, and the type of graph you will use to visually inspect the data. Finalize this section with a discussion of how you will evaluate the validity and reliability of the data.

Implementation Guidelines: Outline the step-by-step procedures you will follow to conduct your research. This should be a task analysis that a research assistant could use to guide their implementation if you were not there to provide assistance. This can be written as a narrative, but you may find that creating a numerical list would likely be easier.

Ethical Considerations.

1. Discuss any potential ethical issues associated with your research and how you will address them.
2. Explain how you will ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of participants, obtain informed consent, and comply with relevant ethical guidelines and regulations.Make sure to cite specific alignments from The Belmont ReporLinks to an external site., the BACB Ethical Code of Conduct
3. Timeline and Expected Outcomes.

Provide a timeline that outlines the various stages of your research, including data collection, data analysis, and completion of the final report or thesis.

Describe the anticipated outcomes of your research. What do you expect to find based on your research questions or hypotheses?

1. Limitations: Identify potential limitations or constraints that may affect the validity or generalizability of your findings.
2. Additional Requirements
3. Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
4. APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current edition APA style and formatting

References: At least five scholarly resources.

1. Length of paper: There is no specified page limit.

Refer to the rubric to ensure you understand the grading criteria for this assignment.

Competencies Measured

1. By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
2. Competency 1: Evaluate research in the experimental analysis of behavior.

Summarize the existing literature related to your research topic including both the EAB and applied literature citing specific gaps and how the specified theory can inform interventions that fill them.

Competency 2: Distinguish features of experimental analysis of behavior (EAB) research from applied behavior analysis (ABA) research and identify features of translational research that bridge both types.

1. Describe the aims of the research study including objectives, questions, and operationally defines all relevant variables of interest.

Summarize the research design methodology including target population, sampling methods, research design, and measurement system.

Create a procedural task analysis that could be used to train a research assistant to implement the procedure.

1. Competency 4: Evaluate the core ethical requirements of behavior analytic research.
2. Discuss the most relevant ethical considerations of the research study.
3. Provide a theoretical timeline for the duration of the study and discusses any limitations that exist within the study.

Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.

Make sure the Final Draft is in essay form and not outline form.

Paper 1 is autobiographical. In 4 pages, you will describe your life using either one of the suggested metaphors, or your own metaphor if you like. Ask yourself this: How does the metaphor define you? What aspects of it are similar to you? How does it describe you, or what does it say about you? You can tell stories if you like. You can let me know a lot about you, or just a little about you. The vast majority of this paper is up to you.

Remember that your goal with this paper is to define yourself, but also explain your choice. With that in mind, all of your body paragraphs should support your decision. That is, every body paragraph should tell me another way in which you resemble your chosen metaphor, or at least support another body paragraph’s claims toward that end.

You can choose from one of the offered metaphors, or create one of your own. The paper will be graded on grammatical correctness and on your ability to support your points through your body paragraphs.

This paper aligns with the 2nd, 4th, and 5th SLO’s.

Possible metaphors:

A first-water diamond,

An empty spool,

Bits of broken glass,

Lengths of string,

A key to a door long since crumbled away,

A rusty knife-blade,

Old shoes saved for a road that never was and never will be,

A nail bent under the weight of things too heavy for any nail,

A dried flower or two still a little fragrant ,

A cloud drifting on the wind,

A Flower growing in concrete,

An Iceberg adrift in the sea,

Sunglasses on a blind person,

A broken backspace key,

An empty bed,

A shattered vase,

A dollhouse,

A sunflower, looking at the sky,

A circular ladder,

Kanye West.

A jar of jelly-beans

A compass

A tiny dancer spinning in a music box

A pretty doll on a shelf

A songbird in a cage

An old purse with new money

A loaf of bread rising with yeast

A shadow

An ant

An original Volkswagon Bug

Here’s the rubric:

A This paper demonstrates mastery of argumentation. It displays the author’s ability to persuade an unbiased but rhetorically educated audience through very effective use of rhetorical elements. The paper was turned in on time, was of full length, includes a Works Cited page, conforms to standard MLA formatting, and includes only minimal formatting or grammatical issues. The sources used exist only to further the author’s argument, and are properly cited and sparsely quoted. The author displays a strong understanding of how to appeal to Ethos, Pathos, Logos, and Kairos, as well as the Rhetorical Strategies necessary to evoke them. In short, the student has written a rhetorically effective argument,

B This paper, while effective, may have shortcomings keeping it from an A. Formatting or grammatical errors may be keeping this from an A grade. If the paper is no more than half-a-page too short, is missing a Works Cited page, has regular formatting or grammatical issues, or was turned in late, it cannot receive a higher grade than a B. Multiple errors in the aforementioned regards may take the grade down even further. Overuse of sources to pad out a paper, or relying on the arguments of one’s sources rather than one’s own arguments may also hurt the grade. Additionally, a failure to effectively construct proper Syllogisms that force the reader to accept each point can keep the aper from receiving an A.

C This paper has presented an ineffective argument. A weakness in Ethos, Pathos, Logos, or Kairos (based on either a failed Rhetorical Strategy or a complete lack of appeal) would make a rhetorically educated audience not want to (or be required to) agree with the author’s main claim. Additionally, while a paper could present an effective argument, other issues could keep it from receiving a higher grade. If the paper is less than a full page short but greater than half-a-page, or was turned in more than a day late, it cannot receive a grade higher than a C. Lastly, if the paper has multiple examples of the following—is missing a Works Cited page, or has significant formatting or grammatical issues, or does not conform to standard MLA formatting—it cannot receive a grade higher than a C.

D The paper is entirely summary, is greater than a page too short, or includes many-to-all of the issues mentioned in the previous entries: formatting and grammatical issues, missing a Works Cited page, late, and not conforming to MLA format. If the paper was turned in more than two days after the cut-off point, it cannot receive a higher grade than a D.

F The paper is less than half the length required, or was not turned in within four days of the cut-off point. This could also be applied to a paper that has evidence of plagiarism or academic dishonesty in general. This could also be applied to a paper that is unrelated to the actual prompt. 

Physiological Psychology

More-to-Explore Activity 2

Positive and Negative Effects of Stress

Assignment: Ted Talks

How Stress Affects Your Brain and

How to Make Stress Your Friend

QUESTION of Video 1: How Stress Affects Your Brain

“Stress isn’t always a bad thing; it can be handy for a burst of extra energy and focus, like when you’re playing a competitive sport or have to speak in public. But when it’s continuous, it actually begins to change your brain. Madhumita Murgia shows how chronic stress can affect brain size, its structure, and how it functions, right down to the level of your genes.” (Time: 4:01)

QUESTION of Video 2: How to Make Stress Your Friend

• “Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken, and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others.” (Time: 14:17)
• Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to a relevant and interesting topic related to physiological psychology that expands on the content we’re covering in the text.

Knowledge: You will learn about how chronic stress can affect your brain and how thinking about stress as a positive experience can change its effects.

Skills: You will summarize information, practice writing skills, and engage in critical thinking.

Task:

Listen to the two Ted Talks and answer the following questions.

Once you have completed the worksheet, enter the answers in the More-to-Explore Activity 2 Quiz.

After you answer questions 18-22, copy and paste the questions (18-22) and answers to the appropriate discussion board.

Respond to someone else’s post on this topic. See the discussion board for details about the response.

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Watch the video “How Stress Affects Your Brain” (click here to access the video or use the link provided at the bottom of the assignment). Use the information from the video and from your text (regarding the functions of the brain structures) to answer the following questions.

According to the video, what are three ways that chronic stress can affect your brain?  

What is HPA an acronym for?

3. What is the function of the HPA axis?

4.What is the main function of the amygdala?

5.How does chronic stress affect the amygdala?

6. What are the main functions of the hippocampus?

7.How does chronic stress affect the hippocampus? (Note: Not the functions of the hippocampus.)

8. What are the main functions of the prefrontal cortex?

1. 9.How does chronic stress affect the prefrontal cortex?

10. __________ changes affect which genes are expressed without directly changing the genetic code.

1. 11. Epigenetic changes, such as those associated with stress, can be inherited by subsequent generations.

True or False

1. 12. According to the video, what are two ways to reduce stress?

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1. Watch the video “How to Make Stress Your Friend” (click here to access the video or use the link provided at the bottom of the assignment). Use the information from the video to answer the following questions.

13. In the video, Dr. McGonigal describes a study conducted at Harvard University where participants were told to think about their stress and the associated physiological changes, such as increased heart rate and breathing, as helpful and preparing them to meet a challenge, and then they were put through a stress task. How did thinking positively about stress affect participants’ anxiety and confidence?

14. How does stress normally affect blood vessels?

15. How did stress affect the blood vessels of participants in the Harvard study?

16. What neurohormone, which is produced in response to stress, motivates you to seek support?

17. In the last study described in the video, the researchers found that experiencing a major life stressor increased the risk of dying by 30% in general. In the group of participants who reported helping others in their community, how did a major life stressor affect their risk of dying?

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1. After you answer the questions below, copy and paste the questions (18-22) and answers to the appropriate discussion board.
2. You will also need to respond to someone else’s post on this topic. See the discussion board for details about the response.

18. In a few sentences, what would you tell your friends about what you learned from these two videos? (Specifically talk about each video.)

19. What activities do you engage in to reduce stress?

20. Name one or more things that you will commit to doing three times in the next week to reduce your stress.

21. Name one thing that you will commit to doing to help others in the next week?

Link:

How Stress Affects Your Brain:

https://www.ted.com/talks/madhumita_murgia_how_stress_affects_your_brain#t-239259 (4:00)

How to Make Stress Your Friend

https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend/discussion#t-639547

In this session, you have been considering moral-ethical dilemmas you yourself faced or that you know of that you either resolved or failed to resolve, but hopefully learned from. You may never have given much thought to ethical theory nor what ethical premises/paradigms you have unconsciously held.

You will be focusing on this case for this assignment:

Jane Doe is a nursing student at University X. Jane is in week eight of a course entitled: “Introduction to Ethics”.

For the week one discussion, Jane copied work done by her friend John Doe in the same class two months ago (with a different professor). John told Jane it was okay to use his work as John’s professor never checked any work in the class using Turnitin.com. John claimed to have earned an A on the work also.

In week two, Jane went to StudentPapering.com and paid ten dollars for a week two essay done by a student (not John Doe) who took the same course four months ago. StudentPapering promises that all its archived work is of excellent quality and cannot be detected as copied. Jane then uploaded an exact copy of the work for the week two assignment.

In week three, Jane paid a worker at PaperingStudent.com ten dollars to write for Jane a brand new essay after Jane shared with the worker the essay assignment instructions.

In week four, Jane relied on her knowledge of Esperanto. She felt pressed for time and found an article by a professor from Esperanto on the week four topic. She translated Esperanto into English using Moogle Translate, and the translated text served as her week four paper.

In week five, Jane was running late again. Jane purposely uploaded a blank paper hoping that she would later claim it was an innocent mistake and not be assessed a late penalty. In a previous course on History, she had done the same (with an earlier paper from the History class rather than simply a blank) and had not seen any late penalty assessed.

In week six, Jane took work she did in a nursing course from a year ago and submitted that for her discussion posting in her current class. She simply copied and pasted the work she had labored intensively on a year ago (even though University X forbids this practice as ‘self-plagiarism’). Jane was confident her Nursing instructor never checked that work using Turnitin.com or another method.

In week seven, Jane copied work found at ChatGPT for the paper. Jane did not use any quotation marks or other documentation to show the text was from artificial intelligence and not by Jane.

Since Jane’s Ethics professor did not check papers and posting for any issues by using Turnitin.com or another method, the professor graded all of Jane’s work unaware of Jane’s actions throughout the weeks of the class. Jane feels her actions are morally justified both because her economic situation requires her to work too much to devote time to school (although other students are well-off enough to have such time) and her religion forbids cheating, but Jane ignores her religion’s teachings.

Instructions

Now that you have had an opportunity to explore ethics formally, create a reflective assessment of your learning experience and the collaborations you engaged in throughout this session. You will submit both of the following:

A written reflection

An oral presentation using a PowerPoint narrated slide show.

For the written reflection, address Jane Doe’s and respond to the following:

Articulate again your moral theory from week eight discussion (You can revise it if you wish). What two ethical theories best apply to it? Why those two?

Apply to Jane Doe’s case your personal moral philosophy as developed in week eight discussion and now. Use it to determine if what Jane Doe did was ethical or unethical per your own moral philosophy.

Propose a course of social action and a solution by using the ethics of egoism, utilitarianism, the “veil of ignorance” method, deontological principles, and/or a theory of justice to deal with students like  Jane. Consider social values such as those concerning ways of life while appraising the interests of diverse populations (for instance, those of differing religions and economic status).

• For the oral presentation, briefly summarize your feelings about taking a course in Ethics and explore your process of transformation in this course.
• Discuss your experiences of the course, your beginnings, and where you are now. Consider your interaction in discussions.

Should health care workers be required to take a course in Ethics? Why or why not

Requirements

• Writing Requirements
• Length: 2-3 pages (not including title page or references page)
• 1-inch margins

Double spaced

12-point Times New Roman font

• Title page
• References page (minimum of 2 scholarly sources)