PSY 560 Milestone Three Guidelines and Rubric

Overview: This assignment is the third milestone of the final project theoretical analysis. In previous milestones, you drafted other sections of the final project. Be sure to consider and implement any feedback from those milestones as you draft this section of your paper. This assignment will be your first draft of Section II, Parts B and C of the final project. Submit Milestone Three for grading and feedback from the instructor. Use the feedback you receive on this draft to improve your final submission. Prompt: For this assignment, you will write a draft of Section II, Parts B and C of the final project. In this assignment, you will continue your analysis of your selected theory. You will be tasked with defending the theory’s position in a number of ways, including defending it against alternative theoretical positions and showing its value for real-world problems.

B. Alternative Theoretical Positions: For this section, you will select two or more alternative theories in personality psychology and address the following. (Be sure to review Part Two of your research table to support this section.)

i. Compare the theory to alternative theoretical positions that are currently used by researchers in personality psychology. For instance, how do their key concepts compare?

ii. Assess the extent to which these alternative positions challenge the validity, weaknesses, or biases of your chosen theory. Be sure to cite specific examples from published research in your response.

iii. Defend the contemporary use of the theory against the challenges you identified. Be sure to support your defense with relevant research. C. Application

i. Apply your selected theory in explaining a real-world problem (e.g., PTSD) or phenomenon (e.g., social media use). How would your theorist understand this problem or phenomenon in terms of its root cause and key characteristics? Be sure to cite relevant research in your response.

ii. Assess published secondary research for solutions with the potential to address this problem or phenomenon. Does the contemporary use of your theory provide viable approaches to this problem? What are they?

iii. Explain how this application relates to the theory’s larger contemporary relevance. In other words, how does this application demonstrate your theory’s potential to advance knowledge in personality psychology?

Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your paper should be submitted as a 4- to 5-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and a reference page with at least three sources cited in APA format. Note that the grading rubric for this milestone submission is not identical to that of the final project. The Final Project Rubric will include an additional “Exemplary” category that provides guidance as to how you can go above and beyond “Proficient” in your final submission.

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (80%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Evaluation: Alternative Theoretical

Positions

Compares the theory to alternative theoretical positions currently used by researchers in personality psychology

Compares the theory to alternative theoretical positions currently used by researchers in personality psychology, but comparison is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not compare the theory to alternative theoretical positions

15

Evaluation: Challenge

Assesses, using specific examples from published research, the extent to which alternative positions challenge the validity, weaknesses, or biases of theory

Assesses the extent to which alternative positions challenge the validity, weaknesses, or biases of the chosen theory, but assessment is illogical, lacks support, or contains inaccuracies

Does not assess the extent to which alternative positions challenge the theory

15

Evaluation: Defend Against the Challenges

Defends the contemporary use of the theory against the specific challenges identified, supporting with relevant research

Defends the contemporary use of the theory against the specific challenges identified but does not support claims with relevant research, or defense is cursory or illogical

Does not defend the contemporary use of the theory against the challenges identified

15

Evaluation: Apply Applies selected theory in explaining a real- world problem or phenomenon, citing relevant research

Applies selected theory in explaining a real- world problem or phenomenon, but does not cite relevant research or response is illogical or contains inaccuracies

Does not apply selected theory in explaining a real-world problem or phenomenon

20

Evaluation: Solutions

Assesses published secondary research for solutions with the potential to address the chosen problem or phenomenon

Assesses published secondary research for solutions to address the chosen problem or phenomenon, but assessment is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not assess published secondary research for solutions to address the chosen problem or phenomenon

15

Evaluation: Contemporary

Relevance

Explains how this application relates to the theory’s larger contemporary relevance

Explains how this application relates to the theory’s larger contemporary relevance, but explanation is cursory or illogical or contains inaccuracies

Does not explain how this application relates to the theory’s larger contemporary relevance

15

Articulation of Response

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

5

Total 100%