In our readings for this module, we were exposed to the intersection of race (ascribed status) and poverty. We learned that poor health is directly linked to both minority status and lower social class. Minorities and the poor are more likely to face discrimination and other negative social influences as well.
Furthermore, our life choices are all affected by some ascribed conditions, but we rarely stop to understand how. For this assignment, you will write an article on the role of race and gender in determining social status. Your article will include interviews of two people.
Using the module readings, Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet, research the role of race in general with regard to social status in American society. Then, write an essay including the following:

• Provide an overview of the role of race and gender in determining social status in American society.
• Explain the difference between individual discrimination, institutionalized discrimination, and reverse discrimination.
• Interview the two people you identified in Working Ahead for M2A2—Identify Two People. Do they differ in their race, gender, and class? Focus on the following in your interviews:
  • Using a sociological perspective, that is thinking critically, determine how the two people you interviewed have been affected by their ascribed traits. In other words, be objective and ask questions about race, class, gender, and age.
  • Ask probing questions about each person’s educational opportunities and career choices.
  • Inquire about their inherited social status, and how their own personal social status differs (or not) from their parents’ social status.
  • Ask if they see themselves as having experienced any form of discrimination.
  • Ask what they see as solutions to discrimination and social disparities based on race, gender, or discrimination.
  • Compare each person’s responses to your own observations; do you observe anything that he or she does not?
  • What differences do you observe between the ascribed traits versus achieved (or earned) traits?
• Summarize your findings by explaining whether race, gender, and any form of discrimination have played a role in the social status of your interviewees.
• Include in your summary ideas for reducing any form of discrimination in determining someone’s social status.

Write a 2–3-page paper in Word format. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M2_A2.doc. For example, if your name is John Smith, your document will be named SmithJ_M2_A2.doc.

Discussion QuestionsYour facilitator will guide you in the selection of one of the three discussion questions. Submit your response to the question to the appropriate
Discussion Area by the due date assigned. Through the end of the module comment on the responses of others.In this module, you will be attempting one discussion question worth 24 points.  All written assignments and responses should follow APA rules for attributing sources.
Eating DisorderUse one outside research article and your course textbook to describe the impact of eating disorders on sports. Include at least one theory regarding the origin of eating disorders and at least one theory regarding possible treatment. Provide your response in three to four well-crafted paragraphs with proper grammar and spelling.
Note: You should be using peer-reviewed journal articles and not popular magazines, blogs, or nonprofessional Web sites.
Evaluation Criteria for Discussion Question Response:
Analyzed and described the impact of eating disorders on sports. [8 points]
Provided at least one theory regarding the origin of eating disorders and at least one theory regarding possible treatment. [4 points]
Used proper peer-reviewed journal articles. [4 points]
Substance AbuseUse one outside research article and your course textbook and discuss at least three reasons why drug intake rates are high during early adult life. Provide your response in three to four well-crafted paragraphs with proper grammar and spelling.Note:
You should be using peer reviewed journal articles and not popular magazines, blogs, or nonprofessional Web sites. Scholarship should be at the graduate level.
Evaluation Criteria for Discussion Question Response:
Identified and explained three reasons why drug intake rates are high in early adult life. [12 points]
Used proper peer-reviewed journal articles. [4 points]
Performance Enhancing DrugsUse one outside research article that focuses on athletes’ intake of performance enhancing drugs (such as steroids or blood doping) or recreational drugs (such as alcohol or marijuana). Using the information provided in the article and your course textbook, discuss at least three reasons for the intake of performance enhancing drugs. Provide your response in three to four well-crafted paragraphs with proper grammar and spelling.Note: You should be using peer-reviewed journal articles and not popular magazines, blogs, or nonprofessional Web sites. Scholarship should be at the graduate level.
Evaluation Criteria for Discussion Question Response:
Identified and explained three reasons for the intake of performance enhancing drugs. [12 points]
Used proper peer-reviewed journal articles. [4 points]
Assignment 1 Grading CriteriaMaximum PointsDiscussion Question Response:Please see specific evaluation criteria listed below each discussion question.16Discussion Participation:Participated in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with rationale, challenging a point of discussion, or making a relationship between one or more points of the discussion.4While responding, justified ideas and responses by using appropriate examples and references from texts, Web sites, and other references or personal experience.4Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources, displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation
.4Total:28

Your writing should illustrate knowledge of the concepts through an original personal and/or professional integration of the assigned text material.
All assignments MUST be typed, double-spaced, 1” margins and in APA format. It must be written and proof read at the graduate level. Each answer should be numbered and be 1-2 pages long. This tells you about how much content to include and is not meant as a word count. You must integrate the material presented in the text and cite your work according to APA format.  1. “Practice makes perfect.” Most coaches pound this into their athlete’s heads.
In some sports, perfection can be achieved: bowling, perfection can be achieved by scoring 300. In other sports, perfection cannot be achieved: running, you can always get a little faster. In the sports that perfection can be achieved, how can you coach self motivation? Is it easier to coach self motivation in sports that can never be maximized to perfection?
Discuss self motivation strategies. Use personal examples to show application. 2. Coaches can always teach skill, but find teaching heart a little more complicated. Discuss different methods and techniques to teach passion. Include how passion can make or break an athlete.
Use personal examples to support your ideas. 3. In recent years, the term “Comfort food” has become a common house hold term. This eludes that food can alter moods. Can you use this theory to alter the moods of your athletes? Discuss how food interacts with the athlete.
Include discussion on anorexia, bulimia and obesity. 4. An injury is very hard to recover mentally from. Discuss the theory of goal setting and how it plays importance to mentally recover from a physical injury. Include ideas on how to use it as a motivational strategy during rehabilitation.
References:
Roberts, G. & Treasure, D.   (2012).   Advances in motivation in sport and exercise.   (3rd).   Champaign, IL   Human Kinetics.     978-0736090810

  Week 6 – Research Proposal

Research Proposal

The written research proposal will be created based on a narrowly defined aspect of the topic selected in Week One. A research proposal is a detailed plan for a specific study to be conducted at a future time. It is the document which potential researchers typically submit to an institutional review board (IRB) for ethical review and approval, and/or to funding agencies to secure financial support for a research effort. Because it is a plan for research which has not yet been conducted, the Methods section should be written in the future tense and should not contain any hypothetical results. The paper must address all of the components required in the Methods section of a research proposal. The following actions must be completed.

• State the research question and/or hypothesis.
• Briefly compare the characteristics of the major research paradigms used in previous studies on the chosen topic. Introduce the specific approach (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods), research design, sampling strategy, data collection procedures, and data analysis techniques to be used in this study. Provide a short explanation as to why the selected procedures are more feasible than other alternatives for the research topic.
• Describe any relevant variables, measures, and statistical tests.
• Apply ethical principles and professional standards to the proposed psychological research. Provide an analysis of any ethical issues that may arise and explain how these issues will be resolved.

The following headings for the required sections and subsections must appear in the paper. In accordance with APA style, all references listed must be cited in the text of the paper.

• Introduction
  • Introduce the research topic, explain why it is important, and present an appropriately and narrowly defined research question and/or hypothesis.
• Literature Review
  • Evaluate the published research on the chosen topic including a minimum of three peer-reviewed articles. Summarize the current state of knowledge on the topic, making reference to the findings of previous research studies. Briefly mention the research methods that have previously been used to study the topic. State whether the proposed study is a replication of a previous study or a new approach employing methods that have not been used before. Be sure to properly cite all sources in APA style.
• Methods
  • Design – Create a feasible research design that incorporates appropriate methods to address the topic. Indicate whether the approach of the proposed study is qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. Identify the specific research design, and indicate whether it is experimental or non-experimental. Evaluate the chosen design and explain why this design is feasible and appropriate for the topic and how it will provide the information needed to answer the research question. Cite sources on research methodology to support these choices. Include a minimum of two peer-reviewed sources.
  • Participants – Identify and describe the sampling strategy to be used to recruit participants for the study. Estimate the number of participants needed, and explain why this sampling method is appropriate for the research design and approach.
  • Procedure/Measures – Apply the scientific method by describing the steps to be taken in carrying out the study. Identify any test, questionnaire, or measurement instrument to be utilized. If an existing published instrument will be employed, briefly describe it and cite the source. If an original questionnaire, survey, or test will be created for the project, describe the types of information that will be collected with it and explain how the validity and reliability of the instrument will be established. If such an instrument will not be used, describe how the data will be collected for the study.
  • Data Analysis – Describe the statistical techniques (if quantitative) or the analysis procedure (if qualitative) to be used to analyze the data. Cite at least one peer-reviewed source on the chosen analysis technique.
  • Ethical Issues – Analyze the impact of ethical concerns on the proposed study, such as confidentiality, deception, informed consent, potential harm to participants, conflict of interest, IRB approval, etc. After analyzing the ethical issues that apply to the project, indicate what will be done to handle these concerns.
• Conclusion
  • Briefly summarize the major points of the paper and reiterate why the proposed study is needed.

Attention Students: The Masters of Arts in Psychology program is utilizing the Pathbrite portfolio tool as a repository for student scholarly work in the form of signature assignments completed within the program. After receiving feedback for this Research Proposal, please implement any changes recommended by the instructor, go to Pathbrite, (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and upload the revised Research Proposal to the portfolio. Use the Pathbrite Quick-Start Guide to create an account if you do not already have one. The upload of signature assignments will take place after completing each course. Be certain to upload revised signature assignments throughout the program as the portfolio and its contents will be used in other courses and may be used by individual students as a professional resource tool. See the Pathbrite (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. website for information and further instructions on using this portfolio tool.
The Research Proposal

• Must be five to seven double-spaced pages (excluding title page and references page) in length and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
• Must include a title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought and provide a thorough explanation of all required issues.
• Must utilize a minimum of six peer-reviewed sources from the Ashford University Library.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.