Prompt A

I. Introduction: To begin the assessment, you will identify your selected subfield and explain its relation to the larger field of psychology. You will also provide a thesis statement to inform the reader of the purpose of the investigation.

A. Select a subfield of psychology that you are interested in further investigating, explaining how the subfield relates to the larger field of psychology. Support your explanation with scholarly sources.

B. Construct a clear, well-developed thesis statement that explains the purpose of the investigation.

C. Provide a brief outline of the upcoming topics that will be covered in your investigation to set the stage for the reader.

II. Subfield Analysis: In this section, you will analyze the origins of your selected subfield as well as its relation to the field of psychology, exploring the roles of both research and application.

A. What are the origins of your selected subfield, and what historical developments or research studies have played a role in the development of this subfield? Be sure to support your response with scholarly sources.

B. Explain how other subfields relate to your selected subfield, supporting your explanation with concrete examples and scholarly sources. What role does this subfield play in the field of psychology? For example, if you chose developmental psychology as a subfield, you might discuss social development.

C. How is your selected subfield used today in both research and application? Provide concrete examples and support your explanation with scholarly sources. For example, you might provide examples of contemporary research studies that have been conducted within this subfield and explain how the studies relate to and further the subfield.

III. Psychological Research: In this section, you will illustrate the importance of the scientific method in psychology and your selected subfield, applying the scientific method to a research area of interest. Conclude with an analysis of credible and applicable sources for psychological inquiry.

A. Explain why the scientific method is important in psychology, supporting your explanation with scholarly sources. How does the scientific method fit into the context of psychology research? For example, consider how the scientific method facilitates valid and reliable research.

B. Pose a psychological research question to address an area from the research you explored in your subfield investigation. Substantiate the appropriateness of your research question with evidence.

C. Outline how psychologists might use the scientific method to investigate your research question, providing specific, concrete examples and supporting with scholarly sources.

D. After conducting your research, summarize what the sources reveal about your research question. What did you learn from your research?

E. What criteria did you use to determine your sources’ credibility? Justify your explanation with specific examples and scholarly sources.

F. What criteria did you use to determine your sources’ applicability to the research question? Justify your explanation with specific examples and

. scholarly sources.

IV. Conclusion: In this section, you will tie together all of the main points in your investigation and end with a potential future direction for this research question.

A. Succinctly restate your thesis, summarize supporting evidence, and tie together all the main pieces of your investigation.

B. What potential future direction of research do you see from pursuing your research question? For example, if your research question is “What is

the relationship between exam performance and arousal?” a future direction of research could be to investigate if there are arousal differences in students taking online exams versus face-to-face exams.

V. Polish: Proofreading and editing are the final part of the writing process. Ensure that your final product is clear, concise, and well-organized, adheres to APA standards, incorporates instructor feedback, and addresses all required elements of the assignment.

VI. References: Ensure that in-text citations and references are appropriately aligned with APA guidelines and fully encompass every source cited. Milestones.