Essay 1 Questions
Compose an essay in APA format using a title page, in-text citations, and a reference page.  Answers to each of the 4 questions must be a minimum of 500 words. Answer the questions using the concepts from the lessons and reading assignments. You may use any scholarly books or materials, but you must do the work alone. For this assignment, you may use first person. There is no need to retype the questions in your essay, but you should continually refer back to each to ensure that you stay on topic. Please include at least one citation per each of the 4 essay questions. Do not use any direct quotes. Websites are not appropriate academic references and should not be used in academic writing. 
For Essay 1, please write your response in essay format followed by a chart labeling the key elements. Review the Essay1 Grading Rubric below the questions to see how your essay will be graded.
1. In this question you will make up an experiment using classical conditioning. Please create an example using the following scenario. 
1. Explain how you would evoke a startle response (reflex) using classical conditioning in an unsuspecting friend using an abnormal signal (produces the reflex). Describe your friends reflex response and a signal that will produce that reflex response; then choose another signal for the reflex and predict the outcome of using that signal. Clearly label the Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS), Unconditioned Response (UCR), Conditioned Stimulus (CS), and Conditioned Response (CR). Include a description of the setting and process for this hypothetical situation. Please write in essay format followed by a chart labeling the key elements.
Below is an abbreviated example.
For example, every time your roommate opens the refrigerator door you make an alarm goes off on your phone and the roommate jumps. After this happens several times, the roommate will jump when they open the refrigerator door even without the alarm going off.
  
Signal (NS)

Opening the refrigerator
 
UCS

Sound of an alarm
 
UCR

Jumps
 
CS

Opening the refrigerator
 
CR

Jumps
2. Describe how you would use operant conditioning, with a program of shaping, to get a messy roommate to make his/her bed neatly. Include and label in bold font the antecedent stimulus, response, and reinforcement of the changing program standards, and a method of self-regulation for the roommate. Please write in essay format followed by a chart labeling the key elements.
3. In a hypothetical psychology internship, you have encountered a child with destructive tendencies. She bites herself, her dog, and your bag of supplies. Being afraid for her safety and your own well-being, you institute a plan to change her behavior. Suggest a punishment, with her possible reactions to that punishment. Then, try substituting an alternative behavior by reinforcing an incompatible response. Label in bold font the antecedent stimulus for the biting response, Punishment I or II, escape or avoidance, and the reinforcement for the new named response. What do you consider to be the best theory or method for improving this childs behavior? Please write in essay format followed by a chart labeling the key elements.
4. Give an example of a situation where you can model more effective behavior for someone whom you could positively influence. Describe in detail: yourself (the model), the observer, the behavior, and the reinforcement using at least 5 principles of Social Learning Theory. Please write in essay format followed by a chart labeling the key elements.
Essay 2 Questions
Compose an essay in APA format using a title page, in-text citations, and a reference page.  Answers to each of the 4 questions must be a minimum of 500 words with key terms in bold font. Answer the questions using the concepts from the lessons and reading assignments. You may use any scholarly books or materials, but you must do the work alone. For this assignment you may use first person.  There is no need to retype the questions in your essay, but you should continually refer back to each to ensure that you stay on topic. Please include at least one citation per each of the 4 essay questions. Do not use any direct quotes. Websites are not appropriate academic references and should not be used in academic writing.
Review the Essay 2 Grading Rubric below to see how your essay will be graded.
1. Think of a class outside of your major. Using the Gestalt principle, The whole is greater than the sum of the parts, describe your preconceived perception of the class, 3 details that you now know are different from that initial perception, and your continuing perception in spite of the details.
2. In church and in other settings, announcements are made that affect you. Describe 4 techniques covered in the textbook which the speaker could use to keep your attention. Use bold font to label the names of the techniques.
3. You have gone through stages of Piagets cognitive development, in your professional beliefs and in your theological beliefs. Name and trace the development of any 1 of your beliefs through all 4 stages. Give at least 1 specific characteristic for each stage and use terms from Piagets theory. Though you may not remember your cognitive development at every stage, trace what must have happened to you in each stage to allow your current functioning. In relation to this belief, what is the best stage for you to be in now, and why? Use bold font to label the name of the each stage.
4. Think of classes in your major. Explain 3 concepts from Vygotskys theory and provide examples of how they could help to boost your zone of proximal development (ZPD) for learning in those classes. Use bold font to label the name of each concept.