PSYC 382 Diverse Family Systems

The tools and language of the Scholar include: 

• Know where to search. 
  Which research database will be the most appropriate source for research in Psychology?
• Learn the terms used by scholars in Psychology 
  Move beyond keywords.  When you search in PsycInfo, try using the PsycInfo Thesaurus to locate appropriate scholarly terms. 
• Search Strategy
  Construct your research question using  Boolean Logic.  
• Speak APA Style
  APA is a language. APA style is a form of communication. Scholar communicate their findings by using the APA style. 

PSY 382: Diverse Family Systems

Class Presentation Rubric

This rubric is meant to serve as a guide, not an absolute and inflexible structure for your presentation. Just be sure that if something is mentioned in the rubric, you have considered it for your presentation. Please talk to me if you have any questions, including using the PsycINFO database through the library for finding empirical journal articles. Best wishes and have fun with your project! J

Class Presentation (125 points)

• A clear outline of talk is given. Family system is clearly defined (specifically delineating how broadly or narrowly the family system will be considered). Topic presented clearly contributes “something new” to the field. (Family system selected is not already covered in the course syllabus, or is clearly distinguished and goes beyond what is discussed in the course.) (15 points)
• Three empirical research articles are briefly discussed to give background on the family system. Study purpose, method, results, and conclusions are briefly mentioned for each study. Strengths and limitations are noted for each study. (Empirical research articles should be found using the PsycINFO database on the UM library website, should be peer-reviewed, not older than 10 years, are not dissertations, literature reviews, or meta-analyses. Additional resources beyond these 3 core empirical articles for your course project may be from other sources, such as dissertations, meta-analyses, literature reviews, research older than 10 years, books, news sources, etc.)  (20 points)
• What particular dynamics or issues are unique or interesting for this family system? Are there factors that are important to consider in promoting psychological well-being for children, parents, and overall family functioning? (or, alternatively, are there unique risk factors?) (15 points)
• The importance of the topic to informing current (or past) controversies or social issues is discussed. Are current or historical cultural contexts relevant and important to consider? (and, why?) Specific examples are given. The relevance of research on the topic to influencing public policy, law, and/or practice is discussed. What social implications does research on this family system have? Specific examples of how research has influenced (or could influence) public debates, media, policy, law, and/or practice are included. (15 points)
• Gaps in the existing literature are addressed (e.g., What is “missing” from the existing literature on the family system?) Strengths and limitations of the existing body of research on the topic are discussed in detail. Questions and details for future research and the importance of this research (e.g., to the field, to impacting public policy and law, to influencing practice and clinical work with families, to informing social and cultural norms, and to benefit individual families) are discussed. What studies are most critical to conduct and why? (30 points)
• Presentation is well-organized, has a clear design, and is well-presented. The talk provides sufficient detail and is clearly presented. A high level of creativity and critical thinking is apparent. Citations are included where appropriate and/or references are included at the end of the presentation, all in correct APA style. (15 points)
• Two questions are posed in response to two other students’ presentations. (15 points)