Preparation
In preparation for this assessment, select a research question that addresses the relationship between learning, cognition, and memory. Take time to use the Capella University Library to familiarize yourself with key topics for this assessment:
- The relationship between learning, cognition, and memory.
- The approaches and goals of researching learning and memory.
Please remember to review the scoring guide as you work through this assessment to ensure that you have completed all required elements.
Choose one of the following scenarios as a guide for your research:
- A dementia patient has difficulty remembering major life events, such as the loss of her spouse. She is also typically not oriented to people, places, time, or situations. She can, however, sing along to some of her favorite oldies songs when she hears them. How can her selective memory be explained?
- You are part of a marketing team for the Walt Disney Company, which now owns 21st Century Fox. The acquisition includes Marvel characters such as the X-Men and Fantastic Four. What are some strategies for developing memorable and persuasive advertisements for some of these newly acquired Marvel characters?
- A parent is having problems with his adolescent child, who is becoming increasingly defiant. When offering advice, you want to incorporate information about how the brain can influence behavior. How would you explain the typical brain functioning of a teenager compared to an adult? Also, share how a teen’s cognitive processes can cause behavioral changes during adolescence.
- You see a news story about a person who vanished from his home and was missing for several years. He was found in a city (far away from his original home) with a lack of memory for the past, including his original name, relationships, former place of residence, and former occupation. He has taken on a completely new identity. Explain what could have caused this rare condition.
- An older adult is considering going to a postsecondary institution to earn an undergraduate degree, because she always wanted to graduate from college. She is concerned that she will have difficulty learning new things because of her age. Are her concerns warranted?
For the purpose of this assessment, you will not be expected to answer the question or solve the problem. You will be exploring different approaches to researching the components of the question in order to address the topic from different angles.
Instructions
For this assessment, complete the following:
- Choose one research question from the list above that you would like to explore related to learning and memory.
- Find three scholarly sources in the Capella University Library, such as peer-reviewed research articles, that are related to the research question you chose. These articles should be no more than five years old. At least one article must describe empirical data collection. (Typically these articles contain headings such as participants, measures, instruments, and results.)
- For all articles, summarize what you learned from each source regarding your research question, and how this knowledge contributes to or changes your understanding of learning and memory.
- For the empirical article, summarize the research methods and measures (when applicable) used in each of the articles you read. Different approaches will measure memory or learning in different ways, based on the conceptual approach.
- Describe the practical impact that the research question or information from the articles you read might have on your personal and professional life. In what ways can this knowledge of learning and memory be applied to your life or work?
- Strive to be as concise as possible. Limit the length of your completed assessment to 2–3 pages, excluding the title page and reference page.
- Support your statements and analyses with references and citations from your scholarly resources.
- Note: You may (but are not required to) use the APA Paper Template, linked in the Resources.
Self-Evaluation
When you have finished your research paper, write a separate, one-page self-evaluation of your work compared to the scoring guide criteria. Use this self-evaluation to:
- Ensure that you have completed all assessment requirements (ideally at the distinguished level).
- Evaluate your performance using the criteria in the scoring guide.
- Indicate the proficiency level you met for each criterion.
- Include the scoring guide (including comments) with your self-evaluation.
- Submit as a separate attachment when you submit your research paper.
Additional Requirements
- Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
- APA formatting: Resources and citations should be formatted according to APA style and formatting.
- Length of paper: 2–3 double-spaced pages, not including title page or references.
- Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.
- References: A minimum of three scholarly resources (no more than five years old) is required.
