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Week 5 - Discussion 1

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Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

To prepare for this discussion, please read Chapter 7 of your textbook. Watch Stress:  Portrait of a Killer, read “Dr. Seuss, the Coping Machine, and “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.’” and complete the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (The American Institute of Stress, n.d.).  Finally, review Instructor Guidance and Announcements.  In this discussion, you will consider psychological explanations and solutions for stress by examining your own stress level and relating strategies to combat stressors in your own life. Be sure to use your own academic voice (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and apply in-text citations (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. appropriately throughout your post.

• Watch Stress: Portrait of a Killer, which discusses the effects of stress and reveals insight for coping. 
• Summarize the information you learned about stress and health, including emotional and motivational factors as presented in the video. 
• Describe how stress impacts physical and mental health.
• Read “Dr. Seuss, the Coping Machine, and “Oh, the Places You’ll Go (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.’”
  • Identify variables that influence the appraisal of a stressor as a challenge or threat.
  • Generate various factors that may influence one’s ability to cope with stress, such as perceived control, optimism, and social support.
• Complete the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (The American Institute of Stress, n.d.). 
• Interpret your score.  What are the implications of this?
  • Apply your knowledge about assessing (appraising) and coping to your own experience with stress.  What are your biggest stressors?  What is the impact of stress on your health?  Are there any factors in your own life that buffer the effects of stress?
  • Examine specific ways in which you might better manage your stress, such as aerobic exercise, relaxation and meditation, spirituality.
  • Explain how cultural and social diversity might influence perception and experience of stress. (Why could one situation increase stress for one person but not for another?).
• Remember to use your own academic voice (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and apply in-text citations (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. appropriately throughout your post.

Post your initial response of 250 words or more by Day 3 (Thursday).  Respond to at least two of your peers by Day 7 (Monday).  You are encouraged to post one or more of your required replies early each week (e.g., by Saturday) to stimulate more meaningful and interactive discourse in the discussion forum.  In addition, strive to provide a response to classmates who replied to your initial post and/or the Instructor (if applicable).  Peer responses may vary in length but should be carefully crafted and insightful.  Below are some suggestions to assist your thinking.

Guided Response:  Reply to at least one peer who chose a hypothesis other than the one you selected and two or more peers overall.  The goal of the discussion forum is to foster continual dialogue, similar to what might occur in a verbal face-to-face exchange.  Consider the following questions in your responses:

• What other ways could your peer manage their stress? 
• How is your stress different than your peer’s? 
• How could buffering effects of social identity (e.g., social or religious) apply to your peer’s stress?

Continue to monitor this discussion board through 5 PM (Mountain Time) on Day 7 of the week. Peer responses may vary in length but should be detailed and thought provoking.  You are expected to respond to any question posed to you by the instructor, and you are encouraged to reply to your classmates’ questions as well.  Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses to your classmates and your instructor.

DQ 2

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

To prepare for this discussion, please read Chapter 10 of your textbook.  Read “Conceptualizing Psychiatric Disorders Using ‘Four D’s’ of Diagnoses (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.” and browse Research-Supported Psychological Treatments (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. You must also utilize the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. 5e (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to inform your thinking.  Finally, review Instructor Guidance and Announcements.  In this discussion, you will consider psychological disorders and therapies.  Be sure to use your own academic voice (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and apply in-text citations (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. appropriately throughout your post.

• Choose a character from a book, television show, or movie who is portrayed as suffering from a psychological disorder.  [Examples: “My Mad Fat Diary”, “The Hunger Games Series”, “Forest Gump”, “Rain Man” (Please do not use these.)]
• Briefly describe the character and his(her) behaviors that lead you to believe they have a disorder.
• Read “Conceptualizing Psychiatric Disorders Using ‘Four D’s’ of Diagnoses (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.”.  Note that many professionals utilize the four “Ds” to determine abnormality: 
  • Deviance:  Are the behaviors/feelings deviant?
  • Dysfunction:  Do the behaviors/feelings interfere with the individual’s ability to function in daily life?
  • Distress:  Does the individual experience distress due to the behaviors/feelings?
  • Danger:  Are the behaviors/feelings harmful to the individual or those around him/her?
  • (Some consider a fifth “D”, Duration.).
• Appraise your character and his/her behaviors/feelings for each of the above “Ds”.  Are variations in his/her behaviors/feelings significant enough to constitute a psychological disorder, in your opinion?
• Review the textbook.  After determining a diagnosis that—in your opinion—fits the character’s behaviors/feelings (which may or may not be indicated in the book, television show, or movie), locate additional information about this disorder in the DSM-5 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..  Briefly describe the disorder that you think fits your character and explain why.
• Review Research-Supported Psychological Treatments (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..  Discuss possible treatment options for this particular disorder.
• Explain how cultural and social diversity might influence perception and experience of this disorder.
• Remember to use your own academic voice (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and apply in-text citations (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. appropriately throughout your post.

Post your initial response of 250 words or more by Day 3 (Thursday).  Respond to at least two of your peers by Day 7 (Monday).  You are encouraged to post one or more of your required replies early each week (e.g., by Saturday) to stimulate more meaningful and interactive discourse in the discussion forum.   In addition, strive to provide a response to classmates who reply to your initial post and/or the Instructor (if applicable).  Peer responses may vary in length but should be carefully crafted and insightful.  Below are some suggestions to assist your thinking.

Guided Response:  Reply to at least one peer who chose a character other than the one you selected and two or more peers overall.  The goal of the discussion forum is to foster continual dialogue, similar to what might occur in a verbal face-to-face exchange. Consider the following in your responses:

• Review your peer’s application.  Consider the 4 “D”s and share your thoughts on whether the behavior illustrates a disorder or not. 
• Point out qualities he or she may have overlooked that support the possible diagnosis of the identified disorder or suggest otherwise.