This week’s discussion was specially created to help you analyze concepts and knowledge (course learning goal #5) as well as to identify your own personal beliefs and values in the context of cognitive psychology (course learning goal #6).  Please share what you understand about concepts.  What are some ways we organize concepts?  How do concepts contribute to the development of expertise? How is this happening for you as you study psychology in pursuit of a new career adventure? How do concepts contribute to the use of stereotypes?

A study examined lower life satisfaction, active coping, and cardiovascular disease risk factors (diastolic and systolic blood pressure, body mass index, and circumferences) in older African Americans over the phases of an 18-month church-based intervention, using a quasi-experimental design. Participants (n = 89) were 45 years of age and older from six churches (three treatments, three comparisons) in North Florida. Lower life satisfaction had a persistent unfavorable effect on weight variables. Active coping showed a direct beneficial effect on selected weight variables.

However, active coping was adversely associated with blood pressure and did not moderate the association between lower life satisfaction and cardiovascular risk factors. The intervention had a beneficial moderating influence on the association between lower life satisfaction and weight variables and on the association between active coping and these variables. Yet, this pattern did not hold for the association between active coping and blood pressure. The relationship of lower life satisfaction and selected cardiovascular risk factors and the positive effect of active coping were established, but findings regarding blood pressure suggest further study is needed.

Suggest TWO research questions related to this topic and population.

1. Then, generate ONE hypothesis statement (based on one of your research questions. Your hypothesis statement should start with “If……., then…….”

The tension between psychology and Christianity has been reframed to be a calling rather than a problem. And, you’ve read about all believers’ calls to witness and mission. Contemplate what that means for you personally and what it looks like in the generational gap between Military Network Generation (NetGen) and the older generation. And share thoughts on the following questions in this discussion.

How does viewing your research as a calling to share the Gospel change how you view the tension between the science of psychology and Christianity?

How does the Gospel message of the restoration of humankind matter to your research area?

As you read Creation Regained by Wolters (2005), you likely saw the relevance of viewing human phenomena through the lens of the Grand Narrative. Discuss your view of the relationship between psychological science and a biblical worldview. Using the examples you’ve seen in Johnson’s (2010) text, discuss the viewpoint of this relationship and how it will
affect how you research the generational gap.  Include the following:

An explicit name and definition of your viewpoint.

Discuss the critical elements of your viewpoint with a discussion of how your view is similar to and different from the five views studied this term.

Discuss how the Grand Narrative, referencing information from Wolters’ text, plays a role in your viewpoint.