Assignment 2: Resilience and the Individual
Introduction
Now that you have completed the activities and discussion for Module 2, you are ready to complete Assignment 2 and submit it to your Open Learning Faculty Member for evaluation. Students need to take at least 70% to pass this assignment The assignment consists of four short-answer questions and a short essay.
This assignment is out of 100 marks and is worth 15% of your final course grade.
Instructions
The assignment has two parts:
- Part A: Short-Answer Questions (20 marks)
- Part B: Essay (80 marks)
Details of each section follow.
Part A: Short-Answer Questions (20 marks)
Answer any four of the following six questions that relate to the Module 2 readings using full sentences and short paragraphs, as appropriate. Each question is worth five (5) marks. Your responses should be clear and succinct, with a maximum length of 125 words for each answer. Unless you are using material/articles from outside the course, you do not need to provide a references list for your Part A. In fairness to all students, word counts are strictly enforced in this course.
- In The Contribution of Emotionality and Self-Regulation to the Understanding of Children’s Response to Multiple Risk, Lengua (2002) suggests ideas for future research. Building on Lengua’s findings, can you think of two other ideas for research relating to emotionality or multiple risk in children?
- According to Tiet et al. (2001), why might a higher IQ be beneficial in coping with adverse life events? Can you think of one more reason? Explain your reasoning.
- Why do Tiet et al. conclude that IQ is a more generalizable protective factor than gender?
- The results of the study by Qouta, El-Sarrah, and Punamäki (2001) found that mental flexibility increased resilience under what circumstance, but not under what other circumstance? Can you suggest a possible explanation for this finding?
- One study of adolescents found that more adolescents with bulimia nervosa recovered after receiving a family-based treatment than those receiving supportive psychotherapy. Why do you think family-based treatment was a protective factor for these individuals?
- According to Wong (2003), what two changes in emotional factors may help learning-disabled children make and keep friends? Why was this proposed as an important area for longitudinal research?
Part B: Essay (80 marks)Write an essay on one of the following two options. Be sure that you are presenting the concepts in your own words and that you include current information (published in the year 2000 onward). Please indicate which option you have chosen to answer.
Your essay must not exceed 500 words in length. In fairness to all students, word counts are strictly enforced in this course.
Option 1: Shortage of Resilience Research on Indigenous Peoples in Canada
There exists very little research on individual resilience factors for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
- What central factors have put this cultural group at increased risk for poor adjustment?
- Why is it important to study individual resilience factors in this group (i.e., what adverse outcomes do they face)?
- Can you think of challenges to conducting research with participants from these cultural groups?
Make sure to support your main ideas with published sources. Refer to Module 1, Topic 3, Activity 6 for help finding peer-reviewed journal articles in TRU Library’s online full-text databases.
Option 2: Research on Intervention Programs Promoting Individual Resilience Factors
Find two peer-reviewed journal articles that discuss the results of intervention programs aimed at increasing individual protective factors for at-risk groups. The at-risk groups do not have to be the same for both articles you choose. Refer to Module 1, Topic 3, Activity 6 for help finding peer-reviewed journal articles in TRU Library’s online full-text databases.
For each article:
- Identify the risk factor (at-risk group).
- Identify the adverse outcome(s).
- Describe the study methodology (e.g., number of participants, type of study, how they ran their intervention, how central variables were measured).
- Identify the individual resilience factor(s) targeted by the intervention.
- Discuss whether the program was successful based on outcome measures.