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PSY 108 Milestone Five Guidelines and Rubric: Draft of Stress Management Action Plan
Submit a rough draft of your completed stress management action plan. Your instructor will give you specific feedback on this draft to prepare you for your final
submission.
Prompt: Use the resources that have been given to you in this course as well as at least two additional reputable resources that you find on your own to write a
cohesive, academic paper outlining your stress management action plan that specifically includes the following critical elements:
I.
Introduction
a) Explain stress and the relevancy of stress within the larger field of psychology and within your own life, using the terminology covered throughout
the course. What is stress? Why is stress an interesting topic of study for psychologists? How does stress play a role in your own life?
b) Summarize two different studies either from the list below or of your own choice around the topic of reducing stress that appropriately use the
scientific method to explore human behavior. What specific elements of human behavior are the studies examining? What is the goal of each study,
and how do they achieve that goal through their research or experiment?
i.
How Stress Influences Disease: Study Reveals Inflammation as the Culprit
ii.
How to Predict Who Will Suffer the Most From Stress
iii.
Stress Changes How People Make Decisions
c) Compare the two studies of stress for their use of psychological principles and their empirical findings. What are the main psychological principles
and concepts included in each study? If the authors discuss similar principles and concepts, note how the definitions or understandings of those
things vary between the articles. How are the big conclusions or takeaways from the studies similar or different?
d) Explain how these studies are relevant to your personal career interests.
II. Personal Stress Experience
a) Describe a minimum of three personal or professional goals and the ideal situation that would support accomplishment of your goals. Your ideal
situation might include things related to your health, living situation, financial situation, or relationship status. For instance, if your goal is to buy a
house, then an ideal situation would be that you continue to work and receive expected raises, allowing you to save money.
b) Summarize your results and your interpretation of the Holmes and Rahe self-assessment. Did your results surprise you? Why or why not?
c) Explain how the results of your self-assessment could potentially impact your ability to reach your personal or career goals.
III. Analysis
a) Relating back to the two studies you summarized in your introduction, consider how the findings relate to your own situation and personal stress
levels. Can you learn anything from the conclusions of either study that you can apply in your own life?
b) Summarize different ways in which you can minimize or manage stress in order to support your personal or career goals. Draw from resources you
reviewed throughout the course.
IV. Action Planning
a) Rewrite the three personal or professional goals you identified in Section II-a as DAPPS goals (dated, achievable, personal, positive, specific). These
three larger goals will inform your sub-goals for stress management.
b) Consider the DAPPS goals you identified in Section IV-a, and identify three sub-goals that address ways you can better cope with stress as you work
towards your larger goals. These three goals become your action steps. Like your three main goals, your sub-goals should be DAPPS.
c) Explain how each supporting action step you identified relates back to psychological concepts and the stressors of your own daily life. How,
specifically, will accomplishing each of these goals help to minimize your stress? What specific benefits do you think you will gain from achieving
your sub-goals?
V. Conclusion
a) Summarize how learning to manage stress can support you in the achievement of your personal or professional goals.
b) Assess how successful you expect your stress management plan to be based on the studies you used for this project.
Guidelines for Submission: The paper should be at least 1,200–1,500 words in length, double-spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman font and one-inch
margins, with citations and references in APA format.
Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center. For more information,
review these instructions.
Critical Elements
Introduction: Relevancy
of Stress
Introduction: Study
Summary
Introduction: Comparing
and Contrasting Studies
Introduction: Application
of Study Findings
Personal Stress
Experience: Goals
Proficient (100%)
Accurately provides definition of
stress and discusses relevance to
psychology and student’s life
Accurately summarizes studies
and provides ample detail
Accurately identifies main
principles and concepts in peer
studies
Discusses significance of studies
to career interests with ample
detail
Thoroughly describes each goal
and the situation with
appropriate detail that would
support goal accomplishment
Needs Improvement (75%)
Provides definition of stress, but
lacks accuracy and relevance to
psychology and student’s life
Summarizes studies, but lacks
accuracy and detail
Identifies principles and concepts,
but lacks accuracy
Not Evident (0%)
Does not provide a definition of
stress
Value
5
Does not summarize studies
5
Does not identify principles
5
Discusses studies, but fails to
provide significance and detail
Does not discuss studies
10
Describes goals, but lacks detail
Does not describe goals
5
Personal Stress
Experience: SelfAssessment Results
Personal Stress
Experience: Effect of
Results
Analysis: Application of
Findings
Analysis: Stress
Reduction
Action Planning: Personal
and Professional Goals
Action Planning: SubGoals/Action Steps
Action Planning:
Psychological Relevancy
Conclusion: Summary
Conclusion: The Goal
Setting Process and the
Scientific Method
Includes detailed summary of
Holmes and Rahe self-assessment
and thoroughly discusses the
results
Explains possible impact of selfassessment results on personal or
career goals and provides
appropriate detail
Discusses significance of studies
to own life situation with ample
detail
Utilizes course resources to
accurately summarize different
ways student can minimize or
manage stress in order to support
personal or career goals
Appropriately identifies, applies,
and rewrites DAPPS goals from
Section II-a
Accurately identifies DAPPS subgoals that address ways student
can better cope with stress as he
or she works towards larger goals
with specific details
Explains how each supporting
action relates back to
psychological concepts and to the
student’s daily life, and provides
specific benefits that will be
gained from achieving sub-goals
Accurately summarizes how
learning to manage stress can
support the achievement of
personal or professional goals and
provides ample detail
Explains in detail the level of
success expected from the stress
management plan
Includes summary of Holmes and
Rahe self-assessment, but lacks
detail
Does not include summary of
Holmes and Rahe self-assessment
5
Explains possible impact of selfassessment results, but lacks
detail
Does not explain possible impact
of self-assessment
10
Discusses studies, but lacks
significance and detail
Does not discuss studies
5
Utilizes course resources, but
summaries lack accuracy
Does not utilize course resources
10
Identifies DAPPS goals from
Section II-a, but does not
demonstrate application or that
the goal was rewritten
Identifies DAPPS sub-goals, but
lacks detail
Does not identify DAPPS goals
5
Does not identify DAPPS sub-goals
5
Explains supporting actions, but
relation to psychological concepts
is inaccurate and fails to provide
benefits
Does not explain supporting
actions
10
Summarizes how learning to
manage stress can support the
achievement of personal or
professional goals, but lacks detail
Does not summarize how learning
can support achievement
5
Explains the level of success
expected from the stress
management plan, but lacks
detail
Does not explain the level of
success expected
5
Articulation of Response
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact readability
and articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
Earned Total
10
100%