Optimism is not a static concept

You will write a group project paper. Possible examples of the projects include: Optimism one project may seek to create awareness that optimism is not a static concept and that people can actually become more optimistic by identifying their cognitive distortions and consciously shifting their thoughts and behaviors. The project group might conduct a survey on campus of how students perceive themselves and their world, looking specifically at factors that may predispose one to an optimistic or pessimistic vantage point. The group will then prepare their results in the required paper and presentation, which will be presented on one of the final class sessions. Nutrition students interested in nutrition and wellbeing might explore the relationship between food choices students make when eating on campus and subjective wellbeing. You can also ask a group of unhealthy eaters to make healthy food choices for 2 – 3 weeks to see if it has an effect on wellbeing. This paper should include the following: Introduction: Why did you decide to change what you (hopefully) changed? What variables facilitated and impeded this change? What mechanisms may explain why? What is your hypothesis? Use research to support your answers. Methods: Describe the procedure(s) you used to address the research question. What techniques did you use? What is the science behind these techniques? How did you measure change? Results: What happened? Even though self-report data may suggest the intervention was effective, you must also provide corroborating evidence from other sources. Objective health indicators (e.g., fewer sick days used), and behavioral measures (noticing more good things on a daily basis; more positive social interactions) are all appropriate. Discussion: Was your hypothesis confirmed or disconfirmed? Are your results consistent with prior research? What have you learned change, and the science of wellbeing? You might talk about strengths, weaknesses, and difficulties in implementing your intervention, or you might explain why some techniques seemed to be more effective than others. What would you do differently if you had the chance to do it again? Why? Papers must be typed and 7 – 10 pages long (excluding title page, abstract, references, table(s), and figure(s)). It should be double-spaced and in 12-point font, 1” margins on all sides, and written following the procedures and guidelines set forth by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Failure to do so will result in a loss of points. Unless there is a seminal article for your topic that you think must be included, please keep references as current as possible (e.g., 2012 – present). Limit your references to scholarly books and articles with an emphasis on the latter. Please cite at least 2 -3 scholarly articles in addition to other relevant reference materials. Although we often use secondary articles in this course, for this paper you should cite the original article that the secondary article is references. One part does not carry more weight than the other. Both should be of exceptional quality, demonstrating a strong work ethic in design, content, and presentation. You must draw on the many readings in class. Also, it is imperative that you read/cite research beyond class reading. Please place an “*” next to any works in your references that were read especially for this project. Failure to do so will result in point reduction.