Advisory report: Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Lowering Voting Age and Increasing Voter Participation) Bill 2018
Eichhorn, J., & Bergh, J. (2021) Lowering the Voting Age to 16 in Practice: Processes and Outcomes Compared. Parliamentary Affairs, 74(3): 507-521.

Minimum requirements:

1200-1500 words, not counting references (10% variation permitted).
Minimum of 8 references (see below for more for guidance on appropriate sources).
Chicago referencing only, with page numbers included with all sources (and not just direct quotations).
1.5 spacing minimum
Keep the use of subheadings to a minimum (no more than 4 in the analysis section, preferably 3).

Elements of the Policy Brief (template)
Below is an overview of some of the matters that you should cover when developing your Policy Brief.
1. Purpose ( Introduction): High level overview that sets out the purpose of the brief. It should include a brief description of the issue, and a clear statement of why this issue/reform matters. The introduction should be between three to five sentences (one paragraph).

2. Analysis (substantive section of the report)
Background to the issue (contextualises the issue by explaining the particular policy proposal, what problem the reform seeks to address, and its use elsewhere (whether in Australia or overseas, if relevant)
Critique of the reform proposal (Illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal, with reference to the evidence of its implementation in other jurisdictions (other states, for example) or countries.
3. Recommendation/s: Justify, using evidence, whether the proposal should be implemented, modified or rejected Provide a recommendation. This might be support for the proposal, rejection of the proposal in favour of the status quo or a modification of the proposal.

4. Summary: Like the purpose section, the summary this should be fairly short but provide the reader with a succinct summary of what the topic examined and what has been recommended and why.

5. References:
A minimum of eight (8) substantive sources. Substantive sources are generally defined as those sources which have been through some kind of review or vetting process and its authorship is authoritative (written by an expert in the field).
Academic texts (articles and books) [a minimum of 5 of the eight minimum sources]
Newspaper articles permitted
Government and NGO reports permitted
Wikipedia, unit lecture material, dictionaries and Generative AI are not permitted information sources but may be use for background purposes.
Use Chicago referencing. Must include page numbers with all in-text references, and not just direct quotations. When might you be permitted to not include in-text references? When referring to the report/study overall argument. Otherwise, all information sourced must include the page numbers from where it was taken.

For each Case Study Assignment, you will read the assigned case study and analyze the case scenario/research through a series of questions. The overall structure of each case is similar in that each case begins with an abstract followed by a description of the scenario/research and concludes with a discussion about the situation. The discussion is simply a series of unique questions about the case scenario that you will answer as your Case Study Assignment. 

No abstract is required for the Case Study Assignment nor are an introduction or conclusion; simply type the questions as an APA style heading and respond. Ensure the following are met:

• Must be supported with at least 4 scholarly (peer reviewed) research articles in your response.
• Must be at least 900 words (the word count does not include the question text, cover page, or reference page)
• Use proper grammar, current APA format and submit in MS Word format

The specific questions for the Case Study Assignment can be found at the bottom of the reading.

From the A GEM of A Study case, answer the following questions:

1. What are the independent and dependent variables in this study?
2. What are some of the intervening, extraneous, and moderating variables that the study attempted to control with its 10-nation design?
3. Can you do a causal study without controlling intervening, extraneous, and moderating variables?
4. What is the impact on study results of using national experts (key informants) to identify and weigh entrepreneurial framework conditions?
5. Can you do a causal study when much of the primary data collected is descriptive opinion and ordinal or interval data?

The final assignment for this class will be a 10-page critical review of the drug treatment for a neuropsychological disorder.  The review will use peer-reviewed and/or scholarly sources to provide an evidence base for the evaluation of current drug treatment modalities for the disorder.  The disorder is the same disorder you selected in week 1 and for which you discussed its neurobiology in the Week 1 assignment (topic selection) and its drug management in the Week 2 assignment (drug treatment). Please remember – you will be analyzing the same disorder to complete the Week 6 assignment (comprehensive Critical Review of the same disorder and its management).

Reminder – your completed Week 1 and Week 2 assignments will be used as a foundation to help you complete your Week 6 assignment (Critical Review) on the same disorder. Thus, your work in Week 1 and in Week 2 will be used to support your work in Week 6. Utilize the previous references you researched in Week 1 and Week 2, and add any additional peer-reviewed/scholarly references that would support your comprehensive review. These sources should provide evidence-based information to help support your comprehensive analysis, focusing on the aspects described below. Be sure to cite your sources in your paper and include them on your References page. You may utilize required or recommended course materials in your work, but these will not count towards the reference requirements; however, you may cite and reference the American Psychiatric Association’s (2013) DSM-5 as one of your sources used for the grading credit.

The paper will be evaluated on the inclusion of the following information.

Introduction:  

Evaluate the disorder in terms of symptomatic and behavioral presentation. Include the time, course, and progression of the disorder. Evaluate and explain special features of the disease epidemiology including risk factors for development of the disorder, lifespan and reproductive factors increasing risk of developing the disorder, and any genetic, environmental, or behavioral factors that increase risk.

Theory:

Evaluate the predominant theory or theories regarding the biological basis of the disorder. Explain the disorder in terms of pertinent neurotransmitter and receptor theories and use your references to provide an evidence base for these theories. Analyze neurotransmitter system(s) involved in the pathology of the disorder, including a description of: 1) the involved neurotransmitter(s) and receptor(s), 2) regions of the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nervous system) involved with any pathological anatomical changes, and 3) abnormalities of neural circuits and pathways. Include an explanation of how receptor agonists or antagonists would theoretically treat the disorder to reverse the pathology and restore normal function, or why they would be expected to improve symptoms.

Treatment:  

Evaluate drug therapies for treating the disorder based on the current understanding of the biological basis of the disorder. Include a description of the behavioral symptoms and physical signs of the disorder, and identify the drug class(es) used in pharmacological therapy with a discussion of the mechanism of action of the drug class(es). Explain why the pharmacodynamics of the drug class(es) would affect the pathology of the disorder to restore function and/or improve symptoms. Include a discussion of the drug pharmacokinetics for each drug class. Provide examples of available marketed drugs within each class. Describe any drug side effects and/or adverse effects of the drug treatment and their biological basis, including issues related to contraindications, interactions, drug metabolism, and elimination. In addition, explain risks, benefits, and ethical implications for high-risk and exceptional treatment conditions.

Conclusion:  

Summarize theories of neuropsychological disorders as they relate to principles of drug action for that selected disorder. Provide a synopsis of the evidence base that supports or disproves current theories regarding the pathology of the disorder, advantages and disadvantages of current drug treatment(s). Lastly, evaluate any controversies regarding ethical and/or risk-benefit perspectives associated with the current treatment(s). Describe possible areas for future research.

Attention Students: The Masters of Arts in Psychology program is utilizing the Folio portfolio tool as a repository for student scholarly work in the form of signature assignments completed within the program. After receiving feedback for this Integrative Literature Review, please implement any changes recommended by the instructor, go to your Folio account and upload the revised Integrative Literature Review as a project in your portfolio. (Use the Setting Up and Using Folio guide to create an account if you do not already have one.) The upload of signature assignments will take place after completing each course. Be certain to upload revised signature assignments throughout the program as the portfolio and its contents will be used in other courses and may be used by individual students as a professional resource tool.

The paper:

• Must be 10 to 12 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Writing Center.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must use at least six peer-reviewed and/or scholarly sources to provide an evidence base for your analysis. It is expected that you will use the references researched in Week 1 and Week 2, as well as any additional references you need to provide additional support for your work. You may utilize required or recommended course materials in your work, but these will not count towards the reference requirements; however, you may cite and reference the American Psychiatric Association’s (2013) DSM-5 as one of your sources used for the grading credit.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Writing Center.
• Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Writing Center.

Overview

How can a person live a happy life? How can we better cope with stresses in our lives and become more resilient? Development does not stop at adulthood. We continue to change and grow because life is not static. In early adulthood, most people focus on developing friendships and partnerships as well as developing a work life. In middle adulthood, people are affected by a wide variety of situations, such as becoming a parent, switching careers, caring for aging parents, coping with a chronic illness, or weathering financial issues. For this assignment, you will apply the concepts you’ve learned to analyze a case study focused on middle adulthood or later adulthood.

Preparation

• If you have not done so, choose one of the following case studies from your Broderick and Blewitt textbook. Each case study includes a set of questions that can guide your analysis of the pertinent issues for the particular case.
  • Luis, page 589.
  • Isabelle, page 630.
• If you did not finish your research last week, search the Capella libraryLinks to an external site. for peer-reviewed articles. If you’re unfamiliar with the library, the “Finding Articles” section of the Master’s in Psychology Research GuideLinks to an external site. is a great place to start your search. You must include at least five properly cited resources.

Instructions

The case study analysis should be a maximum of six pages, including the introduction and conclusion, each of which should be roughly one-half page long. The body of the paper should not exceed five pages.

Organize your paper as follows, including headings for each section:

• Title Page
• Introduction: An introduction that includes an overview of the paper contents, including a brief summary and background information regarding the case study.
• Case Study Analysis:
  • Presenting Challenges: Explain the presenting challenge or challenges and primary issue or issues.
  • Lifespan Theory: Analyze lifespan development theories to determine the most appropriate theory or theories to apply to the case study.
  • Intervention Process: Apply the appropriate lifespan development theory to support an identified intervention process.
  • Individual and Cultural Differences: Describe the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on development for the current age and context described in the case study.
• Conclusion: Summarize the case study context, challenges, and interventions.
• References: Cite five or more peer-reviewed articles as well as your course text to support your assertions.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: References and citations should be formatted according to current APA style and format. Refer to Evidence and APALinks to an external site. as needed.
• Number of references: Your paper should include at least five properly cited peer-reviewed articles in addition to the text containing the case study.
• Length: 4–6 double-spaced pages of content plus title and reference pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 points.

Refer to the rubric to ensure you meet the grading criteria for this assignment.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Analyze how lifespan development theories and related research explain aspects of human growth and behavior at different ages.
  • Analyze lifespan development theories to determine the most appropriate theory or theories to apply to the case study.
• Competency 2: Assess the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on development across the lifespan.
  • Describe the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on development for the current age and context described in the case study.
• Competency 3: Identify evidence-based interventions to address specific developmental issues.
  • Apply the appropriate lifespan development theory to support an identified intervention process.
• Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of the psychological professions.
  • Convey purpose, in an appropriate tone and style, incorporating supporting evidence and adhering to organizational, professional, and scholarly writing standards.
  • Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.