You are required to write a report aimed at considering, describing, and evaluating the characteristics and effectiveness of a positive psychology intervention (PPI) using the

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including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the

use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions. Template: V5

PSY5010

Positive Psychology

Positive Psychological Intervention Report

Date for Submission: Please refer to the timetable on ilearn

(The submission portal on ilearn will close at 14:00 UK time on the date of submission)

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including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the

use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.

Assignment Brief.

As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit a

Positive Psychology assignment. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of

the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting

assignments.

Learning Outcomes:

After completing the module, you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of, and evaluate positive psychology theories, concepts, and

research

2. Critically evaluate positive psychology interventions and related research

3. Reflect upon the use and implications of positive psychology across a range of real-life contexts

Graduate attribute

4. Reflective Practitioner: Undertake critical analysis and reach reasoned and evidenced decisions,

contribute problem-solving skills to find and innovate in solutions.

All learning outcomes must be met to pass the module.

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including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the

use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.

Guidance

Your assignment should include: a title page containing your student number, the module

name, the submission deadline and the exact word count of your submitted document; the

appendices if relevant; and a reference list in (see referencing section for more information).

You should address all the elements of the assignment task listed below. Please note that

tutors will use the assessment criteria set out below in assessing your work.

You must not include your name in your submission because Arden University operates

anonymous marking, which means that markers should not be aware of the identity of the

student. However, please do not forget to include your STU number.

Maximum word count: 4000 words

Please refer to the full word count policy which can be found in the Student Policies section

here: Arden University | Regulatory Framework.

Please note the following: Students are required to indicate the exact word count on the title page of the assessment. The word count includes everything in the main body of the assessment (including in text

citations and references). The word count excludes numerical data in tables, figures,

diagrams, footnotes, reference list and appendices. ALL other printed words ARE

included in the word count.

Please note that exceeding the word count by over 10% will result in a 10-percentage point

deduction.

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including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the

use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.

Assignment Task

The assignment is a report written by you about a single participant case study.

You are required to write a report aimed at considering, describing, and evaluating the

characteristics and effectiveness of a positive psychology intervention (PPI) using the

following case study. You are encouraged to read widely around the subject.

Jack works long hours for a bank. The participant goes to the gym three times a week and

enjoys walking dog walking. Jack has been feeling mildly stressed recently and decides to

implement a positive psychological intervention, using a gratitude journal, writing and

reflecting on 3-5 things to be thankful each night at 9pm. Prior to the intervention Jack uses

the Authentic Happiness Inventory and the Satisfaction with Life Scale and repeats after.

The results are available on the assessment page. Jack’s demographics can be chosen

according to your own interests. You may wish to use the demographics to explore the

WEIRD element of Positive Psychology.

You can view the Authentic Happiness Inventory and the Satisfaction with Life

Questionnaire at Questionnaire Center | Authentic Happiness (upenn.edu) .

For both tasks:

Your discussion section should include a short reflection as a practitioner about your

experience of using the positive psychological intervention.

The contents of your report must be structured as follows and include the correct

information in each section:

1. Abstract (200 words)

Short description of your report’s aims, including the primary theories and tools used, as

well a short summary of the main results and discussion points.

2. Introduction and rationale (including theoretical frameworks) (1300 words)

In this section, provide an overview of positive psychology (this should be short) and focus

primarily on the theoretical underpinnings that are relevant for your specific intervention.

You should ensure that this section offers support for the intervention’s rationale and

purpose via critical analysis and evaluation of relevant and recent studies that support the

use of the chosen intervention in this context. Finish this section with a summary of your

intervention’s aims and hypotheses.

3. Methods (700 words)

In the methods section you must specify and describe all the steps, tools, and procedure of

your intervention, and include the questionnaires that have been used before and after the

intervention. You should structure this with subsections of Participants, Design, Materials

and Procedure.

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including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the

use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.

4. Results & Discussion (1800 words)

At this stage you must describe the results obtained during your intervention and discuss

them – in other words, interpret what the findings mean within the scope of positive

psychology interventions. You must – at a minimum – report the results from the

questionnaires that were used before and after the intervention. Please note, you will not be

expected to run inferential statistical analysis, due to a sample size of N=1. You must offer a

critical reflection regarding what your results tell us about the effect of the positive

psychology intervention on the dependent variable(s).

The discussion section should include research and theory to help explain your findings as

well as to act as support to your interpretation – whether it is because the results obtained

were as expected, or because your results were in some way unexpected or surprising.

Note: the word count per section is meant as a guideline and can be adjusted as needed.

(4000 Words)

(100 Marks)

(LOs:1,2,3 & 4)

This module is marked using the Arden University Categorical Marking Criteria

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[3452] Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning

materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,

including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the

use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.

Formative Feedback

You have the opportunity to submit a 1000-word summary to receive formative feedback. The feedback is designed to help you develop areas of your work and it helps you develop your skills as an independent learner.    

If you are a distance learning student, you should submit your work via Turnitin. Please

check your iLearn module pages/forum for the formative feedback deadline and submission

link.

If you are a blended learning student, your tutor will give you a deadline for formative

feedback and further details.  If you have a confirmed extension to your summative (final

submission) deadline, please contact your lecturer for information on extensions to the

formative feedback deadline. 

Formative feedback will not be given to work submitted after the published date or the date

specified by your tutor (if a blended learning student). 

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[3452] Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning

materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,

including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the

use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.

Referencing Guidance

Guidelines for students studying BSc (Hons) Psychology, BSc (Hons) Psychology

(Applied) and BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling:

You MUST underpin your analysis and evaluation of the key issues with appropriate and

wide-ranging academic research and ensure this is referenced using the APA system(s).

Follow this link to find the referencing guides for your subject: Arden Library

Guidelines for students studying

BA (Hons) Criminology and Psychology

BA (Hons) Criminology and Psychology with Foundation Pathways

BA (Hons) Criminology and Law

BA (Hons) Criminology and Law with Foundation Pathways

BA (Hons) Criminology and Sociology

BA (Hons) HRM and Psychology

BA (Hons) Psychology and Sociology

BA (Hons) Psychology and Sociology with Foundation Pathways

BA (Hons) Psychology and Human Resource Management

BA (Hons) Psychology and Law

BA (Hons) Social Science

You MUST underpin your analysis and evaluation of the key issues with appropriate and

wide-ranging academic research and ensure this is referenced using the AU Harvard

system(s).

Follow this link to find the referencing guides for your subject: Arden Library

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[3452] Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning

materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,

including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the

use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.

Submission Guidance

Assignments submitted late will not be accepted and will be marked as a 0% fail.

Your assessment can be submitted as a single Word (MS Word) or PDF file, or, as multiple

files.

If you chose to submit multiple files, you must name each document as the question/part you

are answering along with your student number ie Q1 Section A STUXXXX. If you wish to

overwrite your submission or one of your submissions, you must ensure that your

new submission is named exactly the same as the previous in order for the system to

overwrite it.

You must ensure that the submitted assignment is all your own work and that all sources

used are correctly attributed. Penalties apply to assignments which show evidence of

academic unfair practice. (See the Student Handbook which is available on the A-Z key

information on iLearn.)

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[3452] Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups),

stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means, including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the use and distribution of

programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.

Assessment Criteria (Learning objectives covered – all.

Level 5 reflects the continuing development in knowledge, understanding and skills from Level 4. At Level 5, students are not expected to be fully autonomous but are able to take responsibility for their own learning with appropriate guidance and direction. Students are expected to further develop their theoretical knowledge within a more intellectual context and to demonstrate this through more complex forms of expression which move beyond the descriptive or imitative domain. Students are expected to demonstrate skills of analysis in both problem-solving and resolution.

Grade Mark Bands

Generic Assessment Criteria

First (1)

80%+ An outstanding information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and any associated ethical considerations. There is sophisticated use and management of learning resources, and a high degree of autonomy is demonstrated. Writing is outstandingly well structured and accurately referenced throughout. Where appropriate, outstanding professional skills are demonstrated. The work is original and with some additional effort could considered for internal publication.

70-79%

An excellent knowledge base within which the discipline is explored and analysed. There is a degree of originality in the approach. The work demonstrates confidence and autonomy and extends to consider ethical issues. Learning resources have been managed confidently. Writing is exceptionally well structured and accurately referenced throughout. Where appropriate, an excellent level of professional skills is demonstrated, and the work demonstrates a high level of intellectual and academic skills.

Upper second (2:1)

60-69%

A very good knowledge base which explores and analyses the discipline, its theory, and any associated ethical issues. There is evidence of some originality and independence of thought. A very good range of learning resources underpin the work and there is evidence of growing confidence and self-direction. The work demonstrates the ability to analyse the subject and apply theory with good academic and intellectual skills. Academic writing skills are very good, expression is accurate overall, and the work is consistently referenced throughout.

Lower second (2:2)

50-59%

A good understanding of the discipline which begins to analyse the subject and apply some underpinning theory. There may be reference to some of the ethical considerations. The work shows a sound level of competence in managing basic sources and materials. Academic writing skills are good and accurate overall, and the work is planned and structured with some though. Professional skills are good (where appropriate). The work lacks original thought, but academic and intellectual skills are moving into the critical domain. The work is referenced throughout.

Third (3)

40-49%

Satisfactory level of performance in which there are some omissions in understanding the subject, its underpinning theory, and ethical considerations. There is little evidence of independent thought, and the work shows a basic use of sources and materials. Academic and intellectual skills are limited. The work may lack structure overall. There are some difficulties in developing professional skills (where appropriate). There is an attempt to reference the work.

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stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means, including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the use and distribution of

programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.

Marginal Fail

30-39%

A limited piece of work in which there are clear gaps in understanding the subject, its underpinning theory, and ethical considerations. The work shows a limited use of sources and materials. Academic and professional skills are weak and there are errors in expression and the work may lack structure overall. There are difficulties in developing professional skills (where appropriate). The work lacks original thought and is largely imitative.

Clear Fail

29% and Below

A poor performance in which there are substantial gaps in knowledge and understanding, underpinning theory and ethical considerations. The work shows little evidence in the use of appropriate sources and materials. Academic writing skills are very weak and there are numerous errors in expression. The work lacks structure overall. Professional skills (where appropriate) are not developed. The work is imitative.

Outstanding 80+ Excellent 70 – 79 Very Good 60 – 69 Good 50 – 59 Satisfactory 40 – 49 Marginal Fail 30 – 39 Fail < 29

(LO: 1) Abstract (5%) Short description of your report. It should cover: the aims, primary theories, methods including scales used, main results, and main discussion points.

Outstanding abstract, concise and comprehensive summary of the study including aims, method, predictions, results, and implications written to a near-publishable standard.

Excellent, concise, and comprehensive summary of the study including aims, method, predictions, results, and implications.

Very good, concise summary of the study including aims, method, predictions, results, and implications.

A good summary, covering all key points. The abstract may need some improvement either in conciseness, clarity, comprehensiveness, or tone of writing.

Fair summary, covering most important points. Structure may be loose and/or may include some irrelevant material.

Some key points covered, but some important omissions/ inaccuracies.

Abstract is missing or largely irrelevant.

(LO: 1, 2, 3) Introduction and rationale (30%) A short overview of positive psychology, primarily focused on the theoretical underpinnings relevant for the intervention. The introduction must support the intervention’s rationale and purpose via critical analysis and evaluation. The research question

Research question is clearly articulated, and the rationale is fully and skilfully developed. Shows an outstanding logical structure, moving from the general to the specific. Literature reviewed is all relevant, and its relevance is made perfectly clear in each instance. The literature is perfectly chosen for the context of the report and studies are described in just

Research question is clearly articulated, and the rationale is fully and skilfully developed. Shows an excellent logical structure, moving from the general to the specific. Literature reviewed is all relevant, and its relevance is made clear. The choice of literature is excellent and studies are described in just the right amount of detail for the reader

Research question is clearly articulated, and the rationale is well developed. Shows a logical structure, moving from the general to the specific. Literature reviewed is all relevant, and its relevance is made clear. The selection and description of studies is good and widely appropriate for the topic of the report. Literature is thoroughly and well

Research question is well communicated. The rationale is appropriate, though it could be developed further or more clearly. Material is mostly presented in a logical sequence. Literature reviewed is mostly relevant, and its relevance is generally made clear. The literature is evaluated, with a good attempt to make implications clear, although it

Research question could be more clearly communicated. The rationale needs developing further. Structure is loose and does not follow a logical sequence consistently. Some of the literature reviewed is relevant, but its relevance is not always made clear. Some irrelevant material included. Literature is described rather

There is an attempt to convey the research question, but it is poorly communicated. The rationale is not made clear. Sequence is loose or confusing. Some literature is reviewed but much is not relevant, or its relevance is not made clear. Significant important material is omitted. Limited description of literature, and no attempt at evaluation.

Introduction is extremely short or extremely long, or almost completely irrelevant to the topic of the report.

Outstanding 80+ Excellent 70 – 79 Very Good 60 – 69 Good 50 – 59 Satisfactory 40 – 49 Marginal Fail 30 – 39 Fail < 29

and hypotheses should be clear. The literature review should go beyond description and provide critical analysis and evaluation of relevant studies.

the right amount of detail for the reader to appreciate their relevance to the research question. Literature is insightfully evaluated, and implications for the research question are made completely clear. All relevant hypotheses are clearly, comprehensively, and precisely articulated. The amount of detail is perfectly judged. It is of near-publishable standard.

to appreciate their relevance to the research question. Literature is skilfully and insightfully evaluated, and implications for the research question are made clear. All relevant hypotheses are clearly, comprehensively and precisely articulated. The amount of detail is perfectly judged.

evaluated, and implications for the research question are made clear. All relevant hypotheses are clearly articulated, with consequences for the research question made clear