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Undergraduate Studies ePortfolio

Marcia HodgesBA Psychology, 2011

Personal Statement

My name is Marcia Hodges. I currently reside in Nashville, TN with my

loving husband and two wonderful children. My decision to return to

college and obtain my undergraduate degree surfaced shortly after my

son was born. I realized then that it was important for me to complete

this task in order to provide stability within myself as well as my family.

I am proud to say that from my first class to my last, I have obtained a

4.0 GPA!

Resume

Summary: Over fifteen years Dental Assisting experience operating as Chief Dental Assistant. I am experienced in leading teams, managing projects, and communicating with staff at all levels in the dental practice. My top skills as identified by my peers are: integrity, trust, patient care, problem solving, and relationship building.

Professional Experience

Tooth Be Told, P.C. - Franklin, TN.

Chief Dental Assistant (April, 2010-Present)

American Dental Center, P. C. - Nashville, TN.

Chief Dental Assistant (March, 1995-April, 2010)

Dr. Charles A. Williams – Nashville, TN.

Assisted with Oral Surgery specializing in wisdom tooth impactions and Apicoectomy

(May, 1996 –August, 2005)

Accomplishments

Certified in Monitoring Nitrous Oxide

Expanded Functions - Restorative

Certified in Laser Dentistry

Certified in Invisalign

Performed consulting for various offices in Tennessee and Texas

Selected to train and mentor Dental Assistants in the Middle Tennessee area

Trained for Eagle-soft software, digital X rays

Proficient in making temporary crowns and bridges

Proficient in repairing dentures and partials

Proficient in making bite rims for dentures and partials

Proficient in the completion of ALL composite and Amalgam restorations

Proficient in the completion of ALL fixed Prosthodontics including post and core build-ups and packing cord

Proficient in making night guards and bleaching trays

Participated in the ―No child Overlooked‖ in 2005, an event designed to provide better oral care for children in rural and underserved communities

Education

Hillsboro High School- Nashville, TN. - May, 1994

Nashville State Tech – Nashville, TN. – May, 1995

UT Memphis School of Dentistry – Memphis, TN. – October, 2007

Argosy University – Senior-September, 2009-Present

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Reflection

As I reflect on my academic tenure at Argosy

University, one of the major tasks that I have

learned is time management. Fortunately I

learned this skill very early. I must

admit, working a full-time job and school full-

time has not been easy. However, with

effective time management skills, I have

persevered. While improving this skill, I

realized that in order to become more

interpersonally effective, it was imperative

that I eliminate the idea that multitasking was

acceptable. And according to my self-

analysis test, I have greatly mastered this

technique!

Table of Contents

Cognitive Abilities: Analysis Paper Focusing On

Decision Making

Research Skills: Review Paper—Topic

Proposal

Ethics and Diversity Awareness: Final Project

Foundations and Applied Psychology:

Performance Evaluation

Interpersonal Effectiveness: Student

Presentation

ognative

Cognitive Abilities:

Dr. Eugene Bendar, a forensic psychologist, has been contracted by a large city police department to prepare a report of racial

profiling and crime. For many, the term racial profiling has become an offense due to the misunderstanding and misapplication of the

statistical study. Therefore, this paper will further research the confusion about basic probability and statistics concerning criminal

behavior.

In this particular assignment, the department chief was interested in knowing what types of certain ―groups‖ are more likely to

commit criminal acts than other groups. Because of his interest, Dr. Bendar was hired. Unfortunately, it is the cognitive distortion of

the department chief that supports racial profiling. Because this statement suggests the confusion about basic probability and

statistics concerning criminal behavior, it is then the responsibility of the psychologist to become aware of the distinction and make

sure not to repeat the negative cycle.

According to research, racial profiling is the ―consideration of race early on in criminal investigations‖ (Ellis, 2010). In other

words, if a member of a race is considered more likely to be involved in criminal behavior due to his race, he may be more often

suspected of committing crimes, even when no evidence exists to justify this supposition. In fact, one of the most typical justifications

that officers use for racial profiling involves the statement that "it is true that certain ‗groups' are more like to commit offenses than the

others. Once again, it is statements like these that display the confusion between basic probability and statistics when discussing

criminal behavior. Research informs us that this type of confusion consists of two cognitive errors: ―unawareness of the distinction

between the relative frequency and the absolute frequency regarding a particular crime-prone attribute, and ignorance about the

multiplication rule of probability for criminal behavior‖ (Sun, 2009). In reference to the first error, research has proven that there are

many variables that would contribute to an individual‘s tendency to commit a crime. A perfect example taken from Dr. Sun tells us

that ―eighty percent of serial killers are white men‖ (Sun, 2009). However, this does not mean that just because you are a white male

you have an eighty percent chance of being a serial killer. This just shows how important it is to understand the difference between

relative and absolute frequencies.

In short, the results of Dr. Bendar‘s report on racial profiling and crime should display how racial profiling is definitely biased.

In addition, his results would be supported by the obvious misunderstanding of the scientific theory of probability as well as the

contradicting mission of the justice system.

References

Ellis, T. (2010, May 12). What Is Racial Profiling.

Retrieved May 26, 2010, from Wise Geek:

www.wisegeek.com

Sun, P. K. (2009, September 13). Racial Profiling

And A Misunderstanding of Probability.

Retrieved 2010 25, 2009, from The Justice And

Responsibility League:

www.psychologytoday.com

Research SkillsResearch Skills

From my mental list of interesting topics to write a research paper on, I have narrowed it down to

one topic in particular. This topic is of greater interest because of its continuing existence in science

throughout the years. However, in order to have a more acceptable research paper, I had to

incorporate into the title a particular field in science. Therefore, the proposed title for this paper will

be, Can Science and Religion Co-exist Peacefully through the Field of Psychology?

It is a known fact that scientists believe strongly in the scientific method, therefore

rejecting the religious beliefs of many when referring to the how‘s and why‘s of evolution. Because

religious believers can only base their views concerning evolution on faith, this is certainly

unacceptable and unexplainable in the field of science – thus creating my topic of research. It is my

belief and opinion that only through the field of Psychology can science and religion co-exist. As a

result of the information given, the objective of my paper will be to test and prove my hypothesis

which states that, it is possible for science and religion to co-exist peacefully through the field of

Psychology. Furthermore, this paper will present, in-depth, the information gathered followed by the

results of the tested hypothesis and finally the conclusion drawn.

The following are ten citations, in the form of an APA style reference page, that I will us for the

reference section of my proposed research paper. In addition, the method used to identify these

articles was the process of conducting a search of statistical research on science and religion at the

local library. Also, I conducted a more thorough search through the e-library on peer reviewed

articles relating to psychology and religion. I then narrowed down all of the articles of interest by

simply proof-reading them. Doing this allowed me to not only obtain a better direction, but it also

gave me a more structured approach for my paper.

Ethics and DiversityIt is a known fact that children are impressionable and they tend to imitate the behavior they observe. Research concludes

that, ―Children who are constantly exposed to violence in the media are likely to incorporate it in their behaviors as well‖

(Glicken, 2003, Ch 2, p. 6). In Greg‘s case, the scenario did not state whether Greg displayed his behaviors in a violent way.

However, it is still unfortunate that he has developed an obsession for such entertainment. Fortunately, with the proper support from

his parents as well as intervention on the community level, it is my belief that the long term effects of media violence can be avoided.

In searching for a program designed for Greg, there are various intervention strategies that his parents can expect to find. For

example, one strategy could consist of an after school program designed to help children like Greg who display aggressive

behaviors. The key to this program would be the psycho-educational approach. With this particular strategy, Greg would benefit

from learning such techniques as anger management, assertiveness training, problem-solving, and conflict mediation. With the

proper development of such skills, Greg‘s parents will ultimately see a decrease in his occurrence of temper tantrums.

In reference to diversity, an experiment was conducted to show the significance of early TV habits on children from diverse

cultures. According to the results, ―A common pattern emerged which resulted in findings that children from Poland, Finland, and

United States were all affected with different levels of aggression after the exposure to media violence‖( Huesmann, 1994, P. 173).

What this means is that the early exposure to media violence affects children all over the world. Therefore, in order to successfully

counsel a child who is culturally diverse, the intervention program must be equipped with a range of diverse professionals who will be

able to offer support and assistance in a way that certain individuals will comprehend.

When establishing an intervention program, the topic of ethics deserves great attention. One major ethical issue that must be

considered is confidentiality. In establishing an type of intervention program for children, many of the children in need either reside in

families that include other people with emotional difficulties, attend school, become involved with community agencies (e.g., the

courts), or must generally take direction from adult authority figures. It is at this point where the need for confidentiality becomes

particularly complex. Furthermore, research states that, ―Psychologists may disclose confidential information with the appropriate

consent of the organizational client, the individual client/patient, or another legally authorized person on behalf of the client/patient

unless prohibited by law‖ (APA, 2010, p. 4). Therefore, in order to uphold the ethical guidelines, it is imperative that the designated

professionals are well aware of their responsibilities of providing the best care while maintaining the required level of confidentiality.

In conclusion, Greg‘s parents are definitely headed in the right direction when addressing the need for intervention for Greg‘s

behavior. Along with the strategies discussed, the involvement of the parents is critical in preventing Greg from further long-term

violence that could result in legal matters.

ReferencesArgosy University. (2010). PSY301: Children and violence. Module 5: Psychological

effects of

media violence (1-2). Retrieved November 23, 2010, from

http://webuploadcontent.next.ecollege.com/pub/content/2cbd3bcd-a3f3-4a5a-9422-

fd4dd5

Association, A. P. (2003, June 1). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of

Conduct With

the 2010 Amendments . Retrieved November 9, 2010, from Privacy and

Confidentiality:

www.apa.org

Glicken, M.D. (2003). Recognizing the Behaviors Associated With Early-Onset

Childhood

Violence. In M.D. Glicken, Violent Young Children (pp. 1-13). Allyn &Bacon.

Huesmann, R. (1994). Media Violence and Diversity. Aggressive behavior(1-

175).Retrieved

November 23, 2010, from www.googlebooks.com

Foundations and Applied PsychologyThe goal of an I/O psychologist is to ensure that all employees are well taken care of in any organization. This specialty focuses on

the human resource department. Within this department, I/O psychologists are required to develop the means for assessing

personnel. This is usually done through job evaluations. According to research, ―Job evaluations involve examining the dimensions

of work for which employers compensate employees‖ (Argosy, 2010, p. 1). Some of the dimensions include skill, effort, and

responsibility. In fact, by using the point system, these are some of the actual criteria that can be measured by a job evaluation. In

this particular scenario, the ultimate criterion is the job performance. As a matter of fact, the ultimate criterion that any job evaluation

is meant to measure is usually a variable such as the one given, job performance or satisfaction. However, it is important to note that

it is impossible to accurately measure the ultimate criterion because of the numerous areas of the job performance.

Therefore, psychologists attempt to gauge the ultimate criterion the best way they can by developing a measure that gauges the

ultimate criterion as close as possible. This is also known as the actual criterion. An example of this would be devising a list of

survey questions for each counselor to answer. Those answers could then be used to gauge the ultimate criterion.

With any actual criterion, there are certain factors that would increase its reliability. Research states that, ―reliability refers to the

stability and consistency of the actual criterion‖ (Argosy, 2010, p. 3). In this case the actual criterion is the survey used to measure

the job performance. Therefore, the factors that could increase the reliability of the actual criterion in this scenario are; the clarity of

the survey questions and the relevance between those questions to the ultimate criterion. If the survey questions are both easy to

understand and completely relevant to the job performance, then it will be easy to draw a conclusion about the variable, which will

indeed increase the reliability of the actual criteria.

However, it is possible that some factors could decrease the reliability of the ultimate criteria. Once again, the ultimate criterion in

this scenario is the job performance. Therefore, if a counselor is not proficient in his or her job, this is a factor that could greatly

decrease the job performance. Another factor that could cause a decrease would be how well the counselors work with others.

Because the ultimate goal is to receive greater compensation, it is imperative that the counselors are interpersonally effective.

Not only does the point system ensure sensitivity, it is also a popular and practical way to measure performance. It is important to

note that the purpose of any job evaluation is to assign value to the job within that organization. Even though it is not suitable to

compare two equal jobs, it is in fact fair to do so when determining compensation. Therefore, it is my opinion that assigning points to

the areas of skill and knowledge and effort is a realistic way to measure the amount of compensation an employee should receive. In

addition, following the point system helps to eliminate the issuance of compensation based on a reviewer‘s personal biased opinion.

References

Argosy University. (2010). PSY 320: Module II:

Approaches to Job Analysis. Retrieved July 11,

2010 from http://myeclassonline.com

Riggio, R. (2008). Introduction to

industrial/organizational psychology.

(5th ed.). Retrieved July 11, 2010 from

www.myeclassonline.com

Interpersonal Effectiveness

My World Around Me: I am aware of my responsibilities at work, at home, and in school.

My thoughts and Feelings: ―Everything

in Moderation, Including

Moderation‖

My Experience: Organization is the KEY!Who I Am: I put myself

at the center of my education. I determine

my own success!

My

Environment: I

Welcome

Positive

Energy.

My Future:

Depends On

My

Preparation

My Future in Learning

It is a known fact that learning is a lifelong

process. However, it is up to the

individual to commit to this goal of

continuation. As for me, it is my vision

to maintain a future in lifelong learning

through the curriculum of graduate

school and future continued education.

Contact Me

Thank you for viewing my

ePortfolio.

For further information, please

contact me at the e-mail address

below.

tiasumrall2000@yahoo.com