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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.