Importance of psychology to ensuring reliable and valid psychological assessment in the workplace.

Use psychological research to support your argument. Assignment Guidelines: Note Students should focus on Psychological Assessment used in recruitment and selection within working environments for their discussions within this essay. The use of empirical psychological research evidence to support arguments made, and key discussion points, is an important requirement for this essay. Such evidence should come from primary sources (i.e.: peer reviewed journal articles) and referenced accurately using the APA system of referencing. Introduction: Be clear and concise as this sets the scene for the essay, and let the reader know where this section starts and ends. The introduction should “signpost” the reader to the overall shape of the essay. It should clearly explain relevant terms and what the main points for discussion will be. It should demonstrate students’ knowledge of definitions of key terms in the title and briefly provide an overview of how the essay will be structured to address the essay title. It may be relevant to include some pertinent references within this section although lengthy discussions around such research should be in the main body of discussion within the essay rather than in the Introduction. As an aside, students may find it useful when editing their essays to come back to the Introduction and ensure that it accurately reflects what follows in the main body of discussion. Discussion This is the main body of the essay and students should demonstrate an in depth critical examination of basic and seminal research and theories within the core reading for this module. Furthermore, a very good essay will show in depth evidence of critical examination of more novel and/or advanced research and theories outside of the core readings which have been given. Students should ensure that only the inclusion of information/research evidence that helps to answer ‘the essay question’ is used and that links to the essay focus are evident throughout the discussion. Note that this is NOT a descriptive application of core areas of psychology to the issue at hand, but a critical discussion so all viewpoints or argument perspectives should be represented within the discussion, if applicable. Although students should not use subheadings for this academic essay, there should still be a clear structure to the whole essay (i.e. Introduction paragraph(s), Discussion paragraph(s) and Conclusion paragraph(s)) AND the Discussion component should also have a clear structure so that the reader can follow the line of the argument. In other words, students should try and present each paragraph in a logical order (e.g., key theories followed by empirical research that has tested these theories) and ensure that the first sentence in each paragraph captures the essence of the paragraph and that the last sentence summarises the paragraph. Paragraphs should make appropriate use of linking words and phrases. The content of this essay should go beyond descriptive material and key issues discussed in lecture sessions and incorporate additional reading and research carried out by students. Whilst the use of seminal work may be pertinent at points, students are expected to move beyond this and incorporate relevant contemporary psychological research from the area. Such research should be reported using the APA system of referencing. An appropriate, full and detailed reference section should be included at the end of the essay. Conclusions It should be clear where the conclusion to the essay starts (e.g., ‘In conclusion, the essay focussed on…etc.). Students should also demonstrate an ability to draw main points of the discussion together and show that they are not simply repeating/reiterating points from the discussion section but are instead synthesizing key themes/findings/recommendations. It is important to link the conclusion(s) to all components of the title and aims and it may be appropriate to consider recommendations for future research and improvements in the area. NB: Please note that the above headings / subsections (i.e. Introduction/Discussion/Conclusion) should only be used as guidance towards marking and content. This is an academic essay and subsections should not be used within the main body of work. Presentation and Referencing There must be a consistent and correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling throughout this academic essay. Furthermore, the writing style should be in the third person. You should use the APA reference style for in text citations, use a dedicated “References” section at the end, and be consistent throughout the work (see earlier link to university referencing guidance). Please note that Wikipedia will NOT be accepted as an appropriate reference for this piece of work and marks will be deducted if it is used. If relevant, Appendices may be used to direct the reader to supporting material BUT these should only be used as such support to complement the main essay and not as a substitute for the main essay and its content. As previously mentioned, this assignment should be word processed double spaced, with numbered pages and the student’s name and identification number printed as a footer on every page. Plagiarism Plagiarism is not accepted in any form. Students should ensure that they are familiar with the regulations on plagiarism. These are located in the handbook for the relevant programme of study. Students should ensure that they understand these regulations and confirm as appropriate if required to, when submitting their work. Severe penalties are imposed for plagiarizing other work so it is very important that students do not blatantly or inadvertently copy other peoples’ work and follow the appropriate academic writing processes. The Assessment Marking Criteria below shows the percentage grading system that tutors will use to mark and grade this assignment. Students are also advised to refer to their programme of study handbook for information on assessment grading. General guidance for Essay: Essays should be presented in Arial or Comic Sans font and 1.5 line spacing. Subsections should not be used within an academic essay. Word count should be 2500 words + or minus 10%.