This guide is for PSYC 636 Week 4 Article Critique 2, start to submission. A critique of a research article on aging and mental health, following the instructions in the course.
PSYC 636 is Geropsychology, 3 credit hours, in Liberty University's MS in Psychology. Canvas and the course guide file print the code as PSYC636; it is the same course.
| Course | PSYC 636 Geropsychology |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 4 |
| Points | 90 points |
| Length | Not set in the guide; follow the critique instructions |
| Sources | The assigned or selected article and Whitbourne and Whitbourne |
| Faith integration | Not required by the guide |
| Format | Current APA |
What PSYC 636 Week 4 Article Critique 2 asks for
The course includes 2 article critiques worth 90 points each; specific instructions are in the course. Article Critique 2 is due in Module/Week 4 with Whitbourne and Whitbourne chapters 7 and 8. Worth 90 points.
Where it fits in PSYC 636
In the published schedule, Article Critique 2 is one of 9 graded written assignments in PSYC 636. It follows Week 3 Treatment Paper Annotated Bibliography and comes before Week 5 Discussion Board Forum 3.
How PSYC 636 Week 4 Article Critique 2 is graded
Liberty grades Article Critique 2 with the rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas, worth 90 points in the published guide. That is about 9% of the course's 1,010 points. Open the rubric before you draft and read across each row: the top column describes what full credit looks like, and the gap between columns tells you what costs points.
Course grades in PSYC 636 use Liberty's point scale: an A is 920 to 1010 points of the course total. Missing the length or source minimum usually costs points on several rows at once, which is why the checklist below starts with them.
Timing in the published guide: Each course module/week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Check the due dates in your Canvas section, which govern.
The PSYC 636 Week 4 method, step by step
Read the article twice, differently
Read the article once for what it says and once for how it was done. On the second pass, note the design, sample, measures, analysis and any limitation the authors admit.
Describe before you judge
Give a short, exact summary first. If the description is wrong, every judgment after it is suspect, so check the numbers and terms against the article.
Appraise each part of the study
Judge each element on its own terms: fit of design to question, sampling, validity and reliability of measures, analysis, and whether the conclusions stay within the data.
Name strengths as well as weaknesses
A critique is not a list of faults. Say what the study does well and why, then where it falls short and how much that matters to its usefulness.
Say what it means for practice
Close with usefulness: could the findings change practice, for which patients or settings, and with what caution?
Keep to the length and format
Write in paragraphs, inside Not set in the guide; follow the critique instructions, with current APA citations. A critique that turns into a table or list usually loses its argument.
Summarize briefly, then evaluate the method (sample, measures, design), whether conclusions follow from the data, and what the study means for counseling older adults.
A structure for PSYC 636 Week 4 Article Critique 2
Word targets are planning numbers for about 1,100 words of body text, set by the length in the guide; the rubric decides where to spend more.
| Section | What it must do | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Purpose, method and findings. | ~330 words |
| Critique | Strengths and limitations. | ~480 words |
| Application | Implications for practice. | ~290 words |
A topic angle that works
Use an article related to the week's chapters, such as relationships or personality in later life, and critique it with attention to sampling and measurement.
Model paragraph with notes
An original paragraph written by our desk to show the register that earns full rubric credit. It is study material: learn the moves, then write your own.
The study found that older adults with more frequent contact with friends reported higher life satisfaction. Strengths include a validated satisfaction measure; a limitation is that participants were mostly healthy and well educated, so results may not apply to frail or low-income elders. The finding supports encouraging social activity in counseling plans.
- Summary.
- A methodological limit.
- An implication.
Mistakes that cost points on PSYC 636 Week 4
- Summary only.
- Ignoring the method.
- No implications.
Checklist before you submit
- Length: Not set in the guide; follow the critique instructions
- Sources: The assigned or selected article and Whitbourne and Whitbourne
- The summary of the study is accurate and brief
- Strengths and weaknesses are both explained
- Each rubric row read against the section that answers it
Questions students ask
How many article critiques are in PSYC 636?
Two, in Weeks 2 and 4, worth 90 points each.
How many points is PSYC 636 Week 4 Article Critique 2 worth?
90 points in Liberty's published course guide for PSYC 636, out of a course total of 1,010 points (about 9% of the grade). The rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas shows how those points are divided.
Is PSYC 636 Week 4 the same in every section of PSYC 636?
This guide follows Liberty's published course guide for PSYC 636. Liberty notes that course content can change from term to term, so if your Canvas section shows different instructions, a different week or different points, follow Canvas and your instructor.
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