Psy101 Term Paper

The document presents a psychological intervention initiative designed to address issues of uncertainty, lack of purpose and motivation among university students in Bangladesh. The intervention aims to help students through workshops, cognitive exercises and individual counseling. Workshops will use goal setting, self-affirmation and meditation techniques. Cognitive exercises will involve role-playing real-life decision making scenarios. Individual counseling will provide personalized assessments and discussions. The intervention considers cultural diversity and ensures student privacy. The intended impacts are increased student motivation, clearer life goals and more mindful decision making. Feasibility relies on support from university authorities and teaming with counseling services.

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Psy101 Term Paper

Uploaded by

Showmick Kar

Available Formats

Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Title: Psychological Intervention Design: Navigating Uncertainty and Fostering Purpose

among University Students

INTRODUCTION
In this paper, I would like to present a psychological intervention initiative that addresses a
serious issue among many university students these days. It is the constant presence of
uncertainty, mundanity and not having a clear grasp of their purpose for life. I think this is a
challenge we all face from time to time. It seems like we are constantly trying to find meaning in
a seemingly meaningless universe. I have tried to design a psychological intervention that
addresses these sorts of complexities and will help foster purpose among students. Let me
elaborate.

TARGET SETTING
Firstly, let's identify what group of people this initiative is geared towards. For this intervention,
I’m focusing on university students here in Bangladesh. Now, why university students? Because
I am a university student myself and they are the ones that I can resonate with the most because
of sharing similar age group and stages of life. I have talked to a lot of university students
regarding this. From that, I could gather some common themes that were present in most
individuals. Our intervention aims to resonate with these shared experiences and bring some
positive change. Now, let's take a closer look.

ANALYZING CHALLENGES
Okay, now, let's quickly summarize the challenges. The first challenge I identified was
‘Existential Stress’. From the participants' statements, I could draw a vivid picture of something
like - “It's almost as if we are nothing but fake entities like plastic dolls. We are all just playing
the 'Game of Life' and repeating the same loop every day over and over again without knowing
why.” The next challenge, which is very much related to the previous one, is - ‘Lack of
Motivation’. I think It's a common sentiment among not just students but all of us, feeling like
we are racing through life without a genuine drive or passion. This lack of motivation can harm
our academic and personal success. The next challenge that I identified was ‘Anxiety and Stress’
about their future. the uncertainty of what lies ahead after graduation is very overwhelming.
Questions such as career paths, life goals, and the constant pressure to make the right choice and
deliver puts a huge burden on university students and contributes to our anxiety levels. In our
class, you discussed two kinds of stress - Eustress and Destress. The stress in this case can be
clearly classified as destress which is detrimental for us.

APPLYING STRATEGIES
Now, let's get into some actionable steps of our psychological intervention. Here are three
approaches that I came up with.
In the first approach, I will arrange interactive workshops on mental health that integrate
Mashlow's hierarchy of needs. These workshops will guide students through exercises and
discussions. Which will help them identify and work towards their goals. As a psychologist, I
will lead the participants through some goal-setting exercises where they will get to speak about
things they want to achieve. In small group sessions, I will actively listen to them as well as
guide them towards their goals. Through these discussions, they might figure out that they need
to join some clubs for a sense of belonging and networking. Maybe they need to visit some local
career fairs and focus on job-specific preparation that will help reduce their stress regarding the
future. I will introduce them to self-talk and affirmation techniques as well as deep breathing and
meditation to boost their confidence and self-esteem. Psychotherapies in interactive workshops
might help them boost their confidence, boost self-esteem, lead to self-actualization, and help
them achieve personal growth and become the best version of themselves.

Secondly, I will use cognitive approaches in a workshop-like scenario to help the participants
navigate the reason for their mundaneness. Our intervention will include interactive campaigns
where students actively engage in decision-making scenarios. This decision-making problem can
be regarding anything. For example, I will present the participants with real-life case studies or
role-playing activities. Through discussion, they will have to come up with solutions. They will
also have to figure out the potential outcomes and consequences of their decisions. These
activities will help students gain hands-on experience in making informed choices. Our
immediate decisions are often driven by availability hierarchy. And without having a clear grasp
of what we want, we can easily make wrong decisions.

The last one is not necessarily a separate approach in itself. However, it is about recognizing that
a generalized solution might not be suitable for everyone. In fact, it might be ineffective for most
students if we don't take the time to tailor our intervention based on the individual. Hence
intervention initiative will involve one-on-one counseling sessions. I will arrange personal
assessments and discussions that will help us design interventions that resonate with each
student's unique personality and needs.

ETHICAL AND CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

Now let's briefly go over some ethical considerations. First of all, in our workshops, we keep in
mind cultural and religious diversity when designing interventions. For instance, if we're
discussing stress management techniques, we might incorporate mindfulness practices that align
with different cultural and religious traditions. This ensures that our interventions are not just
universal but culturally sensitive too.
Also, we take individual privacy very seriously. If a student shares personal struggles during a
counseling session, we ensure that this information remains confidential unless there's a direct
risk to their well-being.
IMPACT
Now I will go over some positive impacts I'm hoping to achieve through this intervention. The
first thing I'm hoping to achieve is an increase in motivation among students. I hope that our one-
on-one counseling sessions and interactive exercises will help them feel more excited about their
studies, discover new interests, and set clear goals for themselves in life.

Secondly, I want to help students have a better idea of what they want to achieve. It will be sort
of like helping them see the bigger picture. Hopefully, after this, they will be able to make more
mindful and deliberate decisions in life and make informed, conscious choices.

FEASIBILITY
Lastly, let's talk about the feasibility of my intervention design. So for this, I need to work
together with the university authorities. This means I will keep them in the loop about my plans
and ask for their support when needed. Also, I will team up with existing counseling services and
student organizations in the university for this. Their experience and resources will be valuable
in reaching a larger audience.