The document provides biographical information about Sarah Jenkins, including her education background and work experience in food service. It also contains a case study she wrote analyzing the murder trial of the Menendez brothers, who were accused of killing their parents. The case study examines factors such as the brothers' criminal history and spending habits that contradicted their claim of self-defense.

1. Undergraduate Studies ePortfolio Sarah Jenkins Psychology, 2011

2. Personal Statement I grew up in a small town in Kansas then moved for school. I'm am currently living in Denver where I am just a few days away from receiving my BA. After graduating I am looking into getting my CAC so I can work in substance abuse. One of my short term goals is to make this transition. A longer goal would be to possible continue my education at a later time.

3. Resume I am seeking this position to get started in my desired career. Working in the food industry, provided opportunity to deal with a small amount of conflict. I have also mastered the art of multi tasking and I'm able to work in a fast pace environment. Employment: Gary Newcomb-Subway (303) 321-9093 Assistant Manager Clean Restock Train Customer Service Handle monetary transaction Good Times (303) 830-8060 Shift Leader Clean Restock Inventory Customer Service Request Coaching Team members Handle transactions Johnny Rockets Denver, CO Server Clean Restock Taking care of Customer Request Handle Transactions Entertain Guests Education: Argosy University I am currently working on receiving my BA in Psychology, October 2011 American Red Cross CPR/AED-Adult 2011 Standard First Aid

4. Reflection I've enjoyed my time at Argosy University. Not only was ethics and diversity often the topic of conversation but I would say that I have learned more about myself and how I view others. I have learned through class papers that there are different theories or sides to every problem and not everyone will agree with one. I've learned to go with what makes sense to me but to make sure that there is research to support it. I do feel more confident about writing then when I entered Argosy. I have also learned how to explore when researching. There have been times where I will have one idea but when reading articles I find a new idea. I do have more of an idea of what therapy should be instead of what is shown in the media; therapy is mostly exploration of who you are as a person. I may lack the specific knowledge of each treatment or each mental illness but I know where to find the information or at least know the basics of treatment.

5. Table of Contents Table of Contents Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking and Information Literacy Research Skills Communication Skills: Oral and Written Ethics and Diversity Awareness Foundations of Psychology Applied Psychology Interpersonal Effectiveness

6. Critical Thinking Forensic Consultants Inc. Consultation Report Examiner : Sarah Jenkins Contract Date : March 28, 2011 Date Completed : March 28, 2011. Referral Question : Lyle and Erik Menendez were charged with the murders of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez. Jose and Kitty Menendez were shot several times with a shot gun; some at close range. Both brothers admitted to killing them and claimed that it was self defense. They claimed that their parents sexually and psychological abused them. The brothers both have criminal records and did inherheit a huge amount of money when their parents were killed. Areas of Concern: The brothers actions did not match with what they were saying. They had previous crimes including grand theft. The brothers also took no time to spend a huge amount of money. The brothers also gave a different story than what the police found. I do think that greed did have some effect on their memory. Guilt could have also had an effect. One of the brothers admitted to the murders during therapy. The brothers memory could also be inaccruate due to the action. The main focus would be on the guns and evidence and not the environment (Argsoy, 2011). Deception Purchase of gun Used friend’s name and forged signature Criminal record Grand theft Burglury Spending of money Polygraph Test Pro See if parents did abuse brothers Find the motive for murder Con ble test (NYTimes, 2006) Reference Argosy University. (2011). Class Lecture. Retrieved on March 28, 2011 from http://myeclassonline.com Crime & Investigation Network. Menendez Brothers. Retrieved on March 28, 2011 from http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/menendez-brothers/biography.html The New York Times. (2006). Looking for the Lie. Retrieved on March 28, 2011 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/magazine/05lying.html?pagewanted=7

7. Continued Critical Polygraph Test Pro See if parents did abuse brothers Find the motive for murder Con Unrealible test (NYTimes, 2006) Results may vary between brothers Conclusions : Witnesses did state that the family didn’t seem close. The day before the parents died they went on a boat trip. Crew members stated that “they were miserable and non-communicative.” Due to this it does seem possible that it was self defense. Raised in this kind of environment this would explain why the brothers behavior. However due to the fact the parents were killed brutally with multiply shots and the fact that the brothers tried to delete a will that did not include them the motive outweighs self denfense. Signature: Ms. Jenkins M.A Consultant Date of Submission : March 28, 2011 Reference Argosy University. (2011). Class Lecture. Retrieved on March 28, 2011 from http://myeclassonline.com Crime & Investigation Network. Menendez Brothers. Retrieved on March 28, 2011 from http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/menendez-brothers/biography.html The New York Times. (2006). Looking for the Lie. Retrieved on March 28, 2011 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/magazine/05lying.html?pagewanted=7

8. Research Skills There are different factors that can contribute to substance abuse. In this study I looked at how religion may influence substance usage leading to abuse. I surveyed people that are in treatment and also detox. My main interest was finding diversity of religion as I also wanted to cover religions that are less common such as Wicca or Atheist. There are some religious practices that include using substances such as alcohol or hallucinogenic substances. This is one reason why I felt that this study should be done to see if religion is a factor to abuse. My hypothesis is that all religions have the same influence on substance usage which can lead to abuse. The information gathered did support the hypothesis however it showed that religion wasn’t a huge influence in substance abuse.

9. Behaviorist believed that it was stimuli that created our actions and not our thoughts or emotions (King, Woody & Viney, 2009). This seems to simplify human nature. For example if you see a fight a person may hit back because the other person hit them first. In this case getting hit was the stimuli that caused the violence and not the upset emotions that may have occurred; however the emotions may have started the fight. I don’t think that this is either pessimistic or optimistic but rather just is. It could be considered optimistic because it added another element to psychology to explain human interaction. Behaviorist did believe that it was external stimuli but when Watson applied psychology to advertising he found that “people buy products on the basis of needs and motives.” We also buy products based on the ideas of the product (King, 2009). For example if you buy cigarettes you will look as good as the people smoking, or if you buy this product you will loose weight. Behaviorist do emphasis that behavior came from environmental influences but Sechenov did state that “only a minimal part is due to heredity” (King, 2009). External stimuli was more closely watch but internal stimuli, as learned later, should not be ignored. Even our most basic needs, I believe, are internal stimuli. Since this theory is mostly based on external stimuli it does rely on people to adapt to their settings which can cause change. Moving from a small town to a big city was a culture shock for me. I do think that part of my change has been adapting to the new environment. As far as human development I don’t think that behaviorist views apply here. Both Freud and Erickson’s theory have outside stimuli but there is also internal stimuli as shame or guilt are mentioned. Erickson’s theory does relay how a person may be emotionally due to their influences in life.

10. Ethics and Diversity

11. Foundation Age/Intelligence The clients age could be an issue for competence. People that are 15 to 16 years old with below average intelligence are “unable to comprehand the Miranda warning.” (Argosy, 2011). Since Kinkel was put into special education classes this fact alone would make him below average. I do think that the intelligence of the client should be in question. Depending on the test used to determine IQ the valdity of that test could be in question. Dyslexia Dyslexia can cause serious acdemic problems as words and numbers are hard to recognize. This can cause frustration, anger, and can lead to violent behavior. People with dyslexia seem to do well creativly or athletical. Some one with dyslexia can still have a high IQ but still do poorly in school (Homeopathy, 2006). ADD ADD can increase the risk of violence however should not be considered the reason for violence as many people with ADD or ADHD are not violent (Handelman, 2008). Depression Adolescents with depression can become violent to hide their depression from others (Cooperstein, 1999). Treatment Kinkel was in psychotherapy and was taking medication to help with depression and ADD. The cleint’s willingness to follow treatment and also the treatment’s effectivness may be in question.

12. Applied During Freud’s time their was not much information on human behavior. I do think that the lack of answers did influence some of his work. Freud did believe that thoughts or actions come from different points as some memories may be pushed back or forgotten. I do think that his theories can explain some behavior and lead to other theories but in most therapy treatments the unconscious is not addressed. Freud believed that from birth people “seek pleasure and try to avoid pain” (King, Woody, & Viney, 2009). This is something to all ways keep in mind because emotions can be painful. If the client is not encourage to share in a healthy environment the emotional pains may not be discovered because it’s easier to try to ignore them than face them. However there are people that find pleasure or relief in pain and challenge this idea because how can something be pleasurable if it causes pain.

13. Interpersonal Effectiveness Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 This law I believe is more for agriculture but I think every business must follow this. This law does state that employers should not hire anyone that does not have a working visa or green card as it is commonly known as. However this law also protects immigrants that are applying for a job. “Employers are not allowed to discriminate against any individual with respect to hiring, recruitment, referral for fee, or discharging from employment because of national origin.” Fines for having an unauthorized worker can range from 250 to 10,000 dollars. For discrimination the fines can range from 250 to 2,000 dollars (USDA). Title VII This law is meant to keep employers from “discriminating against individuals because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.” This is to help prevent employers from not hiring a person, firing someone, or discriminating in terms of pay, conditions of employment or privileges of employment. This also protects employees against retaliation from employers due to illegal employment practice. This is to encourage employees to revel to proper channels of illegal practices (Noe, 2009). Employment Non-Discrimination Act This law is close to Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act however it prohibits discrimination against sexual orientation and gender identity. Not all states have this law in action however in 2011, 87 percent of Fortune 500 companies have included sexual orientation in their polices and 46 percent have policies that include gender identity. Currently there are no federal laws that protect LGBT employees (Human Rights Campaign, 2011). Age Discrimination in Employment Act This is one of the biggest complaints filed each year. I can understand why this happens though. Workers that have been there longer are usually paid more. To lower cost employers will offer early retirement so that the company can hire younger employees that are paid less. Age is also looked at when a company is downsizing (Noe, 2009). It does make sense to fire the older person because they won’t be with the company much longer, however the average lifespan is growing. Now the average person is living into their 80’s (Argosy, 2010). Education is great but I think experience is more important. Being in the real world is different from school .

14. My Future in Learning As a life long learner I do hope that some of my current ideas change. I do think that is the point of education; not to change your opinion but to give you a point to think about. With this in mind my education will continue even outside of class and hopefully give me some challenges.

15. Contact Me Thank you for viewing my ePortfolio. For further information, please contact me at the e-mail address below. [email_address]