Description
Introductory Psychology 2 Paper
Psychology in the Classroom and in our Lives
The aim of this project is for students to recognize how psychological topics that we discuss in the classroom are depicted in real life and pop culture, and often done so in a biased manner. Students are expected to evaluate various sources related to their topic and make informed decisions about the quality of those sources. Students will develop key transferrable skills that not only align with our departmental learning goals for psychology majors, but are also highly valued by employers.
1. You may choose any topic in psychology to write about. Pick anything that you find interesting! Get approval from Dr. Alexander.
a. Learning objective: Fundamental knowledge of psychology
2. Explain and discuss your topic as defined by the field of psychology (you will need to rely on quality sources) and explain why it is relevant, interesting, or important (at least half a page).
a. Learning objective: Fundamental knowledge of psychology
3. Find two sources about your topic. One source needs to be a scholarly, peer reviewed, experimental article. The other source can be anything you wish.
a. Learning objective: Information literacy
4. Briefly summarize each source, focusing on the main purpose, key ideas, and conclusions (at least half a page).
a. Learning objective: Information literacy
5. Compare and contrast the two sources in terms of the style in which they are written, the audience they are intended for, the evidence they use to make their points, the review process (if any), and any potential sources of bias (at least one full page).
a. Learning objective: Analytical reasoning
6. Explain which source is of higher quality and why (be specific and use detail). Here, we are defining high quality as being free of bias and most objective (at least half a page).
a. Learning objective: Critical thinking
7. Find a movie, TV show, or documentary that portrays the topic you chose. Explain how your topic is depicted (at least half a page).
a. Learning objective: Information literacy, fundamental knowledge of psychology
8. Identify and discuss three potential sources of bias in the movie or TV show (at least half a page).
a. Learning objective: Analytical reasoning and critical thinking
The entire paper should be at least 3.5 pages long and typed in standard font/margins and standard English grammar. Students will be graded on how well they followed instructions, if the paper was completed fully, their quality of writing, clarity, thoughtfulness, attention to detail, analytical reasoning, and critical thinking.
Optional drafts of paper due 3/29