Final Paper: PSY 2012: Introduction to Psychology/Dr. Jodi Grace
Due Date: Wednesday, April 22nd (40 possible points) by 6 PM
For this paper, you should pick two specific topics from the course (from either lecture or the textbook). Your topic should be very specific. For example, an appropriately specific topic would be the benefits of positive reinforcement over positive punishment rather than just choosing learning as your topic. Another example might be egocentrism in the preoperational stage and not simply the topic of child development.
This assignment will include two short papers. Each paper should be approximately 3 pages of content typed and double-spaced. Therefore, I should receive no more than 6 (or a little over 6) pages of text/content (title page, reference page, and articles are not included in the 6 pages).
One topic that you choose should be a topic that you found interesting, and it must be something that you did NOT know (or did not know accurately) before this class. Your knowledge on the topic may have been nonexistent (or almost nonexistent), or you may have had misinformation on the topic. In addition, you will need to find an article from the internet (nonacademic print media such as a CNN article, blog post, etc.) that discusses the topic you chose (the article may not use the exact terminology, but it should describe the phenomenon).
For this paper you should:
- Describe the topic/phenomenon in your own words. Be specific.
- Discuss if you had “no knowledge”, “little knowledge” (specify what you knew), or “misinformation” about this topic (specify the misinformation).
- Describe if the information in the article is consistent with what you learned in class or inconsistent with what you learned in class. Be specific in your description of how the information matches what you have learned. Or, if the article is inconsistent with what you have learned, be sure to describe the discrepancies.
- Attach a copy of the print media along with your paper. (Be sure that the link is working for your article, or I cannot grade your paper.)
The second topic that you choose should be a topic that you found interesting and that relates to a life situation that either you, a friend of yours, or a family member is currently experiencing. You should describe the topic/phenomenon that you chose and also discuss how the information you learned in class can potentially benefit this person in the current situation or perhaps help him/her make a more positive decision to change the current life situation.
For this paper you should
- Describe the topic/phenomenon in your own words. Be specific.
- Discuss the life situation that you (or the other person) is/are going through.
- Discuss how the information you learned in class will benefit this person and perhaps assist him/her in making a more positive decision or change in his/her life.
Note! This paper must include a reference page, using APA format. You should include a reference for your article for topic 1 and also reference our textbook. Also, you should use APA in-text (parenthetical) citations.