Assignment 1: Description of Research Methodology

In this assignment, you will write an essay about the research methods and ethical implications of a social psychology study. You will get information about the study from one of the entries in the SPARQ "Solutions Catalog", which is a web site maintained by Stanford University. SPARQ is an acronym for "Social Psychological Answers to Real-world Questions." Each entry in the Solutions Catalog names a problem, and then offers a solution to that problem, based on a research study in social psychology.

To keep this assignment short and manageable, your only sources for this assignment should be from the SPARQ site and your course materials, such as your textbook. There is no need for you to cite any of the course materials. Therefore, no additional citations or references are needed, beyond those from the SPARQ site.

In this exercise, you will choose one of the entries in the SPARC site, and then write a two to three (2-3) page paper that meets the following requirements.

1. Begin your paper with a short introductory statement that clearly identifies the article from the SPARQ site that you are using, as well as the corresponding research article. Model your statement after the following example:

The article I selected from the SPARQ website is entitled "Boost Grades by Reframing Failures" (Wilson, n.d.), which summarizes a research article (Wilson & Linville, 1982) on the topic.

• Please note that there are two APA "in-text citations" in this example. The first citation "(Wilson, n.d.)" is an in-text citation for the SPARQ article. The SPARQ articles are undated, which means that there is no date of publication reported. The "n.d." designation is an abbreviation for "no date".

• The second citation "(Wilson & Linville, 1982)", is an in-text citation to the original research article. We are asking you to cite this paper for practice in using APA, but are not requiring you to read the original paper. Normally, you should cite only those articles that you actually read and used, but we're making an exception here for the purposes of practice.

1. Briefly summarize the main details of your chosen social psychology research study. Identify the main research method(s) used in the study (e.g., case study, experiment, observation, etc.).

2. Explain whether or not you believe the research methodology that the researchers used in the study was the most appropriate for the study. Provide a rationale for your response.

3. Discuss whether or not you believe the research methodology used in the study is the one (1) method that provides researchers with the most information in general. Explain the main reasons why or why not.

4. Explain the major ethical implications of the selected study (e.g., informed consent, debriefing, etc.). Describe the main reasons why you believe the study was or was not ethical. Provide a rationale for your response.

5. The final section of your paper will be a reference section that contains a corresponding reference for both of the in-text citations in your introductory statement (see point #1, above). In APA-style citations, in-text citations must match up with a reference in the reference section. You can model your reference section after the following:

Wilson, T. D. (n.d.). Boost grades by reframing failures. Improving the academic performance of college freshmen: attribution therapy revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42 (2), 367-376.

• These examples follow the APA conventions for an Internet article, and a professional journal article, respectively.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Describe research methods that are used for studying social psychology.

• Develop an increased understanding of the dynamic between society and individuals.

• Use technology and information resources to research issues in social psychology.

• Write clearly and concisely about social psychology using proper grammar and mechanics.