Assignment

There are two choices for this question. Choose one question for your main post. Be sure to label which choice you selected in your main post. Please address all parts of the question in your main post!!!

Choice 1

1. Your readings discuss heuristics and cognitive biases which affect our thinking, reasoning, and decision-making processes.

2. Develop one or two paragraphs that presents a one-sided, simplified argument about some psychological issue. Examples might be a) low self esteem causes bullying, b) parenting/nurture is more important than nature, c) repressed memory/ memory recall claims, d) low self esteem is the cause of low academic success, etc.

3. How did you use language, wording, and terminology to frame your one-sided argument?

4. What biases or mental short cuts were used in your explanations?

5. If you were presented with this argument, how could you refute the biases and suggest a more balanced explanation?

Choice 2

1. Some popular educational methods and products, claim that the use of certain highly stimulating methods, will help infants and small children develop greater levels of intelligence, creativity, and academic ability.

2. Identify one or more of these 'high success' methods, then describe how the method supposedly works?

3. What are the levels of success this product or method claims to achieve?

4. How much does this method/product seem to rely on personal stories/anecdotes, a single "independent" study, promotion by a well known celebrity, etc.

5. What is the actual "hard evidence" or scientific support for this method?

6. Assume there was some success using this method, what could be alternative explanations for its success?