In a three to five page paper (double spaced) discuss one of the mental processes reviewed in the class and apply your newfound knowledge on the topic to improve our approach to a problem or situation that arises in everyday living. Some examples might be:
- Using our lessons on problem solving and creativity to suggest a way to resolve conflicts between nations
- Using our discussion of memory to improve how school children are taught
- Using our discussion of perception to improve the way highways are designed to improve safety
Your structured external assignment will be grade on the following criteria:
- How well you explain the mental process being reviewed
- How well you apply the mental process to the selected problem
- How logical your solutions are based on the problem and the mental process chosen
(For an example of an illogical application, if you were to write a paper on how perception can be manipulated subliminally to improve sales, you would likely demonstrate a lack of understanding of the mental process involved, which will hurt your overall score on the paper).
The paper's arguments should not be drawn from your opinion and should instead be based on the empirical facts we have learned about the mental process selected. You may include outside research on the application/ problem scenario (in fact this is recommended) and how the mental process relates to it.