Write a 10-12 page essay. You may select a topic from the following list or suggest your own. If you want to write on a topic not listed here, get your instructor's approval first.
- illusory correlation
- self-fulfilling prophecies
- attribution errors
- self-serving biases
- self-handicapping
- aggression/social stimuli
- intergroup conflict
- peacemaking among individuals, families, or groups
- interpersonal attraction
- brainwashing
- cognitive dissonance
- loneliness
|
- love and close relationships
- helping behavior
- conformity and obedience
- indoctrination and cults
- social loafing
- groupthink
- leadership or minority influence
- prejudice
- discrimination
- catharsis, frustration, and aggression
- individualism vs. collectivism
- gender roles
- culture
|
Use APA style subheadings, double-spacing, 12-point font, one-inch margins (left, right, top, and bottom), page numbering, and logical flow from topic to topic.
Information and/or quotes from other sources should be relevant and thoughtfully placed. Consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, sixth edition, for proper form of citations and references. You may use sources from the Web, your textbook or other books, and scientific journals. Magazines and newspapers are generally not acceptable. For instance, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology is acceptable, but Psychology Today is not. If you are not sure, ask your instructor.
The following criteria will be considered in the evaluation of your paper:
- Accuracy-Are your stated facts or ideas correct?
- Clarity-Is your essay clear and easy to follow? You may want to read your essay out loud to yourself. This will help you catch incomplete sentences or lapses in logic.
- Depth-Are the issues and implications well thought out and explored?
- Originality-What is your thesis (the main point of your essay)? Have you stated your own views and articulated them well? Use your own words. Do not copy material directly from your text or other sources without quotation marks. If you want to use the author's exact words, put them in quotation marks and cite the page number from your text or other source material. Don't forget to express your own opinion.
- Supporting evidence-Are your ideas supported with empirical evidence? This is a crucial part of any well-written essay. You may support your ideas with theories, previously conducted research, or other information you encounter in the text and other sources (journal articles and so forth). You may also use personal experiences as supporting evidence when appropriate.
- References-Did you use appropriate references to support the main points of your paper? You may find references in the textbook bibliography that support your ideas. Be sure you have these references-that is, that you have the articles on hand if you used them, and make sure that your references relate to the point you are making or support your inferences.
- Form, composition, spelling, and so forth-Isyour paper neat and error-free? It helps to run spellcheck before submitting your work and to have a colleague or friend read over your work.
- APA style-Did you follow the formatting rules of the American Psychological Association (APA)? Use your APA publication manual. You may also want to visit the APA Web site, the APA Tutorial in the PSYC Learning Tools in the Course Content Area of your WebTycho classroom the UMUC Guide to Writing and Research, and/or UMUC's library Web page.