Assignment
Purpose:
You will listen to (or watch) outside source material chosen from the options below. This is a chance to explore a topic that interests you in more detail and to think about course concepts in new contexts. The paper will also give you the chance to practice your academic writing skills and receive practical feedback.
Consider the source material as a springboard for your own ideas and reactions. This paper is not an exercise in simple summarizing. It is an exercise in applying and integrating your new knowledge. Try to draw connections between this source, the material we are learning in class, and your own thoughts and feelings.
for example...
"I was disturbed by Nim's placement with a human family who knew nothing about chimpanzees or sign language. Not only was this situation risky, but it limited the researcher's ability to provide convincing support for his hypothesis. It would have been more appropriate to observe Nim and the family in a lab setting where the influence of extraneous factors could be better controlled."
is preferable to ....
"Researchers placed Nim with a human family in the city and studied his development to see if he could learn language. When this arrangement became too dangerous, he moved into a rural research facility with new handlers."
Content:
You will earn points by making at least three thoughtful observations with a related reaction that ties the source material to your own experience and/or to course information. A sample student paper is available upon request.
To generate thoughtful content, I suggest an initial review of the material followed by immediate ‘freewriting' of your reactions. Later, after considering related course information and the following questions (or others you might come up with- these are only brainstorming suggestions), listen again and take notes. Then identify the main ideas that interest you most, select at least three, and organize your paper around them.
• Which areas of psychology does this material address? How?
• Did this story remind you of your own experiences? How?
• Was this information believable/credible? Why or why not?
• What questions are you left with and how might you guess at an answer?
• Which psychological perspectives were represented? By whom and how so?
• Did you recognize any of the concepts we have read about in this material?
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.