Introduction to Psychology
Critique a Popular-Press Article About Psychology
-Pick a popular-press article (e.g., from a newspaper, magazine, blog post, etc.) about a topic relevant to psychology. Include a link to the article in your paper. For the purposes of this assignment, any article that is not in an academic journal is considered a popular-press article. If you are not sure whether an article is appropriate, you can check with me.
-Analyze the article with a critical eye. For example:
-Are their alternative explanations for the phenomenon that the article
addresses?
-Does the article ignore important implications of the research that it discusses?
-Does the article leave unanswered questions about the topic?
-Find peer-reviewed articles to support or refute aspects of the popular-press article.
-Use the information from peer-reviewed articles to assess what the authors got right and what they got wrong. If the article cites psychological research, then find and cite the original research. Also, assess whether the authors of the popular-press article accurately represent the original research.
General Guidelines
-The paper should be 3-5 pages. It should be typed, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font, with one-inch margins. Do NOT include a title page or abstract. Your reference page does not count toward the 3-5 pages. The exact length of your paper depends on how much space is required to make a persuasive argument, adequately explain a topic, provide appropriate background information, etc. Scientific writing (like this paper) must be concise.
-The paper should cite a minimum of five peer-reviewed articles. One easy way to find full-text, peer-reviewed articles is to go to the TU library website, click on “Databases” then search for Google Scholar (you may be asked to sign in with your TU credentials). Accessing Google Scholar this way will give you free access to all the resources the Cook Library has available electronically. If you are unsure of whether an article is peer-reviewed, you can check the journal’s website (you can also ask me). The exact number of citations in your paper should depend on how much research exists about your topic, how many citations are requires to justify the points you make, etc.
-The paper should be in APA format. The following website is a helpful resource for formatting (but, again, no title page or abstract): https://towson.libguides.com/apastyle7
– The paper is due 3/17 before midnight.
-A submission portal for the paper will be available under the “Paper” tab in Blackboard. Papers must be uploaded as either Word or PDF files. Late papers will be penalized by 25 points (If you have issues with the submission portal in Blackboard, you can email me your paper as an attachment by the due date ment@towson.edu. Therefore, issues with the submission portal will not be considered a valid excuse for late papers). Students will get zeros for any papers not turned in by the last day of class.
-If you complete the paper according to the requirements and are dissatisfied with the grade you earn, you can re-do the assignment (by the last day of classes) to replace your original grade. If you re-do the assignment, you must pick a new article to write about. If your grade for the re-do is lower than your original grade, your original grade will go in the grade book.
Grading Rubric:
10% – Appropriateness of Topic/Popular-Press Article
15% – Fulfillment of Requirements
5% – APA formatting
30% – Clear, Concise Writing
40% – Analysis of Topic