PSY 212—Social Psychology

Spring 2009 Essay & Project Assignments

This course requires essays worth 200 points and an additional project worth 200 points.  Following are details of those assignments.

Essay assignment:

Instead of a single long paper, this course will require 10 brief, one-page essays, worth 20 points each. Each should be typed, and should consist of three paragraphs covering the following points:

(1) a short description of a personal experience or observation which illustrates or exemplifies one of the social psychological concepts covered in class lecture or the text;

(2) a brief explanation of the theory or research dealing with the concept discussed in the first paragraph; and

(3) an application of the research or theory in paragraph 2 to the experience described in paragraph 1, together with an evaluation of the “fit” of the theory to the life experience.  

Your grade will be based on style and content.  I am picky about grammar and sentence structure.  The format for each essay is as follows: 

·         your name and the date in the upper right hand corner (heading area)

·         title centered 1” from the top of the page in the following format: Chapter ___ Essay

·         double space after the title and throughout the body of the essay

·         12-pt Times New Roman and one-inch margins 

·         You must have one full page of text. 

These essays must come from 10 different chapters of the text, and each must be turned in within one week after completion of that chapter in class.  NO LATE ESSAYS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Project option #1, Media Folder:

You may choose to create a folder of 20 news clippings that illustrate what you are learning about social psychology.  You are to collect newspaper and magazine clippings and write an explanation of each one using course material. You can use articles, editorials, advertisements, advice columns, photographs, and cartoons.  Your explanation should discuss what principle is illustrated by the clipping.  The explanation should be about 3-5 sentences in length, typed, and stapled to the clipping.  Keep these in a suitable binder with your name on it.  Your folder will be turned in for review and grading on February 26 and April 9. You must have at least 10 clippings done for the first review and all 20 done for the second review.  

Project option #2, Book Report:

You may elect to read the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and write a book report.  The report should be about 10 pages in length, with the same typing requirements as the essays (12-pt TNR, double spaced, 1” margins) and a cover page that is not included in the page total.  It should include a summary of the primary points of the book (8-10 pages) and a personal reflection (2 pages).  This book report will be due April 9.