- Select and answer two critical thinking prompts from below. Each response should be two pages, so four pages total. If it is a little longer, that is fine. Be sure to apply terms/concept(s) from the readings, and/or the slide presentations. Use at least two direct quotes with citations (APA or ASA style) per response to support your points. You may also relate the topics to your personal lives, current events, and/or slide presentations. Write one response, then the next, then include your reference page. It is all one paper, but the discussions are separate. No late work is accepted. You must upload the entire paper as ONE attachment file under ASSIGNMENTS in the online classroom. The attachment must be Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, PDF, or Word Pad (RTF) format. I cannot open Mac files (Pages), so you will have to convert it. TurnItIn will check for plagiarism, so DO NOT COPY FROM THE INTERNET OR OTHER SOURCES!
- Papers must be typed. Use a standard 12 size font in either: Tahoma, Times New Roman, Courier New, Calibri, or Arial. The paper must be double spaced with one-inch margins.
- Put your heading (name and such) in the header of the paper – you do not need a cover page. Put page numbers at the footer of the paper. Before each response, write the prompt number you are answering.
- Be sure to reference the author you directly quoted, even if it is from the textbook or slides. You should have a page at the very end called “References”. You only need one reference page. Wikipedia and Dictionary.com are not academic sources – you do not need to use them. The only sources you need for this assignment are your class notes, slides, and/or textbook. Follow the American Psychological Association (APA) or the American Sociological Association (ASA) format for in-text citations and the reference page. You can do an Internet search for “APA style guide” or “ASA style guide”. You only need to use APA or ASA style for quotes, citations, and the reference page.
- When writing formally, avoid using contractions (can’t, don’t, won’t). Use the full versions (can not, do not, will not). Do not use slang such as “cool”. Spell out smaller numbers (twenty instead of 20). Do not end sentences in prepositions (with, for, by, along, in, out).
- Make sure you break your work up into paragraphs. Do not submit one long paragraph for each response.
- Note: some of the prompts are more straightforward then others. Regardless of what prompts you select, you should apply and incorporate course material (what you are learning) in your answers. You can always tell more than what the prompt is asking for – again, the point of the assignment is to apply what you are learning.
Prompts
- Compare and contrast the major schools of thought (theoretical perspectives) in psychology.
- Compare and contrast two different research methods. For each method, explain what you would choose to study if you could examine anything about social media usage among 18-24 year olds, and why that method is appropriate for what you are choosing to research.
- You want to design a study to evaluate whether an anti-bullying program causes a reduction in bullying behavior among middle school students. Describe your study design in enough detail that another researcher could replicate it, including stating your research hypothesis, indicating your independent and dependent variables, and explaining your rationale for the design. What are two potential criticisms of your study?
- Discuss the four lobes of the brain and give an example of behavioral changes that may occur following damage to each lobe.
- A scientist has invented a pill that can replace sleep. It is organic, cheap, and the only side effect is the elimination of dreaming. People taking it would recover approximately 25 years’ worth of time that would otherwise be spent sleeping. Do you foresee any problems resulting from releasing this pill?
- Imagine you have a child with congenital insensitivity to pain. What steps can you take to ensure their safety?
- Compare and contrast classical and operant conditioning. Be sure to explain all the parts of both, including reinforcements and punishments. Use examples.
- Describe in detail, using real life examples, observational learning.
- Discuss the major problems in our thinking.
- Compare the potential of someone who scores low on an intelligence test to someone who scores high on an intelligence test.
- Discuss the common problems and conditions associated with memory.
- Discuss some of the benefits and drawbacks of having hyperthymesia.
