social psychology essay

PSY 345: Social Psychology McAuliff Personal Application Paper

PERSONAL APPLICATION PAPER

In addition to reading and thinking about the concepts covered in the text, an important part of the learning process includes applying these concepts to your own life and experiences. To facilitate this process, a personal application paper must be uploaded on Moodle no later than 10am on Monday, May 11. The paper should be typed (12 characters/inch font), three to five pages in length, and double-spaced with one inch margins. Late papers will not be accepted and students not turning in papers will receive a 0. The personal application paper will count for 25% of your final grade.

For the paper, students should select one or two central topics discussed during the semester and write about how the topic(s) is relevant to you and your life. For example, for the chapter on prejudice, you might write about a time you directly or indirectly experienced some form of prejudice. Alternatively, you could analyze a television commercial with an eye toward the material covering the use of persuasion to increase compliance. Remember, this assignment is intended to help you recognize how the material covered in class is personally relevant, as well as to encourage you to think critically about the concepts presented instead of passively accepting them as truths. Thus it is acceptable (and commendable) to include in your paper a discussion of the reasons why you agree/disagree with what the author is saying. To reiterate, each paper must have the following two components: a review (including proper citation) of the concept from the text to be discussed; and second, your thoughts/feelings on this topic and a discussion of how it applies to your life including whether you agree/disagree with what the author has said.

PSY 345: Social Psychology McAuliff Personal Application Paper Grading Form

_____ Introduction (2) _____ Statement of interest (1) _____ Explained (1)

_____ Description of Social Psychological Concept, Theory, or Research (10) _____ Provided (4) _____ Explained (4) _____ Soundness (1) _____ Relevance (1)

_____ Personal Application of Social Psychological Concept, Theory, or Research (20) _____ Application (15) _____ Critical Analysis (5)

_____ Conclusion (2) _____ Summarize Main Idea (2)

_____ Writing (4) _____ Clarity (2) _____ Grammar (1) _____ Organization (1)

_____ Presentation (2) _____ No typos (1) _____ Neatness (1)

_____ TOTAL (40)