Psychology paper

PSYC 2301 – General Psychology

Department of Behavioral Sciences Instructor: Dr. Maria Dowding

“Who Am I?” Project

1) This Major Paper is part of your grade and is designed to demonstrate your ability to link and effectively connect the theories we studied to events that happened in your life. The events connect to the theories in a way that gives an interpretation about how you connect the events to the theory. You may use more than one theory when discussing your analysis. Each piece of the project needs 1) a description about your life as it relates to the answer of the section you are working on, then 2) one or more theories that link your answer to psychological aspects discussed, and then 3) why you feel the theories connect your past with your current answers. Your paper should be about 6 or more pages. Please put your name, General Psychology, and the date in the upper right hand corner. Double space your paper and use New Times Roman or Ariel font. Please make your font size 12.

Communication piece -

2) Write presentation on “Who Am I?” (I don’t want you to just give facts about yourself… Instead tell me what has molded you into the person you are now. (Example: I was born in Germany, raised by my grandmother- strict parenting style, worked hard, etc. These changed me influenced me because – then state what the change was and the theory or psychological premise we discussed that applies)

3) Identify an object that represents who you are. If you choose a sports item—describe how that “sport” has influenced your development, your attitude about life, etc.

Critical Thinking -

4) Discuss why you chose that object/ how it represents “you”. Again do this in relation to how theories we discussed and why those were the ones chosen.

5) Discuss your upbringing—who has influenced your life (such as a parent, teacher, etc.) what things have made you the way that you are now (I am oldest of three children—has made me more “in charge” of things. Or, my parent is an “inventor”, trying new things—therefore, I am a “risk-taker”, etc.), what role has the environment played in your upbringing, etc. Connect what theories your influencers are based in.

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

6) What single event in your life has affected you or several events that occurred that have helped to shape who you are? What are they and how do they relate to our course material. Discuss the correlation of these events in relation to the impact on your life. Review the nature and nurture discussion. What percent of nature would you contribute to this outcome and what percent of nurture would you contribute to this outcome? Explain why in relation to the research and theory for nature/nurture.

7) Describe your personality traits (extroverted, introverted, combination of both extroversion & introversion) and the reasons why? Again relate it to what we discussed and what is in our course material. Also discuss the correlation of these events in relation to the impact on your life. Review the nature and nurture discussion. What percent of nature would you contribute to this outcome and what percent of nurture would you contribute to this outcome? Explain why in relation to the research and theory for nature/nurture.

Social Responsibility -

8) What things are important to you in your life? What things do you value? Who taught you the “value”? How has it affected your past behavior? In what way can you affirm it through future behavior? Examples include: a comfortable life, an exciting life, inner harmony, concern for others, contributions to society, love, pleasure, religion, etc. Again relate it to what we discussed, what is in our course material and how this supports social responsibility

9) How do you view/ perceive things in your life? Example: different people perceive/ encode stimuli in different ways (a tennis game—a chance for an individual to have some fun or a demand for an individual to perfect his game). What do you think may have caused your perception to be as it is, how do you think it will change over time, how do you think it influences you in relation to your social interactions? Again relate it to what we discussed and what is in our course material and how this supports social responsibility.