HW

Behavioral Neuroscience (PSY290H1)

Written Assignment: Media Representation of Psychological Disorders

Psychological research, and clinical treatment, is quite complex. Much of the good work that psychologists do is difficult to communicate to the greater public. As a result, the views of the public sometimes disagree – on occasion, strongly - with the views of the psychology community. This disconnect is particularly evident in the media representation of psychological disorders. Tragically, many of these serious conditions are poorly understood.

This assignment will assign focuses on the representation of psychological disorders. Specifically, the assignment has two major goals:

1. To teach you about psychological disorders and how they are represented;

2. To teach you valuable writing skills that will help you communicate complex ideas (structure, argument, supporting claims with evidence, research and referencing)

The format of the assignment is described below (Steps 1 – 4) along with the grading scheme (Step 5). We will also be offering support sessions to assist you (Step 6). If you need help, please do not hesitate to ask!

Step 1: Pick A Disorder

First, you must pick a psychological disorder from the approved list below. These disorders are covered in the course at various points. If there are multiple form of your disorder (e.g. substance abuse includes cocaine abuse and heroin abuse), you must pick a single form.

· Alzheimer's Disease

· Anorexia (any form)

· Anxiety (any form)

· Autism Spectrum Disorder

· Behavioral addictions (e.g. gambling)

· Bipolar Disorder

· Chronic Pain (any form)

· Depression (any form)

· Language disorders

· Multiple sclerosis

· Obesity

· Parkinson’s Disease

· Schizophrenia

· Sleep disorders (all forms)

· Substance abuse/addiction (all forms)

You might feel there is a disorder that is suitable for the assignment but is not on this list. If this is the case, please speak to me during office hours. I’m happy to discuss the possibility with you. To be a suitable disorder for the assignment, the condition must be well-studied (with psychological and physiological methods) and frequently discussed in the media.

Step 2: Research Phase

Your assignment will require you to pursue two forms of inquiry: 1) scientific research and 2) media research.

· In the science research portion of your assignment (1), you must find scientific articles (reviews are strongly recommended but research articles are also acceptable). These resources are accessible through your library database ( https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/) and others ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). As we are a Behavioral Neuroscience course, you will need to comment on both the behavior and physiology of your disorder to some extent.

· In the media research portion of your assignment (2), there is more flexibility. You can discuss survey data (from high-quality sources), journal articles, TV shows, films, interviews or books.

Ideally, you should have 5 to 10 sources. Though a complete paper must include sources from both areas, an especially strong focus should be given to the scientific research (1).

Step 3: Build Your Paper

After doing sufficient research into the scientific representation of the disorder (1) and the media representation (2), you must compare the two. Identify any areas of agreement or disagreement. The body of your assignment will discuss these agreements and disagreements. Your finished assignment should include:

· An introductory paragraph summarizing the disorder (e.g. epidemiology, symptoms, significance and treatment) that includes a thesis statement that makes clear the goal of the assignment.

· A discussion of how the media representation (1) agrees with views in the scientific/clinical community (2). Some examples are given below:

· A film including a character with depression might show memory impairment following electroconvulsive therapy that eventually subsides.

· A television show on schizophrenia might show auditory hallucinations.

· A discussion of how the media representation (1) disagrees with views in the scientific/clinical community (2). The public views can be incorrect, misleading or outright contradictory. Some examples are given below:

· A common idea is that many people with autism spectrum disorder have remarkable cognitive abilities. However, the vast majority do not (90%).

· Many people incorrectly assume that schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder are the same thing.

All major statements made should be supported with references. Ideally, you should bring up multiple points within each category (e.g. approximately 3 examples of agreement, approximately 3 of examples of disagreement). The more quality arguments you make, the greater the quality of your paper. You’ll want to discuss these points in an organized fashion (e.g. all points of agreement discussed in sequence first).

Step 4: Document Formatting

· Please use a *.pdf, *.docx or *.doc format for your document. These are the only formats reliably viewable through Quercus. If you do not format your document properly, you will be required to resubmit.

· Please use Arial, size 12 font.

· The assignment should be double-spaced.

· The word count is 750 – 1000 words.

· Cite all sources. APA style, 7th edition citation style is preferred for this document.

· Include a title page with an assignment title (of your choice) and relevant student information.

· Include an introductory paragraph which summaries the disorder and the goal of the assignment (see above).

· Please proofread your document before submission. Spelling and grammar will be monitored and will contribute to your grade (see below).

Step 5: Submission and Grading

· Submit the assignment via the dedicated submission portal provided on Quercus.

· This assignment is to be submitted by April 10 @ 11:59 pm (extension from syllabus), and will be worth 8% of your grade. If you experience exceptional circumstances, please reach out in advance. I am happy to discuss things with you.

· The assignment will be graded based upon the following criteria, in order of importance: formatting (see above), volume of research, quality of research, creativity and writing style.

Step 6: Support along the way

1. The assignment guidelines (i.e. this document) will be discussed in class.

2. We are currently arranging for a series of TA support sessions. More details will be posted in the weeks to come.

3. You can get discuss the assignment with the instructor or TAs during office hours.

4. You can obtain writing support via the writing center.

Take care, stay safe and good luck!

Best,

Dr. Whissell