Synthesize

Step 1: Choosing a Topic

Choose one topic from the following list.

• We only use 10% of our brains.
• Opposites attract.
• You can tell how accurate a witness is by noting how confident they seem – looking you in the eye and not stammering, etc.
• Eating candy will make you hyperactive.
• Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
• Some people are “right-brained” and others are “left-brained.”
• If you don’t express your anger, you will “explode” (become violent in some way).
• People tend to behave oddly during a full moon.
• Men are better at math than women.

Step 2: Finding a Source

Find one article about your topic. Your article needs to be published in a peer-reviewed journal and ideally published within in the past 5 years, though this restriction can be lifted if nothing has been published recently. To find articles and get a sense of the conversation about your chosen topic, you can begin your search using the "seed" article associated with your topic below. Your seed article can count as one of the 4 required articles. 

• We only use 10% of our brains.
• Opposites attract.
• You can tell how accurate a witness is by noting how confident they seem – looking you in the eye and not stammering, etc.
• Eating candy will make you hyperactive.
• Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
• Some people are “right-brained” and others are “left-brained.”
• If you don’t express your anger, you will “explode” (become violent in some way).
• People tend to behave oddly during a full moon.
• Men are better at math than women.

Step 3: Synthesize the Literature and Reach a Conclusion (15 points)

Determine whether your articles empirically support the topical statement.

. Your document should:

• Be double-spaced, use 12 point font, and be free of errors.
• Clearly summarize the approach and findings of each reference article. There should be at least 4 articles in your summary.
• Reach a clear conclusion regarding whether the literature empirically supports your topic based on a thorough and critical integration of the findings across your sources.
• Include a reference page with APA citations for all of your articles.