Status characterisitc theory

Social Psychology Professor Wagner

Paper Requirements

The requirements for all papers are the same. We will be discussing and developing several kinds of related social processes. For your papers you will apply two (or three) of these processes to situations that illustrate and demonstrate your understanding of the theoretical ideas presented. The most basic goal of each paper is to convince us that you understand the relevant social psychological theory.

Each paper is to be constructed of three parts:

1. The first part introduces the situation to be discussed. The situation used in your paper can be drawn from class discussion or taken from your imagination or from your own experience (e.g. personal interaction, book, movies). The first part of the paper provides all the background needed for the application in the third section. This section should identify the group, the task the group is faced with, the key actors, the actor whose point of view is taken, the outcome or consequences of the interaction and the key events leading up to the interaction and outcome to be discussed. This part will set the stage for the interaction and relate the event as in a story. In fact, the section can relate the situation in the form of a story, in the manner you would explain it to someone not looking at it from a social psychological point of view.

2. The second section provides a detailed recounting of the entire theory to be applied. This section should include a verbatim statement of the theory, as taken from the handouts provided. The theoretical statements should be included in the paper like a quotation. That is, the information from the handout should be indented and single-spaced. It also helps to make this text boldface or italic, so that it stands out from the rest of the text. As each part of the theory is restated each of the theoretical ideas should also be interpreted by you, translated into your own words and clearly explained. That is, you need to discuss each part of the scope of the theory, each definition, and each proposition or theorem. If you wish, you can include examples to help communicate the meaning of each part of the theory, but do not include examples that related to your particular situation or event, because that is what you are to do in the final section of the paper. That is, the second part of the paper also provides the theoretical ideas that are to be applied to the situation in the last part of the paper.

3. The third section of the paper applies the theory to the chosen situation, systematically illustrating the processes presented in the theory. This section should link the abstract theoretical ideas to their concrete manifestation in the situation presented in the beginning section. In this section you should:

a. demonstrate that your situation is an example of the situations to which the theory is intended to apply (i.e. it is an instance of the scope conditions);

b. identify which of the actors in your situation will be considered as p and which as o;

c. identify the expectations that p has and what they are based on; and

d. identify what the task is that the group is working on.

In this section you need only discuss the parts of the theory that pertain to your situation. However, it helps to communicate your understanding if you discuss the reasons why certain parts of the theory do not apply to your situation. As a conclusion, it helps to discuss the outcome of the situation and the reasons why the outcome could or could not have been predicted from the theoretical argument.

Overall, the papers will be evaluated based on the extent to which they communicate your understanding of the theories. Our evaluation of your understanding will be based mainly on the choice of an appropriate situation for illustrating the theory and on the clarity of your application.

The majority of your effort on these papers should be devoted to selecting an appropriate situation and thinking through the application of the theory. These papers are intended to develop your analytical thinking skills. They also require you to express and communicate your thinking with clarity. Generally speaking, your paper should not exceed ten pages in length. To summarize, your paper should do the following:

a. identify, introduce and summarize the situation that you will use to illustrate the theory;

b. demonstrate a clear understanding of the theoretical process you are applying to the situation; and

c. provide a cogent, clear and coherent specification of how the theoretical ideas contribute to the understanding and analysis of the situation you have chosen.

How you communicate these ideas is as important as what you communicate. Use care when you write and always proofread before you create your final copy. Individual grammatical and spelling errors will be noted when detected, but will not significantly affect your grade. However, if the problem is frequent or persistent, it will seriously affect your grade. Too many careless errors communicate a lack of effort.

Paper Submission Requirements

• Create your paper electronically using a word processing program. Double-space your paper (except for the presentation of theoretical statements, which must be single-spaced and indented).

• Save your document in MS Word (preferably MS Word 2003 or later). If you cannot use this format, please contact Prof. Wagner or his assistant as soon as possible.

• Save your paper using a file name with the format “LastNamePaperNo.doc”. (For example, “Smith1.doc”) Do not deviate from this file name format, please.

• Submit your exam through Blackboard using the procedures outlined on the class main page.

The due date for each paper is specific to the theory you have chosen to apply in the paper. See the syllabus or the Blackboard Calender for the appropriate date for each theory.

Comments on Papers

There are a variety of problems that students frequently make in creating their papers. Below is a list of comments we regularly make on papers when we grade them. They reflect the kinds of problems that may lower your grade. You may wish to familiarize yourself with these comments before you write your papers so you can avoid making these mistakes in the first place. You can use this list as a checklist to apply to your paper before you hand it in.

• Your interpretation of the theory is incorrect. • You should provide a more detailed introduction to your situation. • This situation appears to be non-collective. • You must present the entire theory. • You must explain the entire theory in your own words. • This is an inappropriate situation in which to apply the theory. • This situation does not fit the scope of the theory. • Identify which actor is p and which actor is o. • Identify the basis for p’s expectations. • Focus on one particular situation. • There are frequent mechanical or grammatical errors. • Focus on just the interaction between two actors. • Identify the specific task that p and o are working on. • Poor sentence structure. • Statement does not make sense. • Frequent typographical errors. • Frequent spelling errors. • Subdivide into reasonable paragraphs. • Incoherent argument. • Paper needs a conclusion. • Paper clearly not proofread.