This document provides instructions for an assignment requiring students to find examples of publications from three different information sources that criminologists use in their research: peer-reviewed journal articles, government documents, and mass media reports. Students are asked to provide APA references and 100-word annotations for nine total sources, three from each information type. They then must summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each information source for criminological research. Ethical guidelines for the assignment include using proper APA formatting and including a title page.

1. One of the major forms of research conducted by criminologists
is searching for and analyzing information in published
materials. These materials include
peer-reviewed journal articles (articles published in academic
journals)
government documents (reports such as those published by the
National Institute of Justice [NIJ], FBI, etc.)
mass media reports (articles in major newspapers [The New
York Times, The Washington Post, etc.] and electronic media
outlets [ABC, Fox, CNN, etc.])
Each of these kinds of information sources has its strengths and
weaknesses. Depending on the kind of research a criminologist
is conducting, one of these may prove more useful than the
others.
Your mission in this assignment is to find three examples of
publications, articles, reports, or stories from each of these
kinds of information sources. You will have a total of nine
sources‚ three for each information source type. The topics of
the works must be pertinent to some aspect of crime and justice.
Use the Internet to locate the government documents and mass
media reports, and use other peer-reviewed journal articles.
Then, write a report on what you found. In your report, please
do the following:
Provide an APA reference for each of the nine works.
Annotation - After each APA reference, provide a brief
description of the work. Each of the nine descriptions should be
at least 100 words in length. The description should tell your
reader what the work is about.
Summary - After this, write an analysis of the value of each of
the three types of information sources (article, report, media
news item) from which you gathered examples. In other words,
after describing each of the nine works, present a discussion of
what you learned about the value to criminologists of peer-
reviewed journal articles versus government documents versus

2. mass media reports. What are the strengths and weaknesses of
each? We are looking for some critical thinking about these
sources here!
Format Requirements
· Paper should be in American Psychological Association (APA)
format
· Double space
· 12 pt. font
· 1” margins
· Use APA citations for all sources
· Include reference page using APA format guidelines (not
included in word count)
NOTE: Support materials are available in the classroom to
assist you with APA formatting requirements.
Additionally -
· Create a cover page for your assignment (not included in word
count)
· Include your name
· Course title and number
· Project title
· Date of submission
Title
ABC/123 Version X
1
Week 1 Assignment Worksheet
PSY/203 Version 1
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University of Phoenix MaterialWeek 1 Assignment
WorksheetMatching

3. Match the following descriptions to the correct perspective:
1. ___B.___ perspective focuses on how learning experiences
affect behavior, and focuses on behavior that is observable.
2. __E___ perspective focuses on the effect of unresolved
conflicts from childhood, and how those conflicts unconsciously
shape behavior.
3. __D___ perspective focuses on free will, conscious choices,
and self-awareness, and views humans as distinct individuals
with unique characteristics.
4. ___C__ perspective examines the mental processes used to
obtain knowledge, and focuses on how information is processed,
stored, retrieved, and manipulated.
5. __A___ perspective focuses on how factors like age,
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and income level influence
behavior, attitudes, and mental processes.
A. Sociocultural
B. Behavioral
C. Cognitive
D. Humanistic
E. PsychodynamicTable
Provide a description of the function of the structures or
hormones listed.
Structure
Hormone(s) released (if applicable)
Description or function
Frontal lobe
CRH Corticotropin-releasing hormone

4. Helps with decision making
Somatosensory cortex
CRH
Sensory receptive area for the sense of touch
Pancreas
Glucagon and insulin
A long flat gland that lies behind the stomach
Thyroid
Thyroxie, triodothyronine
Covers the windpipe from 3 sides.helps the body produce and
regulatehormones adrenalie
Adrenal glands
Cortisol
Located at the top of each kidney, produce hormones to help
control blood sugarShort Answer
Read the following examples and indicate whether they are
describing sensation or perception. If the example describes
sensation, list which sense is involved. If the example describes
perception, list the concept or principle of perception that is
involved.
I think I see Bob approaching me from a distance, but as the
man gets closer to me, I realize it isn’t Bob. Perception
Harmonic perception, on the other hand, owes to the
understanding that the ear usually perceives inter-related notes,
as one, to create meaning in sounds
While studying for a test at the library, I hear other people
talking and laughing; however, I am able to block out the noise
and concentrate on reading my textbook. perception__
Harmonic perception, on the other hand, owes to the
understanding that the ear usually perceives inter-related notes,
as one, to create meaning in sounds
My math teacher draws a triangle on the board, and even
thought she uses dotted lines, I am still able to see the shape of
the triangle. perception_ Harmonic perception, on the other
hand, owes to the understanding that the ear usually perceives
inter-related notes, as one, to create meaning in sounds.

5. I am walking down the street and I see two people walking
together, but to my surprise, they walk off in different
directions without acknowledging that the other person is
leaving. perception_ Finally, form perception indicates the
contextualization of particular objects in a given environment,
whereby the eyes sees them as primarily 2-D and at times as 3-
D depending on the way of their placement. It is also the
understanding of what characterizes the inner and outer core of
an object_
1. When I look at a white piece of paper, I can still recognize it
as white whether I am outside in bright sunlight, or sitting in a
dark room. perception__ Color perception, on the other hand,
describes the way the visual senses, denoting the eyes, observe
hues and contextualize them in the environment I notice that the
light is on in the living room. sensation_Exteroceptive senses
which are sense that perceives the body’s own position, motion
and state.
Music is playing in the elevator. . sensation_ Exteroceptive
senses which are sense that perceives the body’s own position,
motion and state.
2. I notice that my mom is baking bread as I walk into the house
to greet her. sensation Interoceptive senses are senses that
perceive sensations in internal organs
When I wash my hands at school, I notice that the water feels
hot. sensation___Exteroceptive senses which are sense that
perceives the body’s own position, motion and state.
When I had an infected tooth extracted, I experienced pressure
as the tooth separated from the gums. sensation Interoceptive
senses are senses that perceive sensations in internal organsx
I am able to type this sentence without looking at the keyboard
on my computer. _perception_ Amodal perception is one of the
most recognizable types of perception in psychology. It is the
observation and interpretation of things in terms of depth and
motion._
I experience motion sickness whenever I ride in a boat.
sensation Interoceptive senses are senses that perceive

6. sensations in internal organsEssay
Read the following scenarios.
Write a 100- to 150-word response to the following questions
associated with each scenario.
A psychologist is interested in learning more about how
children interact with each other during the school day. The
psychologist is particularly interested in discovering the ways
in which children behave when they do not think they are being
watched. What research method would be best used to conduct
this type of research, and why? What ethical concerns might be
an issue in this type of research? ) Observational research
method would be suitable because it includes case studies,
ethnographic studies, ethological studies, etc. The primary
characteristic of each of these types of studies is that
phenomena are being observed and recorded. Often times, the
studies are qualitative in nature. For example, a psychological
case study would entail extensive notes based on observations
of and interviews with the client. A detailed report with
analysis would be written and reported constituting the study of
this individual case. For example, an ethological study
interaction of children as they play with each other may include
measures of behavior durations i.e. the amount of time the
children are engaged in a specified behavior. This measure of
time would be quantitative. Observational research can be
problematic if not conducted well. Clearly, there are many
problems with internal validity. One can describe the
individual(s) being observed but one cannot make any sort of
causative conclusions based on the observations. Additionally,
construct validity can be impacted by lack of background work
before the observations or study, observer and experimenter
biases or expectencies, etc. In developmental psychology, this
form of research is often early work in the exploration of a
developmental topic. In this research approach, behaviors are
counted, correct answers or errors are counted, and other types
of measures are recorded in terms of quantity. Observational

7. research involves both experimental and non-experimental
research. Ethical issues Observational research focus on
protecting individuals that receive an intervention. For example,
an intervention may involve training participants in group
communication where a great deal of self-disclosure is required.
Self-disclosure is a technique whereby people are encouraged to
discuss their feelings, attitudes, and experiences (some of which
may be quite personal). Does there searcher have the right to
use such a treatment? Dealing with this question is a personal
decision on the part of the researcher.
1. As a researcher, I am interested in learning whether or not
there is a connection between sleep and test scores. I want to
know if an increase in sleep improves test scores, for example.
What type of research method would I use, and why? What
ethical concerns might present an issue when conducting this
type of research? True Experiments: The true experiment is
often thought of as a laboratory study. However, this is not
always the case. A true experiment is defined as an experiment
conducted where an effort is made to impose control over all
other variables except the one under study. It is often easier to
impose this sort of control in a laboratory setting. True
experiments have often been erroneously identified as
laboratory studies. To understand the nature of the experiment,
we must first define a few terms: Experimental or treatment
group - this is the group that receives the experimental
treatment i.e. the group that we use to examine the relationship
between sleep and improvement of test scores, manipulation, or
is different from the control group on the variable under study.
Control group - this group is used to produce comparisons. The
treatment of interest is deliberately withheld or manipulated to
provide a baseline performance with which to compare the
experimental or treatment group's performance. Independent
variable - this is the variable that the experimenter/researcher
manipulates in a study. It can be any aspect of the environment
that is empirically investigated for the purpose of examining its

8. influence on the dependent variable which is the variable that is
measured in a study. The experimenter does not control this
variable. A major ethical concern would be double blind where
by neither the subject nor the experimenter knows whether the
subject is in the treatment of the control condition.
If I want to research whether or not a new medication has an
effect on depression, and I want to compare the medication
against a placebo, what research method might I use, and why?
What ethical concerns might be an issue in this type of
research? In the case of research to establish whether or not a
new medication has an effect on depression Correlational
research can be used as a good research method. In general,
correlational research examines the co-variation of two or more
variables. Correlational research can be accomplished by a
variety of techniques which include the collection of empirical
data. Often times, correlational research is considered a type of
observational research as nothing is manipulated by the
experimenter or individual conducting the research. The early
studies on cigarette smoking did not manipulate how many
cigarettes were smoked. The researcher only collected the data
on the two variables. Nothing was controlled by the researchers
and therefore, no cause and effect statements were made out.
Further experimental research clearly demonstrated the negative
effects of cigarette smoking. Correlational research is not causal
research. In other words, we cannot make statements concerning
cause and effect on the basis of this type of research. There are
two major reasons why we cannot make cause and effect
statements. First, we don't know the direction of the cause.
Second, a third variable may be involved of which we are not
aware. An example may help clarify these points. In major
clinical depressions, the neurotransmitters serotonin or
norepinephrine has been found to be depleted (Coppen, 1967;
Schildkraut & Kety, 1967). In other words, low levels of these
two neurotransmitters have been found to be associated with
increased levels of clinical depression. However, while we
know that the two variables covary - a relationship exists - we

9. do not know if a causal relationship exists. Thus, it is unclear
whether depletion in serotonin/norepinephrine cause depression
or whether depression causes depletion is neurotransmitter
levels. This demonstrates the first problem with correlational
research; we don't know the direction of the cause. Second, a
third variable has been uncovered which may be affecting both
of the variables under study. The number of receptors on the
postsynaptic neuron has been found to be increased in
depression. Thus, it is possible that the increased number of
receptors on the postsynaptic neuron is actually responsible for
the relationship between neurotransmitter levels and depression.
As you can see from the discussion above, one cannot make a
simple cause and effect statement concerning neurotransmitter
levels and depression based on correlational research. To
reiterate, it is inappropriate in correlational research to make
statements concerning cause and effect. Correlational research
is often conducted as exploratory or beginning research. Once
variables have been identified and defined, experiments are
conductable. Correlational research involves data that are
recorded in narrative descriptions, not numbers. Researchers use
correlational methods to observe and describe conditions rather
than control them. A basic ethical principle for correlative
researchers is this. Do not tamper with the natural setting or
group under study.
REFERENCES
Wettlaufer, Alexandra K. (2003). In the mind's eye : the visual
impulse in Diderot, Baudelaire and Ruskin, pg. 257.
Amsterdam: Rodopi. ISBN 90-420-1035-5.
The Secret Advantage Of Being Short by Robert Krulwich. All
Things Considered, NPR.
Atkinson, Rita L.; Atkinson, Richard C.; Smith, Edward E.
(March 1990). Introduction to psychology. Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich. pp. 177–183. ISBN 978-0-15-543689-3.
Gordon B. (2005). Social cognition: understanding self and
others. Guilford Press. p. 421. ISBN 978-1-59385-085-2.
Popper, Arthur N. (30 November 2010). Music Perception.

10. Springer. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-4419-6113-6.
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