Option 1: Final Paper Essay PSYC 2301 Your essay should include the following format and items to be considered complete.  You may choose any topic from the textbook that you would like to learn more about.  Your topic should be narrow enough to be able to write the paper without being overwhelmed and broad enough to gather enough information for the paper requirements.  Broad topic:  sleep Subtopic:  shift work Paper Topic:  Does shift work create health problems for individuals. Locate 3-5 academic articles related to your topic.  All articles should be a minimum of 3 pages in length.  Your articles should be current and no older than 2008.  Your articles should come from peer-reviewed journals that you can get from the CTC Library database.  Articles from newspapers, popular magazines, book reviews, or websites are not acceptable for this paper. All of your articles should not come from the same publication. Intro:  Must contain an attention grabber for the reader or at least make the essay sound interesting, may begin with a quote about the particular topic Ensure that the intro moves from the general to the specific in regards to the topic Provides the reader with a "road map" of the essay in a logical order At the end there should be what is called a thesis statement, arguably the most important component of the intro The thesis statement states the aim of the paper and may give insight into the author’s examples and evidence Body:Includes the evidence and support of the paper in addition to the author’s ideas Paragraphs must include a topic sentence which relates the discussion back to the thesis statement Logical ordering of ideas: 3 types of order Chronological order---order of time, good for narratives Spatial order-good for descriptions of locations; top to bottom, e.g. Emphatic order-least important to most important; most common for college writing Ensure that transition sentences are present to create a good flow to the essay Include substantial examples and evidence to support your argument and remember to cite, cite, cite! Make sure each example is relevant to your particular topic Conclusion:This section should wrap all of your arguments and points Should restate the main arguments in a simplified manner Ensure that the reader is left with something to think about, particularly if it is an argumentative essay Grading Rubric: Total value: 200 points 30-50 10-29 0 Introduction The introduction includes a clear thesis statement, provides a clear direction for the paper, and grabs the reader’s attention. The thesis statement is not clear but the reader can infer the paper topic. There is direction for the paper, and the introductions moves smoothly into the body of the paper. There is no clear thesis statement. Body Includes evidence and support of the author’s thesis statement. Each paragraph includes an easy to read topic sentence and transitions are smooth. The paper is logical and easy to read while ...

1. Option 1: Final Paper Essay
PSYC 2301
Your essay should include the following format and items to be
considered complete. You may choose any topic from the
textbook that you would like to learn more about. Your topic
should be narrow enough to be able to write the paper without
being overwhelmed and broad enough to gather enough
information for the paper requirements.
Broad topic: sleep
Subtopic: shift work
Paper Topic: Does shift work create health problems for
individuals.
Locate 3-5 academic articles related to your topic. All articles
should be a minimum of 3 pages in length. Your articles should
be current and no older than 2008. Your articles should come
from peer-reviewed journals that you can get from the CTC
Library database. Articles from newspapers, popular
magazines, book reviews, or websites are not acceptable for this
paper. All of your articles should not come from the same
publication.
Intro: Must contain an attention grabber for the reader or at
least make the essay sound interesting, may begin with a quote
about the particular topic Ensure that the intro moves from the
general to the specific in regards to the topic Provides the
reader with a "road map" of the essay in a logical order At the
end there should be what is called a thesis statement, arguably
the most important component of the intro The thesis statement
states the aim of the paper and may give insight into the
author’s examples and evidence
Body:Includes the evidence and support of the paper in addition
to the author’s ideas Paragraphs must include a topic sentence
which relates the discussion back to the thesis statement
Logical ordering of ideas: 3 types of order Chronological order-

2. --order of time, good for narratives Spatial order-good for
descriptions of locations; top to bottom, e.g. Emphatic order-
least important to most important; most common for college
writing Ensure that transition sentences are present to create a
good flow to the essay Include substantial examples and
evidence to support your argument and remember to cite, cite,
cite! Make sure each example is relevant to your particular
topic
Conclusion:This section should wrap all of your arguments and
points Should restate the main arguments in a simplified manner
Ensure that the reader is left with something to think about,
particularly if it is an argumentative essay
Grading Rubric: Total value: 200 points
30-50
10-29
0
Introduction
The introduction includes a clear thesis statement, provides a
clear direction for the paper, and grabs the reader’s attention.
The thesis statement is not clear but the reader can infer the
paper topic. There is direction for the paper, and the
introductions moves smoothly into the body of the paper.
There is no clear thesis statement.

3. Body
Includes evidence and support of the author’s thesis statement.
Each paragraph includes an easy to read topic sentence and
transitions are smooth. The paper is logical and easy to read
while staying on topic. All ideas presented are supported with
sources that meet the source requirements.
Some evidence and support of the author’s thesis statement.
Most paragraphs include topic sentences and smooth transitions.
There are some areas of the paper that are not logical and do not
flow. Most ideas are supported with sources.
There is no clear direction in the paper. Paragraphs are not
clearly defined and transitions are not smooth. There is no
support of the ideas presented by the author.
Conclusion
The conclusion provides a clear summary of the paper. The
conclusion gives the reader something to think about after
reading the paper. The conclusion provides ideas for the future
of the topic.
There is a conclusion but it is incomplete.
There is no conclusion.
Source Documentation
There are 3-5 acceptable peer-reviewed sources. Sources are
cited in the writing and referenced in a bibliography or works
cited page.
There are 1-3 acceptable peer-reviewed sources. Sources are
cited in the writing and referenced in a bibliography or works
cited page.
There are no sources provided.

4. Updated April, 2019
Option 3: Compare/Contrast
PSYC 2301
This assignment is intended to have you compare and contrast
the writing style and potential uses of a popular press article
versus a peer-reviewed primary research article that discusses a
psychologicalphenomenon, written within the last 10 years. The
articles need to address the same area of interest (for example,
depression and gender, love and crying, teenage norms and
ostracism etc.), but do not have to necessarily be about the same
exact experiment. For hints on appropriate psychological
phenomena reference the textbook. You will have a total of 6
articles in order to write 3 different comparisons. You may
choose a different topic for each of the three comparisons.
Your popular press report can come from any popular magazine,
newspaper, or website.
Your peer-reviewed primary research article must come from
one of the peer-reviewed scientific journals listed
below:American Journal of PsychologyApplied Cognitive
PsychologyBehavioral NeuroscienceCognitive
NeuropsychologyCognitive PsychologyDevelopmental
PsychologyEducational PsychologistEmotionExperimental
PsychologyHealth PsychologyJournal of Abnormal
PsychologyJournal of Applied PsychologyJournal of
Comparative PsychologyJournal of Consulting and Clinical
PsychologyJournal of Counseling PsychologyJournal of
Educational PsychologyJournal of Mind and Behavior NOTE:
Current four years not online!Journal of NeuroscienceJournal of
Personality and Social PsychologyJournal of PersonalityJournal
of Social PsychologyMemoryMerrill-Palmer
QuarterlyNeuroscience and Behavioral Physiology
I would suggest finding an article of interest in the popular
press section first, and then searching for a related article in one
of the approved peer reviewed primary research journals.

5. For this paper you must: Summarize the main points and
evidence found within each resource (NOTE: USE YOUR OWN
WORDS, DO NOT PLAGIARIZE THE ARTICLES).Describe,
using examples, at least 3 ways that the theoretical approaches
or article writing styles are different (note: mentioning
participant pools is too simple, and if you notice that they are
addressing completely different topics, your articles aren’t
related enough). Describe, using examples, at least 2 ways that
the articles styles are similar in goals, structure, or something
similar to this.Describe a situation where you think that you
would benefit using a popular press article, and then describe
situations where you would be better off using a peer-reviewed
research article.Provide in-text citations and a reference page in
APA format (including DOI number for the peer-reviewed
article).Provide a full reference list at the end of each
section.Write a paper that is coherent, with smooth transitions
between topics (no bullet points or lists).Do this THREE
times… one for each pair of articles you find.
Notes for both articles:
Articles MUST be full articles (avoid summary papers, blurbs,
or blogs)
Notes for the popular press articles:Again, make sure that your
article is NOT a blogArticles MUST be less than 10 years
oldArticles MUST be at least 3 pages long in order to ensure
that you’re reading a full article from one of these sources
Notes for the peer-reviewed articles:Be aware that many un-
approved journals have similar names. Misreading names will
not be an accepted reason for not using articles from the
approved journal list located above.Articles MUST be less than
10 years oldArticles MUST be at least 5 pages long. This will
ensure that you’re reading a full research article instead of a
summary essay. The one exception to this rule is for
neuroscience topics. Several well-written neuro articles are less
than 5 pages long.
The total paper should be 3-6 pages in length, allowing for 1-2

6. pages for each comparison. You should have a conclusion
paragraph at the end of the 3 comparisons, discussing what you
learned from the assignment and how the information will assist
you in your future studies.
Make sure that your paper is written as an expository essay. It
needs to be coherent, with smooth transitions between topics,
and it must be in an essay format. You should not have different
sections in your paper. There should also be no bullet points or
other forms of separation in the paper.
Grading Rubric: Total value: 200 points
50-75
25-50
0-25
Article Set 1
Both articles meet the criteria. There is a clear
compare/contrast section meeting the requirements listed in the
instructions. The students used their own words for
summarization and comparison. Full citations were provided.
Both articles meet the criteria. There is not a clear/contrast
section but comparisons are easy to read. The students used
more quotes than their own words but did not plagiarize. Full
citations were provided.
One or both of the articles did not meet the criteria. The
student does not identify clear comparisons between the
articles. The students did not use their own words---0
Article Set 2
Both articles meet the criteria. There is a clear
compare/contrast section meeting the requirements listed in the
instructions. The students used their own words for
summarization and comparison. Full citations were provided.
. Both articles meet the criteria. There is not a clear/contrast
section but comparisons are easy to read. The students used
more quotes than their own words but did not plagiarize. Full
citations were provided.

7. One or both of the articles did not meet the criteria. The
student does not identify clear comparisons between the
articles. The students did not use their own words---0
Article Set 3
Both articles meet the criteria. There is a clear
compare/contrast section meeting the requirements listed in the
instructions. The students used their own words for
summarization and comparison. Full citations were provided.
Both articles meet the criteria. There is not a clear/contrast
section but comparisons are easy to read. The students used
more quotes than their own words but did not plagiarize. Full
citations were provided.
One or both of the articles did not meet the criteria. The
student does not identify clear comparisons between the
articles. The students did not use their own words---0
Conclusion
The conclusion addresses the students learning from the
assignment as well as future benefits in their studies.
The conclusion does not address all of the requirements.
There is no conclusion paragraph provided.
Updated April, 2019
Option 2: Movie/ Book Review
PSYC 2301
For this option, you will review a movie or book about an issue
related to psychology and the concepts in the course. You will
relate the concepts from the course to the characters of the
movie or book. You can watch any movie or read any book of
your choosing that has a significant character or characters that
relate to one of the concepts of the book. The movie/book

8. review should include an introduction to the topic, a summary
of your main observation, and a concluding summary.
Content of the paper:
You MUST have three scientific citations to support your paper.
The citations may come from the textbook or a professional
journal but NOT popular press. Better sources include scientific
(peer reviewed) journals.
For this assignment, you are asked to discuss the
psychological aspects of a fictional character. Students should
select at least three areas of psychosocial development that are
discussed as part of this course (e.g., cognitive development,
culture, parent-child relationships, psychological disorders,
motivation, etc.) and discuss the character in the context of
what we know about these domains.
What are some of the most specific aspects of the character that
you can relate to concepts in the textbook?
What do you find interesting about this character?
What seem to be the pressing issues that this character must
resolve?
How have the specific factors inherent in the context in which
the person lives affected them? To what extent is this
character’s development typical, in the sense that it appears to
correspond (or not correspond) to what we have learned from
scientific research and theory about these psychological
concepts? What might have been done to change the
development of this character in regards to the psychological
concepts you have chosen to study? Family, peers,
environment, medication, etc…
Be sure to introduce briefly the character and the story so that
the reader of your paper is familiar enough to understand the
references to the book or movie. You may use direct quotes
(with proper citation) from the scientific articles or movie for
the purposes of illustration. You should not rely on this as an

9. alternative to providing your own interpretation or opinion. You
are required to tie in references and information from the
scientific literature.
Grading Rubric: Total value: 200 points
30-50
10-29
0
Introduction
The introduction includes a clear description of the character as
well as the three psychological concepts the author intends to
explore.
The introduction includes a clear description of the character as
well as 1-2 psychological concepts the author intends to
explore.
There is no clear character description or explanation of
concepts.
Body
The author explores in depth 3 psychological concepts related to
the character. The author includes information from scientific
sources that supports or contradicts the authors provided
information. The author is able to effectively tie the
characteristics to the information from PSYC 2301.
The author explores in depth 2-3 concepts related to the
character. The author includes information from sources that
supports or contradicts the provided information.
The author does not present concepts related to the character or
does not provide supporting evidence..
Conclusion
The conclusion provides a clear summary of the paper. The
conclusion gives the reader something to think about after

10. reading the paper. The conclusion provides ideas for the future
of the topic.
There is a conclusion but it is incomplete.
There is no conclusion.
Source Documentation
There are 3-5 acceptable peer-reviewed sources. Sources are
cited in the writing and referenced in a bibliography or works
cited page.
There are 1-3 acceptable peer-reviewed sources. Sources are
cited in the writing and referenced in a bibliography or works
cited page.
There are no sources provided.
Updated April, 2019
Movie List
1. Leaving Las Vegas
2. A Clockwork Orange
3. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
4. Boys Don’t Cry

11. 5. Benny and Joon
6. Girl Interrupted
7. Seven
8. Mad Love
9. Rain Man
10. Shine
11. A Beautiful Mind
12. Madness of King George
13. Fight Club
14. The Fisher King
15. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
16. Twelve Monkeys

12. 17. Sybil
18. The Three Faces of Eve
19. Eating
20. The Silence of the Lambs
21. Pollock
22. Ordinary People
23. Analyze This/Analyze That
24. Final Analysis
25. Identity
26. Primal Fear
27. What About Bob
28. Good Will Hunting

13. 29. Silver Linings Playbook
30. Split
31. As Good As It Gets
32. Awakenings
33. Rainman
34. Grumpy Old Men
35. Nell
36. I am Sam
37. Shutter Island
38. You may choose another movie that is not listed here.

14. Book List
1. Tuesday’s With Morrie- Mith Albom
2. In Cold Blood- Truman Capote
3. How to Win Friends and Influence People-Dale Carnegie
4. When Rabbit Howls-Trudi Chase
5. All Around the Town- Mary Higgins Clark
6. The Miracle Worker-William Gibson
7. I’m Ok, You’re Ok- Thomas Harris
8. When the Bough Breaks-Jonathan Kellerman
9. The Best Little Girl in the World-Steven Levenkron
10. Total Recall- Joan Minniger
11. Starving for Attention-Cherry Boone O’Neil

15. 12. The Road Less Traveled-Scott M. Peck
13. A Child Called It (Trilogy)-David Pelzer
14. The Bell Jar- Sylvia Plath
15. The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Washing-Judith Rapport
16. Genie- Russ Rymer
17. Sybil-Flora R. Schreiber
18. Prozac Nation- Elizabeth Wurtzel
19. Little Girls in Pretty Boxes Joan Ryan
20. You may choose another book if you want one not on the
list.