1 PSY100 Integrative Final Assessment PSY100H1S L9901 We have now made our way through each of the pillars of psychology, and you have (I hope!) learned a lot along the way. With this final assessment, I hope that you will be able to review and reflect on what you have learned and identify some key takeaways from the course. Visual Framework for PSY100 (from the syllabus/first lecture): 2 Overview For your final assessment, I want to know which one of the following “big ideas” or themes from the course feels the most important or meaningful to you. You will select one of the following broad themes to focus on: Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are determined by the interaction of inner and outer forces. Human life is profoundly shaped by our connections to others. Our minds construct our reality. You will then support your theme by discussing three of your most important examples of this theme from across the course. Each example must come from a different topic (e.g., chapter) and your three examples must come from at least two different modules (see table below). You will describe each example/concept using specific information (e.g., studies, theories, observations) from the course materials (e.g., textbook, lecture videos). You will also explain how the example connects to/supports your chosen theme, and why it is important or meaningful. Although it never hurts to include citations to make your description clearer (e.g., Asch, 1951), including formal citations is not required, nor is a reference section. You do not need to conduct any additional research to complete this assignment; all the information must come directly from the PSY100 course materials. Overview of the six modules we have covered, and the major topics within each module Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 Module 5 Module 6 Foundations/ History Research Methods Biological Psychology Sensation & Perception Development Learning Memory Language, Thinking, Intelligence Personality Emotion Social Psychology Psychological Disorders Stress & Coping 3 How to Structure Your Final Assessment Introduction (5 points): An opening paragraph explaining which theme you chose and why. This is your thesis statement, or the central focus of your paper. The rest of your paper will consist of evidence (your examples) to support this statement. While it should be clear from your introduction which theme you have chosen, try not to simply ‘copy and paste’ the theme into your paper. You want to show that you understand the theme and you also want to highlight why you think this theme is significant/important. Supporting Example 1 (11 points): Describe the example (in your own words) with reference to specific studies, theories, or observations from the course materials, as appropriate. Indicate what part of the course the example comes from (e.g., which chapter). Explain how the example connects to or supports your theme/thesis, and why it is important/meaningful. Supporting Example 2 (11 points): Describe the example (in your own words) with reference to specific studies, theories, or observations from the course materials, as appropriate. Indicate what part of the course the example comes from (e.g., which chapter, etc.). Explain how the example connects to/supports your theme/thesis, and why it is important or meaningful. Supporting Example 3 (11 points): Describe the example (in your own words) with reference to specific studies, theories, or observations from the course materials, as appropriate. Indicate what part of the course the example comes from (e.g., which chapter, etc.). Explain how the example connects to/supports your theme/thesis, and why it is important or meaningful. Conclusion (5 points): Include a brief final paragraph that ties your examples together, restates your thesis, and provides a compelling “take-away” message for your reader. Clarity/Organization (7 points): Your paper should be organized and easy to follow. Present your ideas in a logical order. Look for ways to draw connections between examples, so that they work together to support your thesis (e.g., consider the order in which to present your examples; provide thoughtful transitions between ideas/paragraphs) Use clear language that is easy to read. Write in full sentences with correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling. However, please note that we are much more interested in your ideas and explanations than your grasp of English fundamentals. 4 Additional Requirements & Things to Note: Your assignment must be a maximum of 4 double-spaced pages, written in a standard font (e.g., Arial size 11, Times New Roman size 12). You do not need to include a title page, a title, the course code, your name, or any other identifying information on your paper (although you can if you want to). Please upload your paper as a word document or PDF file to Quercus before the deadline which is 11:59pm (ET) on Sunday, April 17th, 2022. Late assignments will be accepted until the end of the day on April 24th but will be subject to a 5% per day late penalty. You should think of the assignment as a slightly more polished version of an in-class essay; assuming appropriate background preparation, you should be able to complete the assignment within a few hours. All assignments must be completed in English. We are unable to grade submissions that are completed in languages other than English. 5 Tips for Writing an Excellent Integrative Final Assessment Show that you understand the theme Be sure that you understand the theme before you begin to write and consider why you think it is important. Write a thesis statement for your essay that illustrates your clear understanding of the theme. Select examples that you are confident truly support or illustrate your thesis. Convince us that each of your examples is relevant to the thesis/theme by describing specifically how it connects. Making sure you do this can prevent you from selecting poor examples for the theme, and will help your reader understand your reasoning. Be sure to summarize the theme again at the end of your essay, and work to provide a compelling “takeaway” point for the reader. Show that you have course knowledge that is diverse and accurate Clearly describe each example with enough detail that someone unfamiliar with the example would understand it. Don’t just describe a psychological phenomenon in abstract terms, but connect it to specific evidence (studies, theories, or observations from lecture or the text). Use the “language” of psychology in your descriptions to make them clearer and more concrete. This may include using key terms appropriately (e.g., secure attachment) and knowing the names of major theorists or researchers (e.g., Piaget) Do your examples feel disjoined from one another Look for ways to draw connections between examples, so that they work together to support your thesis. Be sure to follow the instructions to select examples representing three different topics from at least two separate modules. Synthesizing a diverse set of examples is more impressive than integrating a set of closely related examples. Remember that this is your opportunity to show us what you have learned throughout the course. Make sure that your essay is organized and easy-to-read The bulk of your mark will come from your examples, but don’t disregard your introduction and conclusion. Start strong, with a clear thesis, and end with a meaningful takeaway message. Use thoughtful transitions between body paragraphs. Use clear and grammatical language and syntax. Its ok to show a little “personality” in your writing (as long as it doesn’t distract from the other elements!) 6 Answers to Some Anticipated Questions Q: What do you mean by “an example” An example can be anything that we have learned about during the course – it might be a specific study, a general concept, or something else. Each of the themes can be supported by many different examples, and there are many ways to approach the assignment and choose your examples (i.e., there are not specific examples we are looking for). For example, let’s imagine that I was writing this assignment and I had chosen the theme “Psychological science relies on empirical evidence and adapts as new data develop” (this is not one of the themes, this is just for illustrative purposes). In my paper, I am going argue that this is fundamental because without the ability to adapt and progress, we would never question original research findings and would fail to make important discoveries about human and animal behaviour. An example that I might choose to support this theme/thesis is the research on the facial feedback hypothesis discussed in Chapter 7 (Module 5). Other examples I might choose to support this theme include Walter Mischel’s delay of gratification study and the more recent follow-up research (Module 5); Garcia and Koelling’s “bright noisy water” experiment that provided important updates to Pavlov’s theory and the importance of biological preparedness (Module 3); the follow-up work on Piaget’s conservation task and the influence of task demands (Module 3); and so on. Q: What if my example touches on a few different things at once You might find that you want to bring in ideas from a few topics at once (e.g., Psychological Disorders and Personality) to support a single example, and this sort of integration can be interesting. If you take this approach, make sure that your reader will recognize a “main topic” of your example (e.g., something from Personality) and that this topic that does not overlap with other topics you will discuss (e.g., If the main topic of your example is from Personality, even though you pulled in ideas from the Psychological Disorders topic, the main topic from your other examples should not come from Personality). Q: I’m worried about my grammar, or I don’t have a lot of experience writing papers in university (and/or in English). Am I going to get a poor grade We are much more interested in your ideas and understanding of the course material than we are in your grammar, syntax, or punctuation. Of course you should do your best to write well and convey your thoughts as clearly as you can, but these things are worth a relatively small portion of your overall grade compared to the other elements of the paper. Q. Can I use personal pronouns Can I say “I” Yes, please do. (For more on this: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar- guidelines/grammar/first-person-pronouns ) 7 Q. Is there a specific word limit for the essay No, but there is a strict 4-page limit as outlined on page 4 of this document. Q. Can we include subheadings, e.g., “Introduction”. Yes, but this is unnecessary (and will also take up space). Q. Can I have someone edit my paper for me Yes, but be careful here. It is okay for someone to proofread to your paper (e.g., for grammar/spelling). And it is okay to discuss your thoughts/ideas with classmates (e.g., study group) or others. But this is an individual assignment. The essay you turn in must be your own ideas and own writing. E.g., Relevant Sections of Code: Section B.i.1.(d): To represent as one’s own any idea or expression of an idea or work of another in any academic examination or term test or in connection with any other form of academic work, i.e. to commit plagiarism Section B.i.3.(b): To engage in any form of cheating, academic dishonestly or misconduct, fraud or misrepresentation in order to obtain academic credit of other academic advantage of any kind. Q. I have four final exams/assignments (etc.) due the same week, can I have an extension Unfortunately, no. I recognize that this is a very busy time of year, but we have 1400+ papers to mark in a very short amount of time and the deadline is as late as I can possibly push it. Late papers will be accepted (see page 4) but are subject to a late penalty (except in special cases where an extension has been granted). Any requests for extensions on the final assessment will generally require supporting documentation (e.g., Absence Declaration, letter from your registrar, etc.) and should be submitted here no later than April 14. IMPORTANT: Please note that while we are happy to provide clarification about any information contained in this document, we will not provide feedback that is specific to your assignment (e.g., “is this a good thesis ”, “would it be okay if I chose X as an example ”). All questions about the final assessment must be posted to the class discussion board so that everyone in the class has access to the exact same information. Please SEARCH the discussion board before posting your question, as you may find it has already been answered! Thank you! I hope you enjoy the assignment!
