USE THIS ARTCLE LINK : http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/stressed-at-work-try-a-lunchtime-walk/?emc=eta1&_r=2
PAPER #1: FROM JOURNAL TO JOURNALISM Analyzing popular descriptions of psychological research
For this assignment, you will select and analyze an example of popular press coverage of psychological research from the possible topics provided by the instructor. These examples of psychological claims come from advertising, magazines, the newspaper, or the Internet. This assignment addresses the most fundamental goal of this class— becoming a better consumer of information. You will also practice your PsycINFO and APA style skills (don’t worry, this will be minor APA style – you will be provided with a set of guidelines to follow).
Your assignment is to intelligently critique the claim of the popular press coverage by using a psychology research article. The overall goal of this assignment is to use your research methods skills to answer this larger question: Is this popular source’s claim an accurate representation of the original article, or is it misleading to people?
You will need to find the original article on which the popular coverage is based, using PsycINFO (or Google Scholar, if you prefer). Read the original source and evaluate the quality of the popular coverage. Did the journalist accurately describe the research? Did the journalist offer some advice on the basis of the study (e.g., “based on this study, you should go bungee jumping in the winter, not the summer!”)? If so, is the advice correct, or is it based on some misinterpretations of the study? For example, many journalists or advertisers may report a correlational study, but then give advice based upon the misinterpretation that correlation equals causation, which it does not (e.g., “kids who take piano lessons do better in school! So sign your kid up now!”). Or they may not report that the study was based upon a very particular population (e.g., rats), and therefore may not be applicable for their readers (e.g., teenagers).
Your assignment will include two parts:
1. A typed report (3-4 pages, not counting the title page or reference page) that analyzes the journalism article and the original article.
2. A PDF copy of psychological article you used.
TERRELL – PSYC303 Page 1 of 3
PAPER #1: FROM JOURNAL TO JOURNALISM Analyzing popular descriptions of psychological research
Your report should have the following components, in this order. Please use headings to separate the different sections. See the sample paper for help with APA style and guidelines on how to format your paper.
1. A short introduction to the paper’s topic and this assignment (no more than 1 paragraph).
2. A short summary of the journalist’s story. Here, you should identify and classify any claims
(frequency, association, and/or causal) that the journalist makes in a headline or in the article
(1-2 paragraphs).
3. A short summary of key aspects of the original journal article (1-2 paragraphs). For example,
was the study correlational or experimental? What were the main variables? What was the key
to finding or findings? What (if any) theory do the findings support?
4. An analysis of how well the journalist covered the journal article. In this section, try to make at
least three significant points. Spend the majority of your time on this section, as it should comprise the bulk of your paper (1-2 pages in length).
a. What did the journalist get right?
b. What did the journalist get wrong, and why?
c. How might the journalist have phrased information differently?
d. Were any causal claims made by the journalist? If so, are they accurate? (Apply the
three causal criteria!)
e. Did the journalist focus on the same key findings as the scientists did?
f. Did the journalist accurately describe the procedures of the study? Did the journalist
leave details out?
g. Rephrase or rewrite parts of the journalist’s article to be more accurate, if appropriate.
Quality work will:
• Carefully examine the journalist’s claim—is it a causal claim? An associative claim? A claim about frequency/level?
• State whether the journalist and the researcher are making the same claim, or not. For instance, is the journalist making a causal claim, while the researcher is only making an association claim?
• Address the Four Big Validities (keeping your priorities straight).
• Accurately summarize the article you found, without plagiarizing. You must demonstrate that
you have read the article, not just the abstract.
• Suggest a new, more appropriate version of the popular coverage (if applicable).
• Meet the assignment’s requirements, and be written in APA style.
• Describe the research in your own words.
TERRELL – PSYC303 Page 2 of 3
PAPER #1: FROM JOURNAL TO JOURNALISM Analyzing popular descriptions of psychological research
GRADING RUBRIC
Grading Category
Points
Accurate, brief, non-plagiarized summary of the journalist’s article and a correct classification of the journalist’s claim as frequency, association, or causal.
20
Accurate, brief, non-plagiarized summary of key points from the original journal article: Was the study correlational or experimental? What were the main variables? What was the key finding(s)? What (if any) theory do the results support?
You must demonstrate that you have read the whole article, not just the abstract!
25
An analysis, containing at least three significant points, of how well the journalist described the original journal article.
50
Proper formatting, in APA style (SEE SAMPLE PAPER!). The APA style components that will be assessed include:
• Title page
• Headings
• Reference section
• Citations within text
• Margins, spacing, pagination
5
Deductions to your score will be made for the following:
• Direct quotes from the original journal article. (Direct quotes from the
journalist may be appropriate, but only when you identify and classify
the journalist’s claim.)
• Late papers (10% per calendar day)
• Paraphrasing that is too close to the original source.
X
TERRELL – PSYC303 Page 3 of 3
PAPER #1: FROM JOURNAL TO JOURNALISM
Analyzing popular descriptions of psychological research
TERRELL – PSYC303
Page 1 of 3
For this assignment, you will select and analyze an example of popular press coverage of
psychological research from the possible topics provided by the instructor. These examples of
psychological claims come from advertising, magazines, the newspaper, or the Internet. This
assignment addresses the most fundamental goal of this class— becoming a better consumer of
information. You will also practice your PsycINFO and APA style skills (don’t worry, this will be
minor APA style – you will be provided with a set of guidelines to follow).
Your assignment is to intelligently critique the claim of the popular press coverage by using a
psychology research article. The overall goal of this assignment is to use your research methods
skills to answer this larger question: Is this popular source’s claim an accurate representation of
the original article, or is it misleading to people?
You will need to find the original article on which the popular coverage is based, using PsycINFO
(or Google Scholar, if you prefer). Read the original source and evaluate the quality of the popular
coverage. Did the journalist accurately describe the research? Did the journalist offer some advice
on the basis of the study (e.g., “based on this study, you should go bungee jumping in the winter,
not the summer!”)? If so, is the advice correct, or is it based on some misinterpretations of the
study? For example, many journalists or advertisers may report a correlational study, but then give
advice based upon the misinterpretation that correlation equals causation, which it does not (e.g.,
“kids who take piano lessons do better in school! So sign your kid up now!”). Or they may not
report that the study was based upon a very particular population (e.g., rats), and therefore may
not be applicable for their readers (e.g., teenagers).
Your assignment will include two parts:
1. A typed report (3-4 pages, not counting the title page or reference page) that analyzes the
journalism article and the original article.
2. A PDF copy of psychological article you used.
PAPER #1: FROM JOURNAL TO JOURNALISM
Analyzing popular descriptions of psychological research
TERRELL – PSYC303
Page 2 of 3
Your report should have the following components, in this order. Please use headings to separate
the different sections. See the sample paper for help with APA style and guidelines on how to format
your paper.
1. A short introduction to the paper’s topic and this assignment (no more than 1 paragraph).
2. A short summary of the journalist’s story. Here, you should identify and classify any claims
(frequency, association, and/or causal) that the journalist makes in a headline or in the article
(1-2 paragraphs).
3. A short summary of key aspects of the original journal article (1-2 paragraphs). For example,
was the study correlational or experimental? What were the main variables? What was the key
to finding or findings? What (if any) theory do the findings support?
4. An analysis of how well the journalist covered the journal article. In this section, try to make at
least three significant points. Spend the majority of your time on this section, as it should
comprise the bulk of your paper (1-2 pages in length).
a. What did the journalist get right?
b. What did the journalist get wrong, and why?
c. How might the journalist have phrased information differently?
d. Were any causal claims made by the journalist? If so, are they accurate? (Apply the
three causal criteria!)
e. Did the journalist focus on the same key findings as the scientists did?
f. Did the journalist accurately describe the procedures of the study? Did the journalist
leave details out?
g. Rephrase or rewrite parts of the journalist’s article to be more accurate, if appropriate.
Quality work will:
• Carefully examine the journalist’s claim—is it a causal claim? An associative claim? A claim
about frequency/level?
• State whether the journalist and the researcher are making the same claim, or not. For
instance, is the journalist making a causal claim, while the researcher is only making an
association claim?
• Address the Four Big Validities (keeping your priorities straight).
• Accurately summarize the article you found, without plagiarizing. You must demonstrate that
you have read the article, not just the abstract.
• Suggest a new, more appropriate version of the popular coverage (if applicable).
• Meet the assignment’s requirements, and be written in APA style.
• Describe the research in your own words.
PAPER #1: FROM JOURNAL TO JOURNALISM
Analyzing popular descriptions of psychological research
TERRELL – PSYC303
Page 3 of 3
GRADING RUBRIC
Grading Category Points
Accurate, brief, non-plagiarized summary of the journalist’s article and a
correct classification of the journalist’s claim as frequency, association, or
causal.
20
Accurate, brief, non-plagiarized summary of key points from the original
journal article: Was the study correlational or experimental? What were the
main variables? What was the key finding(s)? What (if any) theory do the
results support?
You must demonstrate that you have read the whole article, not just the
abstract!
25
An analysis, containing at least three significant points, of how well the
journalist described the original journal article.
50
Proper formatting, in APA style (SEE SAMPLE PAPER!). The APA style
components that will be assessed include:
• Title page
• Headings
• Reference section
• Citations within text
• Margins, spacing, pagination
5
Deductions to your score will be made for the following:
• Direct quotes from the original journal article. (Direct quotes from the
journalist may be appropriate, but only when you identify and classify
the journalist’s claim.)
• Late papers (10% per calendar day)
• Paraphrasing that is too close to the original source.
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