Locate and read three articles: 1) an article from the popular press describing a current
issue that involves a psychological concept covered in the course and 2) two research studies related that
same topic. You will then be asked to consider how the results of the research studies relate to the current
issue that you identified.
- Find a recent article (in a newspaper or news magazine) describing a real world issue/current event that
involves at least one psychological concept, topic, or theory covered in the course. This should be relatively
easy since most real world issues/current events involve a number of psychological concepts.
Examples of real world issues/current events: the obesity epidemic, prisoner abuse, treatments for depression, - Read the article and identify one psychological concept that is involved in the real world issue/current event.
Examples of psychological concepts: biological drives, fear, obedience, culture, nature-nurture, attachment,
stereotyping, stress and coping, etc. - Find two recent (2000-present) empirical research articles from a psychology journal that examine the same
psychological concept and/or real world issue. To find an article, do a PsycINFO search on your chosen topic. - Write a 7-8 page paper that addresses the following points:
a. Summary of News Article: Briefly summarize the real world issue/current event that is described in the
newspaper of magazine article.
b. Describe Psychological Concept Clearly describe the psychological concept, topic, or theory that is involved
in the real world issue/current event. Use the textbook/lectures/article to help you in your explanation. This is
essentially a mini lecture to a lay audience about the psychological construct.
c. Summary of Research Articles : For each article, describe what the study was investigating (what were the
research question and hypotheses ?), how they performed the research (participants, procedures, surveys,
materials, etc.). Describe the findings. You only need to focus on findings that are relevant for your real world
issue. In other words, if the article is complex (e.g., offers multiple studies or multiple dependent variables), you
need only present the pieces that are important for the point you are trying to make.
d. Synthesis/Analysis This is the most important part, and perhaps the most challenging as it requires deep,
original thought. Describe how the results of the studies may relate to the real world issue/current event. For
example, do the results corroborate what is happening in the real world? What do the results of the study say
about how the issue should be handled in the future? How should people think, feel, or act to prevent or
promote the issue in the future? What other research do you suggest is needed?
Sample Solution
