Details are given in the pdf attached.
PY2100 – SEMINAR: SPECIAL TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY
Special Topics Paper
Instructions
*Note: It is expected that students will have a working knowledge of APA format, citations, etc., as
well as writing skills appropriate to a college level course. Students who struggle in these areas, may
want to review previous courses and/or other sources to be prepared to write and format these
papers.
This assignment the following main goals:
1. To apply critical thinking and logic to content areas in Psychology
2. To demonstrate correct academic writing, content, style, and format.
3. To explore topics in Psychology to further students’ knowledge in the field
PAPER 1- Topics should be written on any topic related to the foundations of psychology, or a
foundational figure, theory, or research. Examples might include thing such as dreams, development or
psychotherapy theories, group processes, brain functioning, principles of persuasion, emotion, or
psychosocial theories.
PAPER 2- Topics should be written on any aspect of applying some area of psychology. It does not have
to be connected to Paper 1. Some examples might include a type of therapy, social or group
interactions, treatments for mental illness, consumer behavior, rehabilitation psychology, or any other
area of applied psychology.
Instructors may assign the topics at his/her discretion, with the student choosing the other. Students
should have topics approved in advance if uncertain it is appropriate to the assignment.
INSTRUCTIONS: You should present a well-written, well-researched, and correctly formatted paper on
the topic. While there is no specific length, paper shorter than five pages will generally be
underdeveloped, and result in lower grades.
Locate at least five professional research articles on the selected topic (professional, peer-reviewed,
original research). Most well-written papers will use more than five sources. Using more sources will
also generally make the paper easier to write, with more information provided to support your topic.
Using these articles, summarize and synthesize the information into a well-written paper on the topic.
Your paper MUST include a variety of perspectives or approaches to the topic. Even if you are
presenting a particular position, it must be well-researched and supported by the facts (focus more on
“logos”), and indicate you have researched and thought through various approaches to the topic.
Your paper must include a correctly formatted and cited APA paper which includes a title page, body,
and reference page. Headings should also be used to outline and identify the various sections of your
paper.
Additional questions should be directed to your course instructor.
