Bonnie L. Rosenblatt, Ph.D.
 
Office: 393 Old Main    Phone: (610) 683 - 4459    Email: rosenbla@kutztown.edu

Term Project

Goals

The goal of the Term Project is for you to demonstrate your understanding of Social Psychological theories and findings by applying them to experiences in your everyday lives. There are a number of ways to complete this requirement. You may apply theories to 1) current events in the news, to 2) pre-approved films (films that have not been approved will not be acceptable; papers based on films that have not been approved will not be graded and will result in a grade of zero 3) advertising/marketing campaigns. You also have the option of 4) developing your own research proposal based on theories discussed in class and readings and at least 2 additional research articles. (This is only a proposal; you will not actually conduct the experiment.)

Again, you must choose 1 of these types of projects and complete it by November 22. To successfully complete the project you will need to apply at least 3 theories or principles to your topic. You will be graded on how well you demonstrate your understanding of at least three theories or principles from class or text and how well you use these theories to interpret something else.

When writing, be as clear as if you are speaking to someone who knows nothing about the theories we have discussed in class. Be sure to explain each theory, not simply label it.

Specifics

1 – Current events in the news: current events are restricted to those events that have occurred since August 1, 2004. You MUST attach a photocopy of the relevant article to your paper. You should take one current event and apply 3 theories or principles to it. (i.e., Do not pick out 3 different events.)

*You must attach a copy of your article to your paper.*

2 – Films: restricted to those posted on my website (TBA)

Be sure to a) identify and define the 3 theories or principles that you will use to interpret the event/film, b) describe the event/general movie plot and specific scenes in the film you are analyzing, c) interpret and explain the event/film scenes according to those theories or principles – be sure to explain each theory or principle, not simply label them, and d) indicate how well each theory or principle explains the event – some may do better than others. Remember to be specific – for example, if you are talking about conformity you would need to distinguish between informational and normative influence; private and public acceptance.

Most people opt for the Film option. A useful outline for this paper is provided below.

I. One page summary of the movie plot including a transition that briefly introduces the relevant theories or principles you will be discussing.

II. For all Three Theories or Principles
    A. Definition of relevant aspects of the theory or principle
    B. Brief description of relevant scene in the Film
    C. Explanation of how the theory or principle is depicted in the scene, or how the theory or principle explains the
         behavior of the characters in the scene - be as specific as possible.
    D. How well does this theory or principle explain the scene? Are there aspects of the scene that are not explained by
         this theory or principle? Would another theory or principle explain it better (if so make this theory number 2.)

III. Theory 2

IV. Theory 3

V. Conclusion - e.g. did one theory best describe the scene(s) in the film?

3 – Advertising or marketing campaign: use a pre-existing item or create a novel one.

Be sure to a) identify and define the 3 theories or principles that you will use to advertise and market your product, b) describe at least 3 ads or marketing techniques you intend to employ and c) include examples of text or pictures you would use, d) provide an explanation of how your ad or marketing technique makes use of each theory or principle – remember to be specific and to explain rather than simply label the theory. When writing, be as clear as if you are speaking to someone who knows nothing about the theories we have discussed in class.

4 -- Research Proposal: using one experiment discussed in class or in the texts, find 2 additional articles from 1994 to the present to design a research proposal. Keep a copy of the articles you use; you will  need to turn in a copy of each article with your paper.

 Research proposals must follow APA format, with an a) introduction, b) methods section, c) expected results section, and d) discussion section. The introduction typically summarizes the articles and sets up the proposed study – e.g. why are you proposing the study? The method section will consist of the materials you will use and exactly what each subject will experience from the start of the experiment to the finish. It is customary to include examples of questions, or instructions, or diagrams/figures that might be employed. The results section will describe what results you expect to obtain. The discussion section further interprets the possible outcomes of the study and what it would mean. Typically this section refers back to research described in the introduction and either indicates how the expected results would extend, contradict or untangle previous findings. This project must include a Reference page and attached copies of the two research papers you read for the project.

Format for ALL projects

Papers must be typed in 12 point font, double-spaced, on one side of the page only, have 1-inch margins, page numbers in upper right hand corner, and stapled. The paper is likely to be from 5 to 10 pages (excluding references, and other additional material). There is no minimum page number, but I believe it will be unlikely that you could complete “A” level work in under 5 pages. An “A” project will be well written, carefully reasoned, and thorough and follow  "the rule of three" – you should define and apply three theories for each project or use three studies (one from the text and one from a refereed journal such as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) in your project.  The title of the paper should clearly indicate what type of project you did (e.g., research proposal, movie analysis, etc.). Spelling, punctuation, and grammar will count toward the grade.

This is a link to a web site that gives aid in APA format  http://webster.commnet.edu/apa/index.htm

Plagiarism

 You must write the paper in your own words. If you must quote, you must correctly identify whose words you are repeating. There should be no more than 4 quotes per paper. If you quote from your text book (e.g. from page 59) the appropriate citation would include the authors, the year of the text and page number inserted in text and just after the quotation. For example:

             Schemas are defined as "mental structures that organize our knowledge about the world" (Aronson, Wilson, &
             Akert, 2005, p. 59).

 A separate reference page located at the end of the paper would also be necessary. An example of the correct citation for your text would be:

References

Aronson, E. Wilson, T.D., Akert, R.M. (2005). Social Psychology (5^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall/Pearson Education.

Examples and Common Errors

 For examples of papers and hints on common errors go to:

http://tigger.uic.edu/~jlarson/p312/p312TermProject/p312TermProjectHelp/p312helpIndex.html

I have read all of these papers, so please do not attempt to turn in one in and call it your own work. That would be plagiarism and you would receive a zero.