<p> Name: ______Psychology Semester Project</p><p>Goal: The overall goal of this assignment is to better understand course concepts, psychological themes, and the human experience through either independent research, non-fiction reading, or fictional case studies.</p><p>Specific Objective: You will choose one of three possible project formats which will combine your personal interests/skills with professional psychology literature. The specific topic of study will be your choice, but must be approved. After reading and researching, you will write an analysis that blends knowledge gained from the story and the research and make a presentation to the class.</p><p>Grade: This project will constitute a significant portion of both your quarter grade and final. The written portion will be included on the quarter grade, while the presentation will be factored into your semester final grade (see the rubric(s) for details). Option #1: Experiment and Literature Review In this project format, you will conduct your own research on a psychological concept and then do some research on this or related psychological concepts. Option #2: Non-Fiction Book Review In this project format, you will read a non-fiction book on a psychological concept and then do some research on this or related psychological concepts. Option #3: Fiction Book and Research In this project format, you will read a fiction book in which characters depict one or more psychological concepts and research the concept, disorder, behaviors, etc from the fiction book. You will place this story within a researched context.</p><p>Core Requirements All options require the following basic components:  Paper (different format, depending on which option you choose)  Bibliography (APA format)  Visual representation  Presentation to the class</p><p>Assessment / Grade This long term project is your opportunity to pursue personal interests in a detailed and complex way from the perspective of a psychology student and apply new knowledge to yourself and modern society. This application is an important aspect of this course, so this project will warrant our time, energy, and curiosities. Therefore, the project will be important parts of both quarter grades, as well as the final exam grade. Quarter 2 or 4 grades will include the written portions of your project and will constitute the greatest single grade in the course. As part of your final exam grade, you will present parts of your project to the class, so we may all learn from a variety of case studies.  Final paper - 75 points  Presentation - 1/3 final exam grade Option #1: Individual Experiment This project allows you to develop and run a psychological experiment on a topic of interest to you. This option is divided into three parts: a literature review and abstract, a visual representation of your work, and an oral presentation to the class.</p><p>A. The literature review and abstract Every good experiment examines previous relevant research in the topic of interest. This element of the project requires you to seek and analyze research that other psychologists have found regarding your topic. Often, looking at other studies helps the researcher decide how to conduct his or her own study as well as giving valuable background information on experiments that have been run in the past.  Length: Approximately 3 pages  Format: o Double-spaced, 12 point font, standard margins o Title page . The name of your project (the name should contain aspects of the hypothesis) . Your name . The class title, hour, and date  Must use at least four (4) outside resources from Psychology journals or the like. All four must be properly cited (APA style) in the Literature Review.  References page with proper APA formatted entries.</p><p>When psychologists publish information about an experiment, they produce an abstract, a short summary of their experiment and findings so that other psychologists can quickly find out about the research without reading a lengthy report. While they may look short and easy to create, do not be fooled! It takes some thinking to create a meaningful, concise abstract.  See the attached example abstract to help guide you.  Length: 1-2 paragraphs  Format: Same as literature review  Must include: overview of study, hypothesis, sample size and makeup, type of experiment, basic procedure, results compared to hypothesis</p><p>B. The Visual representation (Final Exam Grade) This allows the class and PHS community to see your work. It is a breakdown and synopsis of the research. Create an interesting and very clear poster that attracts attention. Your poster or other visual should include:  Background elements, including your hypothesis, sample, procedure, and results should be represented  Include copies of materials you developed for your experiment  A visual representation of your results in the form of a graph  A discussion about problems or weaknesses in your experiment</p><p>C. The presentation (Final Exam Grade) Bring your poster to class and set it up so everyone can see it. Be prepared to briefly explain each aspect of the poster/research to the class. Each presentation should take approximately five minutes. You must also be prepared to answer any questions the class may have. Steps to running an experiment:</p><p>1. Determine a topic of interest that you would like to research and experiment on. See the attached sheet for some general project ideas, but do not feel limited to using one of these ideas. If you have a question about a topic, see Mr. Jones.</p><p>2. Create a literature review  Find articles (in appropriate, peer-reviewed sources) about your topic -- even if the article isn’t about your topic exactly. If you are not sure what to research, see Mr. Jones. You’re looking for any information about your topic that may be helpful in giving your experiment some direction.</p><p>3. Pick a population, collect a sample  Remember, a key to good experiments is having a representative sample. Try to get people with diverse backgrounds, different age groups (if relevant), etc. You need at least 20 participants to show any result.  Do not disrupt the school day in any way for your experiment; this project is not a license to challenge school rules, teachers, or administrators.</p><p>4. Develop an operationalized hypothesis to test and decide on the type of research that will best test your hypothesis.</p><p>5. If you are doing a survey…  Keep questions objective and give enough choices to pick from. Avoid biased questions!!! Remember also that your questions should not lead your participants to respond with what they think you want to prove.  Minimum of 5 questions, maximum of 10  Use at least 2 Likert scale questions, 2 multiple choice questions, and 1 open-ended question</p><p>6. Run the experiment  Decide on the best procedure to follow and then REPEAT THE EXACT SAME PROCEDURE. You are trying to decrease outside variables, so it’s important that you attempt to run each trial exactly the same way, including giving duplicate instructions to all participants.  Each participant must give his or her informed consent to be in the experiment. Obviously, you don’t want to inform the participants on what your study is specifically about until after they are done. Then, you should ask them if you may use the results you obtained from them for your project. Make sure they realize that their results are anonymous.</p><p>7. Analyze your data. Check for significant findings.</p><p>8. Write abstract, create poster.</p><p>Sample Abstract The study examined the effect of violent music on aggression. The hypothesis stated that violent music should temporarily increase aggressive behavior in those listening. The study consisted of a survey given to a sample size of twenty six high-school students; a group of thirteen in a biotechnology class and a group of thirteen in the library. The survey consists of ten questions, some that rate the aggressiveness of mood, actions, and viewpoints. The group in the library was the control group and received the survey without any music playing. The group in the biotechnology class received the survey after listening to Dragula by Rob Zombie for two minutes, and then continued to repeat while they took the survey. The results did not indicate much significance. There was no consistent pattern of one group answering with a more aggressive lean than the other. The higher group varied with each question. Comparisons and contrasts to past experiments and research are shown. Option #2: Non-Fiction Book Review In this project format, you will read a non-fiction book on a psychological concept and then do some research on this or related psychological concepts. Book review, not book report.</p><p>A. The book review In general, there are three functions of an academic book review: (1) to describe content and summarize the author's argument or main points, (2) to evaluate the book in the context of the current literature (what else has been written about the same or similar topics), and (3) to offer subjective reflections on the book. A good review is not a recitation of content word-for-word or chapter by chapter. The review should be informative, analytical, and critical.  Length: Approximately 4-5 pages  Format: o Double-spaced, 12 point font, standard margins o Title page . The name of your project . Your name . The class title, hour, and date  Must use at least two (2) outside resources from Psychology journals or the like. Both must be properly cited (APA style).  References page with proper APA formatted entries.</p><p>Elements of a book review: Book summary  Summarize the thesis and critical support. You may start with an in-depth summary, or a brief summary that allows you to include details through the paper.</p><p>Psychological perspective  Discuss the psychological approach / perspective (cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, neuropsychological, psychodynamic...) using several examples from the book. Chances are that the book won't discuss perspective, you will have to glean this information from your knowledge.</p><p>Premise / Opinion  Do you agree or disagree with the assertions of the book or the methods that were used? In other words, does this book seem reasonable and accurate, or does it seem like the author embellishes the story. Explain your opinions about the main arguments, choice of support, perspective, writing style, organization, or any other parts of the book.</p><p>Context  This is the part that requires a little research. How does the author's main point fit in the context of other academic writing on the same (or similar) topic? Is there disagreement? What other perspectives are there that the author didn't consider? Has anyone attacked his/her ideas? Can you find additional support for the author or other concepts that are connected? This is where you will link to other findings from your research.</p><p>Relevance  Argue the relevance of the book in today's society. Is the story one that could help people better understand the topic, or does it seem outdated, immaterial, or otherwise outside the realm of social significance? Should this be required reading? For who? Make sure you back up your thoughts with examples. B. The Visual representation (Final Exam Grade) This allows the class and PHS community to learn about your book. It is a breakdown and synopsis of the book in a broad context. Create an interesting and very clear poster that attracts attention. Your visual should add to your audience's understanding of the book's conclusions and the evidence used to support these conclusions.</p><p>C. The presentation (Final Exam Grade) Your presentation should essentially mirror your paper (but it should NOT be a reading of your paper). Cover the same information, discussing why you choose the book, the main points, what you learned, what you found interesting, what you found in your alternate research, etc. Each presentation should take approximately five minutes. You must also be prepared to answer any questions the class may have.</p><p>Option #3: Fiction Book and Research In this project format, you will read a fiction book in which characters depict one or more psychological concepts and research the concept, disorder, behaviors, etc from the fiction book.</p><p>A. Paper Because this option is the most removed from the academic study of psychology, the product is a little different. You will not necessarily be writing only about the book you read; but rather, you will be writing a paper about a psychological concept (or multiple concepts) using the book as your main case study. Say, for example, you read a book about a girl who has bipolar disorder. You paper would focus on both the research regarding bipolar disorder and the book you read. In your paper, you will use examples and stories from the book to illustrate your points about the psychological concept(s).  Length: Approximately 4-5 pages  Format: o Double-spaced, 12 point font, standard margins o Title page . The name of your project . Your name . The class title, hour, and date  Must use at least four (4) outside resources from Psychology journals or the like. Both must be properly cited (APA style).  References page with proper APA formatted entries.</p><p>Your paper should include the following: Book summary  Summarize the the story and important details critical to understanding the characters and plot. You may start with an in-depth summary, or a brief summary that allows you to include details through the paper.</p><p>Connection to Psychology  Discuss the psychological concepts demonstrated by the character(s) of the book using several examples from the book. Chances are that the book won't discuss specific concepts but will offer many examples, you will have to glean this information from your knowledge.</p><p>Personal Connection and Opinions  What can you personally learn from the character(s) in this book? What does this book have to teach you or society at large about behavior or thought? Remember, a bad example is still a learning opportunity. What did you think of the book? Explain your opinions about the main arguments, choice of support, perspective, writing style, organization, or any other parts of the book. Reflections and Connections  This is the part that requires a little research. How does the story fit in the context of academic writing on the same (or similar) topic? What psychological research helps you understand the story, plot, or character? It is crucial that you position the novel you read in the academic literature to demonstrate how this book adds to our understanding of human psychology.</p><p>Relevance  Argue the relevance of the book in today's society. Is the story one that could help people better understand the topic, or does it seem outdated, immaterial, or otherwise outside the realm of social significance? Should this be required reading? For who? Make sure you back up your thoughts with examples.</p><p>B. The Visual representation (Final Exam Grade) This allows the class and PHS community to learn about your book and your research. It is a breakdown and synopsis of both the book and your research on the topic of your choosing. Create an interesting and very clear poster that attracts attention. Your visual should add to your audience's understanding of both the book plot and characters, as well as their understanding of the overall concept. You should use the book to teach the concept.</p><p>C. The presentation (Final Exam Grade) Your presentation should essentially mirror your paper (but it should NOT be a reading of your paper). Cover the same information, discussing why you choose the book, the main points, what you learned, what you found interesting, what you found in your alternate research, etc. Each presentation should take approximately five minutes. You must also be prepared to answer any questions the class may have. Selecting and Reading (Read for Options #2 and #3)</p><p>Selecting a Book This project is intentionally open to allow you to choose a topic or story that truly interests or intrigues you. While you are limited to books that contribute to our understanding of human psychology, you have a wide range of options. The only specific limitation is that it must be a book you have not read before. Both Mr. Jones and Ms. Leahy can help you select a title. It is absolutely crucial that you do your research before you select a book (reflect on your interests, read reviews online (Amazon.com is helpful), and discuss potential titles with Mr. Jones -- especially for non-fiction -- and Ms. Schober -- especially for fiction) because so much of this project rests on that selection. In addition, you should research several possible titles, as all students will be reading different books. Note: Please remember that most books on these topics were not written for teenagers. Many deal with serious, and sometimes disturbing issues. </p><p>Reading the Book As you read, take notes on important or impressive information, as well as assertions that confirm or challenge previously held beliefs. For your final product to represent the entire book, you will need notes to remind you of what jumped out at you from each section. As you finish each section, or throughout your reading, make notes about what you learned (with page #s) so that when you are writing your final product you have resources. It crucial that you read the book for personal application, not simply as information, so that you have material to discuss in the book review. Documenting Sources</p><p>You are responsible for correct documentation of all sources used in your work. It is not ok to just plug it in to EasyBib and blame the website for any problems.</p><p>What to document  Information that originates from someone else’s work. All of the following should have a reference to the original: 1. direct quotations 2. paraphrases and summaries 3. information and ideas that are not common knowledge or are not available in a standard reference work 4. any borrowed material that might appear to be you own if there were no citation</p><p>How to document  For any experiment, it is important that you refer to previous research and provide summaries of findings. This is done with the literature review. 1. Use parenthetical (in text) references - 3 options 1. Place author and date within parentheses at an appropriate place within or at the end of a sentence. 1. Example: Researchers have pointed out that the lack of trained staff is a common barrier to providing adequate health education (Fisher, 1999 and services (Weist & Christodulu, 2000). 2. Place only the date within parenthesis. 1. Example: Fisher (1999) recommended that health education be required for high school graduation in California. 3. Integrate both the author and date into your sentence. 1. Example: In 2001, Weist proposed using the Child and Adolescent Planning Schema to analyze and develop community mental health programs for young people.</p><p> Two or more authors, always cite both names every time the reference occurs.  Three, four, or five authors, cite all authors the first time the reference occurs; in later citations, include only the name of the first author followed by “et al.”  Six or more authors, cite only the first author followed by “et al.”  No authors, use the first two or three words of the title and capitalize each word of your shortened version 1. Place the short title in quotation marks if it is an article or chapter: (“Emotions,” 2011). 2. Italicize if it is a book or periodical: (Journal of Personality, 2013)</p><p>References Page at end of Document  APA style sources used and referred to are called references.  For proper APA style citation, look at the following sources: ◦ EastyBib – easybib.com ◦ Purdue Owl Writing Center https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ or google “purdue owl” (and then click APA) ◦ UW-Madison Writing Center Writer’s Handbook www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html ◦ American Psychological Association http://apa.org/</p>