Format. Each response paper has two pages: a cover sheet and the actual
written response. The cover sheet shows your student ID (no name) and an APA-
style ... example, use the article's concepts or findings to analyze an everyday ...
Response Paper assignment Format Each response paper has two pages: a cover sheet and the actual written response. The cover sheet shows your student ID (no name) and an APA-style reference for the article you are responding to. See http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/ and http://library.nmu.edu/guides/userguides/style_apa.htm for APA reference style guides. The response itself is limited to one page and between 350 and 550 words. It has three parts. (1) One paragraph summarizes the main point of the article or, if the article has multiple points (e.g., a review), the specific point that you are responding to. (2) One or two paragraphs develop a constructive thought that the article stimulated in you. For example, use the article’s concepts or findings to analyze an everyday situation; to develop a possible application in education, business, clinical, law, etc.; or to propose an additional study. Don’t vaguely point to some ideas; describe one thought in sufficient detail. (3) One or two paragraphs develop a critical thought the article provoked in you. For example, critique the clarity of the theory, the logic of the main claim; the adequateness of the methods (if the article is empirical); or the strength of the empirical support for the interpretation or conclusion. (See below for dos and don’ts.)
Submission The paper has to be submitted by 2:30 p.m. on its due day. Electronic format is strongly preferred (.doc or .rtf, not pdf files). A separate email describes the submission process in MyCourses. Always save a copy of your paper on the due date and do not perform any further editing from then on. That way you can prove that you had a complete paper by its due date.
Paper due dates The response papers are due 9/29, 10/20, 11/3, 11/17, and 12/3.
Late papers Turning in a paper late leads to point deductions. Within 24 hours of the due date, the 3 on-time points from the points scheme will be deducted; for each day beyond that, an additional 2 points will be deducted. There is one exception: You have a 1-day grace period for one of your papers (because perhaps sometimes pets really do eat papers). As with exams, if you are an athlete traveling to official events or if you face a serious difficulty with your health or have a death in the family you must speak to us in advance of the due date to make arrangements. If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations for the response paper assignment, please also speak to us in advance.
Writing quality You must write clearly and concisely. Every sentence must be readily understandable grammatically and in content, not requiring multiple re-reads. Sentences must be logically connected to each other. Begin each paragraph with a one-sentence précis of what you will say in more detail in the paragraph. Whenever you make a claim (e.g., that the article can be applied to a certain domain or has a certain problem), you must back up your claim—with evidence in the paper or in other literature, with logic, or with a compelling example. Don’t be vague. Be precise. And concise, Re-read and edit your paper multiple times. It is a good idea to exchange paper drafts with classmates or friends; a reader’s perspective always improves a paper. Don’t forget to spell-check. If you speak English as your second language, it is imperative that you have native speakers (other students or student services) edit your papers.
Grading Each paper earns up to 60 points. Points are awarded as follows: Turned in on time +3 Correct formatting of cover page
+3
Within page and length requirement
+3
Language: No major spelling errors
+3
No major/repeated grammatical errors
+6
Understandable sentences and sentence transitions
+6
Clarity, relevance, backing of claims, and creativity in each of the main three parts: Summary
+12
Extension
+12
Critique
+12
Challenges (and how to overcome them) If you have little practice in writing (especially writing short responses), you will find this assignment difficult at first. Read and edit your papers repeatedly. Put yourself in a reader’s perspective and keep asking yourself: Is this clear? Would they know what I mean? And heed our feedback on early papers. The last of the three parts, the Critique, is the hardest. Keep these guidelines in mind: 1. You must critique the content of the article; this third part of the response is not optional. The emphasis may be on the Extension part, but some critique must be offered. If you endorse all parts of the paper and see no flaws in it, choose a different paper. 2. Never attack the authors; instead, critique the theory, argument, data, or interpretation that the article presents. Don’t be guided by impressions that the authors are wrong and you are right. Try to find out what is true in reality. 3. Don’t talk about your general reading difficulties (having chosen the article, you are responsible for mastering it). However, you can always criticize specific confusing or incomplete or weak parts. 4. Don’t merely say that “The article is outdated.” Specify what new research casts doubt on its conclusions. If you don’t know such research, you can’t claim that the article is outdated. But you can always look up recent articles on the topic in PsycINFO. 5. Don’t say “I don’t believe the theory”; specifically point to inconsistencies in the data or unjustified interpretations. 6. Do not merely suggest that “more data” or “more studies” should be collected (this is a truism); say what kind of studies would address your criticism. 7. Do not critique the size of the study’s sample unless it created serious problems for the statistical analysis or the interpretation. Do not critique the composition of the sample unless it seriously undermines the paper’s main conclusion. 8. Do not vaguely refer to possible personality differences; describe what specific differences provide an alternative explanation of the findings or pose a problem of interpretation. 9. Do not simply say: “This finding is not true of me/my friends.” Every finding in psychology is true of many but not all people. If you think that the finding is not true of most people, back your claim with an argument, with evidence, or with a description of the kind of evidence one need to collect to back your claim.
10. Don’t make merely normative statements (e.g., “People should not be prejudiced.” “People should raise their self-esteem but be realistic about their strengths.”) We all have desires and preferences for what the world should look like. A science takes the perspective of describing and explaining reality as it is. 11. Whenever you identify a possible problem, explain why it matters for the results. For example, you might state that the article didn’t clarify whether the data were collected in the lab or in the participants’ homes, or didn’t mention the participants’ gender and background, or only used undergraduate students, or examined only one type of stereotype, or focused on only one performance domain (e.g., ability tests)… However, merely stating any of these points is by itself not a critique. The factors might be problematic. But you must clarify how the particular factor might have biased the results, or in what way the results would differ with different samples or under different conditions, or what the theory would predict about the different samples/conditions, or how we could find out. In short, you must argue your point’s relevance. It must become clear why “not including males” is more relevant than “not including people who wear orange pants.” 12. In general, making one point convincingly is better than making many points without development. 13. Once you have expressed a criticism, consider the authors’ possible counterargument and, if possible, refute it. This is a powerful way of analyzing an article. For example, in the third part of your paper, you could use one paragraph to critique the article and a second paragraph to consider a counterargument and refute it. 14. Don’t quote too much. Say it in your own words unless the specific formulation matters.
