ESSAY: Write a 10-12 page essay. Select a topic that intrigues you from the following list, or suggest your own. If you want to write on a topic not listed here, get your instructor’s approval first.
illusory correlation
self-fulfilling prophecies
attribution errors
self-serving biases
self-handicapping
aggression/social stimuli
intergroup conflict
peacemaking among individuals, families, or groups
interpersonal attraction
brainwashing
cognitive dissonance
loneliness
love and close relationships
helping behavior
conformity and obedience
indoctrination and cults
social loafing
groupthink
leadership or minority influence
prejudice
discrimination
catharsis, frustration, and aggression
individualism vs. collectivism
gender roles
culture
The structure of the essay is of your choosing. You may present an argumentative, comparative (compare and contrast), persuasive, reflective, or research easy. This is an upper-division course. This flexibility affords you the opportunity to explore newly acquired concepts and write a paper meaningful to you (e.g., career interests, personal connections).
Leverage the writing of the essay to showcase effective communication of social psychological principles and applications relevant to your selected topic.
Support discussions (topics and logic) with sound research, evident through the integration of properly cited theory and facts collected from a minimum of two (2) peer-reviewed journal articles.
Peer-reviewed articles are vetted for quality and adherence to editorial standards, and published in scholarly journals (such as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology). Use the UMGC library database to find peer-reviewed articles. It is your responsibility to make sure that the journal articles you select are appropriate. If you are unsure about the relevance of your articles, contact your instructor for approval. Two peer-reviewed articles must meet the following criteria:
Scholarly – Articles should address an original research study, meta-analyses, summary, editorial or theory.
Refereed – Articles must come from peer-reviewed journals found in the UMGC library.
Social Psychology Focus – Articles must be relevant to social psychology.
Recent – Articles must have been published within the last 10 years.
For example, the following would be a relevant peer-reviewed journal article for investigating the influence of emotional intelligence on academic performance:
MacCann, C., Jiang, Y., Brown, L. E., Double, K. S., Bucich, M.,