Psychology 100 Reflection Paper

PSYCHOLOGY 100 REFLECTION PAPER

Winter 2008

General Instructions:

Psychology 100 fulfills, in part, both Social Science and Social Diversity components of the University's General Education Curriculum (GEC). For the Social Science goal, Psychology 100 aims to help you understand human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, the individual differences and similarities that exist in these processes, and the scientific methods used to evaluate how these processes work. For the Social Diversity goal, Psychology 100 aims to foster an awareness and appreciation of the role that social diversity (i.e., culture, race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic class) plays in human thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

In Psychology 100, you have learned both facts and how to think more critically. You have also learned to apply course material in your exams. The purpose of this reflection paper is to give you the opportunity to reflect upon and to integrate the information you have learned in Psychology 100, particularly as it relates to the Social Science and Social Diversity objectives described above. In addition, this reflection paper is an opportunity for you to earn UP TO 3 extra credit points in this course.

All work on this reflection paper must be your own.

Guidelines for the Reflection Paper:

Page 2 of this document contains a reflection question. Your reflection paper MUST be a response to this question, or a score of zero will be assigned. Please note that different reflection questions are assigned to different sections of Psychology 100. Please make sure that you are responding to the correct reflection question assigned to your section. If you are unsure, please check with your instructor. The grading criteria for this paper are provided on Page 3.

The format of the reflection paper MUST be as follows:

The reflection paper is to be typed, single-spaced, using a 12-point font (either Times New Roman or Arial), and printed in black ink on white paper. All page margins should be one inch wide. The reflection paper should be approximately one half-page to one page in length (but no longer than one page).

At the top right-hand corner of your reflection paper, please include your name, your instructor's full name, your Psychology 100 class time, and the six-digit code at the top of this page (WI08S1).

The due date for this reflection paper is Thursday, March 6th. Your instructor will collect your reflection paper at the beginning of class.

Please answer the reflection question on the following page.

Reflection Question:

A recent study conducted by a major car insurance company reported statistics showing that the northeastern part of the United States has the most car accidents, while Wyoming and Nebraska have the smallest number of accidents. Based on this information, the researchers concluded that the northeast has the worst drivers and is therefore most dangerous to drive in, while the safest drivers live in Wyoming and Nebraska.

One of the objectives of Psychology 100 is to encourage students to think critically about research findings they come across, whether the research is reported in the scientific community or in the mainstream media. Please use your critical thinking skills and the knowledge you have gained in Psychology 100 to evaluate the study described above. When discussing specific concepts or examples from the course, please remember to cite the source (either the page numbers of the textbook or a lecture topic).

Psychology 100 Extra Credit Reflection Paper: Grading Criteria

General grading scheme:

3 points = Excellent or good response

2 points = Acceptable response

1 point = Weak response

0 points = Unacceptable response

"EXCELLENT" Response (3 points)

* The essay answers the question completely.

* The answer demonstrates strong and accurate understanding of the material.

* The essay is clearly