A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Search two recent (within the last 5 years) events reported in media that are relevant to some specific topics in social psychology. Before the search, you may want to browse through the textbook (e.g., table of contents) to get some idea for what kind of news events to search. Please also see the examples below. Feel free to consult your tutor.
Media reports can include TV programs (e.g., news, documentaries), newspaper and magazine articles, reputable online media, etc. It can be reporting a local, national or international event. The two media reports can not be about the same event and can not be about the same social psychology topic.
2. Summarise the media report. The summary should be brief yet capture all the key details
(e.g., "My first media report describes an event that took place in Northbridge last week that ..."). With your summary, your reader should be able to see the gist of the report without actually reading it through.
3. Discuss how the reported event is relevant to social psychology. First, briefly describe in your own words a specific topic in social psychology that is relevant to the report. Then, discuss WHY you think the topic is relevant (e.g., "I think topic X is relevant because ...").
4. Read a section in Textbook Chapter 1 that discusses how social psychology differs from other fields within psychology (personality, clinical, cognitive psychology) and other fields (sociology, biology, anthropology, economics). Discuss how the reported event may be relevant to one of these fields. For example, imagine how a clinical psychologist or biologist may explain the news event you selected. Your discussion should make it clear ways in which social psychology is similar to and different from the chosen field in relation to the particular event.
5. Reflect on your experience for this assignment. Some sample issues to reflect on are: Is there anything you've noticed in drawing connections between social psychology and media reports? Did you notice any beneficial or limiting features of social psychology as it applies to real life events?
1. News event: President Donald Trump. o Relevant social psychology topic: social influence, persuasion, leadership, discrimination
2. News event: Marriage equality o Relevant topics in social psychology: empathy, prejudice and discrimination, relationship
Structuring Your Report
Introduction is not needed for this assignment. You can directly start with your first summary (Step 2). Afterwards, introduce your topic and demonstrate it’s relevant to the reported event (Steps 3). Discuss how the reported even is relevant to another field of study (Step 4). Next, introduce your second media report and repeat the process. End your paper with your reflection (Step 5).
Attach the two media reports (just the first page for each) to your paper––we may check to ensure the accuracy of your summary.
References (there won't be many of them in this assignment) should be listed following the APA style. You don’t need to cite the news reports using the APA style and they do not need to appear in the References. You can simply refer them as “my first report,” “my second report” in your paper.
Formatting Requirements
• Maximum of 3 pages. This excludes title page, references, and media reports to be attached
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 point
• 2.5cm borders (top, bottom, & sides)
• Double-spaced lines
• Follow APA 6th ed. guidelines for referencing.
· Two reports are attached. –
· Two reports cover different events. –
· Summary is accurate. –
· A succinct yet comprehensive summary of media report is provided.
· A social psychology topic is described correctly in own words.
· The topic’s relevance to the reported evident is clearly demonstrated.
· An alternative field of study is accurately described (in accordance with the textbook).
· Clearly discuss the reported event’s relevance to another field of study. –
· Clearly discuss how social psychology is similar to and different from the chosen field of study with respect to the selected news event
· An insightful personal reflection is provided.
· Follows the formatting requirements
· Writing is clearly structured and easy to follow.
· Writing is free from mechanical problems (e.g., grammar, typos).
· Mastery of the APA style referencing is demonstrated.