PSY 4003 | Syllabus | Term Paper | Lecture Notes | Exam Information
Term Paper
Pick any topic or person or a combination of the two. Your paper should put the topic or person in the contexts of both psychology and the culture. Describe how your topic fits into the history of psychology. Your textbook will provide some introductory background here, but you also should use other sources, such as other history of psychology books available at the UTSA library. To understand ‘cultural context”, make reference to the time and place in which your topic developed or your person lived.
If you see a topic of interest in one of the chapters in your text book, you can look up the references in the chapter and acquire the original article. Also, any article that interests you will likely have references to other articles.
Use multiple sources. This is important. One major objective of this course is for you to learn what it is like to do historical research in the field of psychology. I expect you to use at least three different kinds of sources. Journal articles are one kind of source. If at all possible, include some original articles or books on the topic or by the person as a source. You might also use book reviews, biographies, the Reader's Guide, “Notes and News,” and other sources. A good resource available at UTSA is the library website. A database (and search engine) for psychology publications is provided by PsycInfo via CSA. Be sure to include references to all of the sources that you use, including information taken from the Internet.
There should be a concluding section to your paper. This could be an analysis or interpretation that presents your explanations and insights, or it might be a historical critique of an area of research or a person's work.
Length: 12 page minimum, not including title page, references, pictures, tables and figures. There is no maximum length.
Deadlines: On or before Wednesday, October 17 submit a brief (one paragraph) written proposal that describes your topic and explains its significance for the history of psychology, including a list of a few of the sources you may use. Do this as soon as possible so I can help you find a topic that “works.” Note that this proposal is part of your grade for the paper.
The final paper is due no later than the last day of class, Wednesday, December 5.