This assignment will have you reading a “hot off the press” scientific study and a corresponding media account of the study.
Your goal will be to characterize and critique the research study, link the study to material you’ve read for this class or aspects of lectures, and critically evaluate the corresponding media piece’s presentation of the research using material from this class.
The goal is for you to gain some additional skill reading original scientific studies that are of relevance to human development and, also, to appreciate how media does or does not accurately present the study to the general public.
To complete this assignment, follow these steps:
1. Choose one of the following topics to be the focus of your Hot Topic essay:
a) Self–controlled children tend to be healthier middle–aged adults
b) Increased social media use linked to developing depression
c) Kindergarten readiness and lifelong development
d) COVID–related stress in pregnancy and impact on child development
2. Read the original research article on which the topic is based
In your paper, you will be asked to describe this scientific study on multiple fronts: theory being tested, central hypotheses, core research methods (study design, data collection tools), central results, and key implications of the study for human psychological development.
In your description, we will also ask you to be critical of the study’s strengths and weaknesses, and ask you to draw on material that you’ve learned about in class to support your critique. Also, it will be very important that this description and critique be in your own words and not a simple regurgitation of the abstract. Approximate length of this part of the assignment: 1½ pages.
3. Read the corresponding media article associated with this topic/study
The media piece attached to this original research will have attempted to disseminate the central importance of the study. Your job will be to critique how well the media article did or did not represent the study. You will evaluate how well the media piece describes the study and characterizes the study’s main findings. You will also evaluate the media piece’s biases, if there are any. Some of the following questions might help to guide your critique:
What did the journalist get right?
What did the journalist get wrong, and why?
What might the journalist have said differently?
If the journalist made any causal claims, were they accurate? (Apply the 3 causal criteria).
Did the journalist focus on the same key finding as the scientists did?
Did the journalist accurately describe the procedures of the study? Did the journalist leave details out?
In what way was the piece biased?
Like above, we will want you to draw on course material to support your critique of the media article’s presentation of the study. Approximate length of this part of the assignment: 1½ pages.
4. Complete a 1–page outline (by Sunday, 11/21) and the final, 4–page essay (by Tuesday, 12/7)
Your Hot Topic essay will be graded on four elements:
1. Accuracy & quality of study characterization: Points here will be determined by how well you describe this scientific study in terms of: theory being tested, central hypotheses, core research methods (study design, participants, data collection tools), central results, and key implications of the study for human psychological development.
2. Critical critique of the corresponding media article: Note that points will NOT be deducted for your opinion of the media article, just in how clearly you articulate your critique. Points here will be determined by how well you critique the media article’s representation of the study, specifically, your evaluation of how well the media piece describes the study and presents the study’s main findings. Additionally, you will also want evaluate the media piece’s biases, if there are any.
3. Use of course material: Points will be awarded for how well you incorporate course material (from readings, lectures) in your critiques of both the original study and corresponding media article. Our goal here is to have you draw on material that you’ve learned about in this class to support your critique of both the study and media article.
4. Clarity, organization and quality of writing: Your paper will be graded for its clarity and organization as well as the quality of writing.
Your paper will be uploaded to Canvas through VeriCite where we will check for the originality of your paper
There is a LOT of information on this website to help you with writing at all levels:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/679/01/ .
For following APA style for proper citations see:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0
