Essay Prompts
Essay: Evolutionary Psychology Assignment
Evolutionary psychology has had a significant influence on the discipline of psychology but some take issue with its foundational assumptions.
Describe your worldview. Some of the constructs from the BWVI are relevant and may help you think through your worldview.
Is evolutionary psychology compatible with your worldview?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary psychology
Essay: That’s Your Perception Assignment
The systems responsible for sensation are remarkably similar from one person to another, but each person uniquely experiences sensory input. Perception of the same event is likely to be different for different people. For example, water that is too hot for one person may be just right for another. The volume of sound at a concert may be painfully loud for one person but enjoyable for another.
What are the factors that create these differences in perceptions from person to person?
Do these differences in perception indicate differences in reality?
Can we be confident that our perceptions reflect reality?
Essay: Assignment
One of the most important skills for students to master is how to study! Using information from the Learning, Memory and Intellegence chapter in your textbook, discuss the following:
If you were to lead a Freshman Seminar for incoming students, what study strategies would you recommend and why? Apply what you have read about learning in the chapter for this Module: Week using citations from the textbook.
What cautions would you give students about multitasking? Use the concepts from the text to answer these questions.
Essay: Motivation, Values and Purpose Assignment
What gets you out of bed in the morning? Why are you enrolled in this course? In the reading for this Module: Week, we looked at numerous factors that can influence motivation. Discuss the following:
Based on the information from the reading in this Module: Week, what do you think the difference is between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
Then look at the venn diagram in chapter one (FIGURE 1.1 Intersecting Areas that Comprise Purpose) and describe how values and purpose might inform one’s experience with motivation.
In addition to the information in our textbook discuss what motivates you in your educational pursuits. How do your values and purpose impact your experience?
Essay: Put that Phone Down Assignment
Electronic devices have saturated our society, becoming a distraction that hinders our connections with others.
For this assignment, imagine that you are a developmental expert asked to help individuals connect meaningfully with someone in a particular stage of life. Outline a response by writing an essay that includes these points:
Choose a life stage (for example: infancy, adolescence, older adulthood, etc.).
Using information from our textbook describe the primary need or needs of individuals in that stage of life.
Suggest at least 3 activities that would facilitate a meaningful connection based on the need(s) you have described.
Essay: Worldview and Psychology Assignment
You will use the email and password you created to retake the Biblical Worldview Indicator (BWIV). Take the assessment (should take about 10 minutes) and download your scores.
Answer the following questions:
Were you BWVI results different from your original scores in Module 1: Week 1? Did the results of the BWVI match your expectations for your own worldview? If so, how? If not, how?
How do the 6 constructs of the BWVI impact the way in which the field of psychology is studied? (For example, how does the way in which we see the origins (cosmology) of the world impact the way we approach humanity and way in which we approach psychology?).
A few sentences for each construct is sufficient.
