PSY10003 Psychology 100

Assignments1and2

OverviewandLearningObjectives

These two assignments will help you develop fundamental skills in APA formatting, academic writing, and the critical evaluation of research. They are connected by a central topic (see next page) so that feedback from Assignment 1 can be used in developing Assignment 2. The lectures, tutorials, and Blackboard discussions will also provide opportunities to develop the relevant skills and knowledge for completing Assignment 2.

Assignment 1 – 800 words

Inthefirstassignment youwill compile an Annotated Bibliography of references that relate to the central topic. We have also provided you with two Starting References (see next page) that you will need to locate through the library’s online database of journal articles. Further instructions for completing the assignment are provided in the section on this handout titled Requirements and Grading Guide for Assignment 1.

Assignment1 –Essential details
  • Due11.55pmMondayWeek6 (3rd April)
  • Submission iselectronic. Asingle filemustbesubmitted throughBlackboardusingTurnitin.
  • Thebibliographymustbe800wordsmaximum.
  • Wordcountdoes not include title page
  • Penaltiesmaybeapplied for exceedingthewordlimit–wordssignificantlybeyond the limitwillnotreceive marks.
  • Thesubmissionmustbepresented inAPA style(6thedition).
  • TheAssignment isworth 10%ofyourfinal PSY10003mark.
  • Late Penalty:10%per day.Submissionsmorethan5dayslatewillreceivezero marks.

Assignment 2 – 2,000 words

In thesecondassignment youwill write an Essay that critically reviews the research that relates to the topic. You should incorporate the feedback you receive on Assignment 1 when writing your essay for Assignment 2. Further instructions for completing this assignment are provided in the section on this handout titled Requirements and Grading Guide for Assignment 2.

Assignment2 –Essential details
  • Due 11.55pm Monday Week 11 (15th May)
  • Submission is electronic. A single file must be submitted through Blackboard using Turnitin.
  • The report must be 2,000 words maximum.
  • Word count does not include title page or reference list.
  • Penalties may be applied for exceeding the word limit – words significantly beyond the limit will not receive marks.
  • The submission must be presented in APA style (6th edition).
  • The Assignment is worth 35% of your final PSY10003 mark.
  • Late Penalty: 10% per day. Submissions more than 5 days late will receive zero marks.

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Assignment Topic

Weather and Mood

A common belief in the general community is that one’s mood may be influenced by changes in weather - bad weather makes us sad and good weather makes us happy. The scientific evidence however is not settled, with some studies showing no relationship between mood and weather and others showing a weak relationship. So why does this belief persist in the community? Are people who believe the weather affects their mood just plain wrong? Or is it the way that science has investigated this relationship that is wrong? In this assignment you are to discuss the evidence for weather’s effect on mood and draw a conclusion on if, how, and why changes in weather may affect mood.

StartingReferences

Youmustlocate and read the followingjournal articles:

Title: Does the weather make us sad? Meteorological determinants of mood and depression in the general population

Authors: Marcus Huibers, L. Esther de Graaf, Frenk Peeters, and Arnoud Arntz

Journal: Psychiatry Research

Details:Published2010,Vol.180,Pages 143-146

Title: The effects of weather on daily mood: A multilevel approach

Authors: Denissen, J.J.A., Butalid, L., Penke, L., van Aken, M.A.G.

Journal:Emotion

Details: Published 2008, Vol. 8(5), Pages 662-667

*****Note that these references are NOT in APA format. One of your tasks in Assignment 1 will be to create correctly formatted references for the sources you use.*****

Requirements and Grading Guide – Assignment 1

In this first assignment you will produce an Annotated Bibliography. It will consist of FOUR references related to the assignment topic – this includes the TWO starting references plus TWO others you find yourself through the library. Each reference must be presented in APA 6th format and followed by an annotation in the form of a 150-200 word paragraph that briefly describes and critiques the reference. A video containing instructions on how to write an annotated bibliography has been provided for you on Blackboard. Examples from previous study periods have also been provided on Blackboard.

The Assignment 1 submission must contain the following components. For further grading information see the Marking Rubric for Assignment 1 on page 4.

  1. Assignment Title Page - Mandatory

The title page should include the title of the assignment, your name, your tutor’s name, and the assignment due date (see page 54 in the Findlay writing psychology book for an example of what your cover sheet should look like). You also MUST include the following statement acknowledging your understanding of the University’s assessment policy and procedures:

"I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration."

  1. Bibliography

List your four references (the two shown above plus the two you have found yourself) in this section. Present the references in APA 6th format.

Each reference must be followed by a 150-200 word annotation (one paragraph) that briefly describes the aim of the research, the research design (e.g., experiment, review), key research findings/outcomes/recommendations, and strengths/limitations of the research.

Marks are awarded for including four relevantand credible references, adherence to APA 6threferencing style, as well as the clarity, accuracy, and overall quality of the annotations.

Marking Rubric for Assignment 1

Your assignment will be assessed using the following marking criteria:

Criteria / No pass / Pass
50-59% / Credit
60-69% / Distinction
70-79% / High distinction
80-100%
Relevance of sources
15% / Did not meet criteria or less than four references provided. / The two additional references are not closely related to the topic. More research needed. / The two additional references are somewhat relevant to the topic. More research needed. / The two additional references are mostly relevant to the topic. May need to do more research. / The two additional references are highly relevant to the topic.
Credibility of sources
15% / References are not from peer-reviewed or scholarly materials. / Only one of the two additional references is from a peer-reviewed, scholarly source. / The two additional references are from peer-reviewed, scholarly materials, but are not recent (pre-2000). / The two additional references are from recent (post-2000) peer-reviewed, scholarly materials. / The two additional references are from current (post-2010), peer-reviewed, scholarly materials.
Annotations
40% / Annotations not provided or do not provide sufficient detail. / Annotations are either too long or too short, and are somewhat accurate descriptions of the references. Little insight into the strengths and limitations of the references is shown. / Annotations are either too long or too short, but are mostly accurate descriptions of the reference. Some insight into the strengths and limitations of the references is shown. / Annotations are succinct and mostly accurate descriptions of the references, and show good insight into the strengths and limitations of the references. / Annotations succinctly and accurately describe the references, and show an advanced level ofinsight into the strengths and limitations of the references.
APA 6th formatting of references
20% / Incorrect referencing style used (Harvard, MLA) / At least one reference is presented in correct APA 6th style, but the others have many errors. / Most references are presented in correct APA 6th style, but with several recurring errors. / All references are presented in correct APA 6th style, but with some errors. / All references are presented in correct APA 6th style with minimal or no errors.
Language, grammar, proofing
10% / Spelling and grammatical errors distract the reader, assignment not proof-read. / Several spelling and grammatical errors present that affect readability. / Several spelling and grammatical errors present, but they do not greatly affect readability. / A few spelling and grammatical errors. / Virtually free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Requirements and Grading Guide – Assignment 2

In this assignment you will write an essay that discusses the research literature on if, how, and why weather affects mood. In the essay you will refer to the four articles included in your Annotated Bibliography, as well as any others you think would make a useful contribution to your essay. You should incorporate the feedback you received on Assignment 1 into your essay, particularly the feedback on APA 6th style of referencing, the relevance and credibility of your references, and any feedback on the annotations associated with each reference. A video containing instructions on how to write a critical review essay has been provided for you on Blackboard.Examples of essays from previous study periods have also been provided on Blackboard.

The Assignment 2 submission must contain the following components. For further grading information see the Marking Rubric for Assignment 2 on page 6.

  1. Assignment Title Page - Mandatory

The title page should include the title of the assignment, your name, your tutor’s name, and the assignment due date (see page 54 in the Findlay writing psychology book for an example of what your cover sheet should look like). You also MUST include the following statement acknowledging your understanding of the University’s assessment policy and procedures:

"I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration."

  1. Introduction

The introductory paragraph should broadly outline the topic that will be discussed, explain why it is an important issue, and provide some idea of what you will discuss and/or argue in the essay.

  1. Body

The body of the essay should define key concepts, as well as describe and evaluate the research literature that is relevant to the topic. This is similar to what you did in Assignment 1, however this time you will need to work the research literature into a logical narrative that helps you to present your perspective on the topic in a coherent manner. Some questions to help guide you (not presented in order of importance):

  • What is mood and how is it measured?
  • How is weather thought to affect mood?
  • Why is it important to understand how and why weather may affect mood?
  • Why do some studies find there is a relationship between weather and mood and others do not?
  • On the balance of current evidence, how and why do you think weather affects mood?
  1. Conclusion

The concluding paragraph is an integrated summary of your major points and a final statement of your understanding of what the research literature has to say on this topic. You should not introduce new material in the conclusion.

  1. Reference list

The Reference list should include all of the research literature you have cited in your essay, listed in alphabetical order by first author’s surname, and presented in correct APA 6th style.

Marking Rubric for Assignment 2

Your assignment will be assessed using the following marking criteria:

Criteria / No pass / Pass
50-59% / Credit
60-69% / Distinction
70-79% / High distinction
80-100%
Introduction
10% / No clear Introduction. / OK-provides concise contextual information but not completely accurate; essay outline is unclear. / Good -provides concise contextual information but not completely accurate; clear outline of essay. / Very good - accurate and concise contextual information on topic and clear outline of essay. / Excellent - accurate and concise contextual information on topic and clear outline of essay.
Organisation of material in body of essay
25% / Poor organisation of essay. / Basic organisation –some errors in definitions of key concepts, some structure but little evidence of narrative and logical progression of ideas. / Good organisation –accurate but limited definitions of key concepts, clear structure with some evidence of narrative and logical progression of ideas. / Very good organisation - defines key concepts well, clear structure with good narrative and logical progression of ideas. / Excellent organisation - defines key concepts well, clear structure with strong narrative and logical progression of ideas.
Evaluation of material in body of essay
40% / Research used in the essay is not relevant to the topic. / Basic coverage of relevant research – mostly surface level analyses with little evidence of critical evaluation of research literature. / Good breadth of coverage of relevant research. Good but not overly sophisticated evaluation of research literature. / Very good breadth of coverage of relevant research.Reasonably sophisticated critical evaluation of research literature. / Excellent breadth of coverage of relevant research. Advanced critical evaluation of research literature.
Conclusion
10% / No clear Conclusion. / Provides a basic summary, but doesn’t demonstrate an overly clear understanding of the topic. / Provides a good summary, demonstrates reasonable understanding of the topic. / Provides a very good summary, demonstrates good understanding of the topic. / Provides an excellent summary, demonstrates clear understanding of the topic.
References
10% / No reference list. / Extensive APA style errors. / Many APA style errors. / Only a few APA style errors. / No APA style errors.
Language, grammar, proofing
5% / Spelling and grammatical errors distract the reader, assignment not proof-read. / Several spelling and grammatical errors that affect readability, but overall meaning is still reasonably clear. / Several spelling and grammatical errors present, but they do not greatly affect readability. / A few spelling and grammatical errors. / Virtually free of spelling and grammatical errors.

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