Although our textbook gives you broad coverage of many topics in social psychology, you'll gain a much better understanding of the field and of specific topics if you consult primary sources.  In this assignment, you will read a professional research article and write a short paper to strengthen your library research skills and familiarize you with the structure and process of social psychological research.

(1) Finding an article.  Our class reading of Levine's article on cross-cultural helping behavior is based on his and others' research.  Use Dordt's on-line library catalog (WebCat) to find and copy one of the following articles from Levine's reference list; feel free to ask the reference or circulation desk staff for help.

Levine, R. V., Martinez, T. S., Brase, G., & Sorenson, K. (1994). Helping in 36 U.S. cities. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 69-82.

Moriarity, T. (1975). Crime, commitment, and the responsive bystander: Two field experiments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31, 370-376.

(2) Reading the article.  Research articles are written in APA-style, which is the writing and documentation style used in psychology, social work, business, and several other fields.  The tone of the article is scientific and impersonal, the organization is highly structured, and arguments are supported by other research rather than personal opinion or experience.  You'll notice a Method section that includes information about the research participants, materials and procedures used, and a Results section that includes statistical analyses of the data.  Don't worry if you can't understand everything - the Discussion section will review the main findings and what they mean.

(3) Writing your paper: In a 2-3page paper (typed, double-spaced, 1" margins, 11 or 12-point font), address the points below:

• Of the research methods described in Chapter 1 of your text, which one best fits the research article you read?  What are the main variables that were studied? 
• Summarize in your own words what the researchers wanted to find out in their study, how they went about it, and what they found out.
• What were some of the ethical risks in the study you read (see Chapter 1 of your text)? Do you believe the knowledge gained by this study was worth the risks?  Explain your answers.
• Does your article better relate to features of the person, of the situation, or a person-situation interaction (see Chapter 1)? Why do you think so?
• Which of the 4 theoretical perspectives in social psych (see Chapter 1) best matches this study?  Why do you think so?
• To what extent did the research describe sinful vs. shalomful aspects of human behavior? Explain your answer.
• Attach a copy of the first page of the article to your paper

• Ability to summarize important features of an empirical article
• Ability to understand and appropriately apply Chapter 1 material (methods, theoretical perspectives, ethical standards, person-situation influences)
• Ability to consider research findings from a biblical perspective
• Clarity of written expression
• Mechanics (format requirements, grammar, attachment)

This assignment is due by January 27. Note the Psychology Department's late policy on the course syllabus.  It is wise to have someone help you proofread a draft of your paper to improve the clarity of your writing.

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