Fields of Psychology Poster: Introduction to Psychological Studies 202

Due February 1 -- project is worth 50 points

Spring 2007  |  Dordt College   |  Dr. Sherri Lantinga  |  http://homepages.dordt.edu/~lantinga/IPS/index.html

Purpose & overview:  This project helps you identify and understand some of the fields (also called sub-disciplines) of psychology while developing your research and presentation skills. This two-part project includes researching a field and presenting that information in a poster presentation and a handout for the class.

Assignment:

(1) Choose a partner and field by January 25:  Choose a classmate to work with and then choose a first, second, and third preference for one of the following fields of psychology: biopsychology (also called physiological psychology or neuropsychology), clinical, cognitive, counseling, developmental, economic, forensic, health, human factors (also called engineering psychology), industrial/organizational (sometimes called business psych), quantitative, school, and social.

(2) Do your research: Find the following kinds of information on your chosen field using the sources outlined below:

• Definition or basic description of the field

• History and context of the field (such as big names and ideas, when field founded, current professional organizations and job titles, etc.)

• Related careers: give three examples of career titles related to this field and the qualifications needed (e.g., bachelor's degree, state licensing test)

• Related courses: a list of 2-3 Dordt courses related to this field (look outside psychology, too)

Source requirements: In researching your field, you will need at least 4 sources. Use information from at least one library book (hint: see the books on Psychology Department library reserve or in the reference section), at least one Internet source (hint: start at http://www.apa.org/about/division.html), and your Kuther textbook (pp. 1-8).

(3) Create a poster about the field to attractively communicates the information you found in your research; here are format guidelines:

• Use one standard sheet of posterboard (available at the bookstore - about 2' x 3')

• At the top of the poster, indicate the name of your chosen field (in very large font) and your names

• Make your poster visually attractive but avoid "cute"; you may go outside the boundaries of your posterboard; you can see examples of posters in the Psychology office pod.

  - Use comptuer software (e.g., Powerpoint, Word) to make colorful backgrounds, graphics, etc.
  - Use bullets and phrases rather than complete sentences
  - Include section headings (e.g., History, Related Careers)
  - Make your text readable from at least 3 feet away (at least 20-point font for text; 50 or larger for the section headings; 75 or larger for the title)
  - Be professional: use no handwriting and have no errors in spelling or accuracy

(4) Prepare a handout: So your classmates can benefit from your research, prepare a 1/2-page summary of your field and also include an APA-style reference section for the sources you used in your research. Either bring enough copies of your handout for the class or e-mail your handout to Dr. Lantinga by 3pm on January 31st so she can print copies for you. You can see a sample handout format here.

(5) Prepare a 1-2 minute verbal overview of your field. Half of the class will present their posters while the other half listens, then we'll switch places so everyone presents within the class time. Classmates and Dr. Lantinga (and maybe some other folks) will come to your poster, listen to your verbal summary, ask you some questions, and move on to the next poster.  Focus on the main points with your poster as a background visual aid; both presenters should be able to give the overview and answer questions.

Evaluation: 

• The poster presentation is worth 40 points; it will be evaluated on its content, visual appeal, and your speaking skills (see rubric, below). 

• The handout is worth 10 points; it will be evaluated on the quality of its summary and the extent to which it meets format and APA-style requirements.

This assignment is based on Maynard, A. M., Maynard, D. C., & Rowe, K. A. (2004). Exposure to the fields of psychology: Evaluation of an introductory psychology project. Teaching of Psychology, 31, 37-40.

page revised July 2008