Overview and purpose: Psychological researchers conduct and publish a lot of fascinating research each year that is relevant for the lives of everyday people.  However, psychological research articles use a lot of technical terms that are not easily understood by the general public.  In this assignment, you will contribute the to the "giving away of psychology" by "translating" a primary/scholarly research article into an interesting and easy-to-read format.

Process:

(1) Browse articles in the 2008-2009 issues of the following journals in Dordt library's current journal section:

    Developmental Psychology
    Health Psychology
    Journal of Abnormal Psychology
    Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
    Journal of Counseling Psychology
    Journal of Experimental Psychology
    Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
    Psychology and Aging

(2) Choose and photocopy an empirical article (has Method and Results sections) that has an interesting topic relevant to everyday life.

(3) Read the article carefully, looking for good quotes and key ideas along the lines of who, what, when, where, why, and how (see more below).

(4) Draft a roughly 300-word summary of the article in everyday language using these guidelines:

•  Content:

  • First sentence or two: catch the reader's attention with a common experience or rhetorical question and indicate the "who" for whom the article is relevant (for example, parents, children, everyone)

  • Next sentence or so: give the main results of the study (what did the researchers find out?)

  • Next 3-4 sentences: describe the study, authors, and other background information (the how, when, and where)

  • Final sentences: describe the reasons for the results (the why) and a concluding sentence about implications for everyday life or future research

   

• Writing tips (adapted from http://www.mediacollege.com/journalism/news/write-stories.html)

  • Focus on people: focus on how everyday people may be affected, what the study participants did, how the researchers did the study, etc. Don't focus on abstract ideas.
  • Stay objective: Don't use "I" and "me" unless you are quoting someone else.
  • Quote people: For example: "We're really excited about this finding" reported research Bob Dobla, "It's not what most people would have expected."
  • Don't get fancy: Keep your sentences and paragraphs short. Don't use lots of heavily descriptive language.
  • First things first: Do the first three sentences of the summary convey the main idea of the article? If not, re-arrange it so that it does.

Summary evaluation: Your summary, worth 35 points, will be evaluated based on your (1) ability to accurately summarize and translate key research ideas; (2) writing skill; (3) compliance with assignment requirements.

Presentation: On February 13, you will read your article summary to the class and answer questions about the research (3 minute max).  Your presentation (worth 15 points) will be evaluated on the basis of (a) your ability to knowledgeably answer questions and (b) your communication skills.

page last revised February 2009