CWA prep - Part 2

Page 1: Introduction

Course Overview

• Course Title: PSYC203

• Focus: Coursework preparation – Part 2

• Instructor: Dr. Chris Walton

• Institution: Lancaster University

Page 2: Timeline and Deadline

Coursework Timeline

• Weeks 15 & 16:

  • Activities: Search, prioritize, and read materials; make notes.

• Weeks 17 & 18:

  • Activities: Plan, structure, and write first draft of essay.

• Week 19:

  • Activities: Review draft; proofread, read aloud, edit, revise.

  • Final Submission Deadline: 12 noon on Friday 14th March 2025.

Page 3: Coursework Options

Essay Topic Selection

• Focus: Critically assess the relevance of social psychology to events relating to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Perspectives to Choose From:

1. Intergroup Relations

2. Collective Behaviour

Requirements

• Word Limit: 2000 words

• Assessment Weighting: CWA (50%) and exam (50%)

• CWA Deadline: 12 noon on Friday 17th March 2025.

Page 4: Planning - Outline

Key Planning Steps

1. Review notes to identify:

   • Organizing themes

   • Patterns of findings

   • Contrasting theoretical explanations

   • Methodological differences

     • e.g. samples (uni students or naturally occurring)

   • Balance of evidence

     • do not just outline negatives or studies

2. Determine your argument:

   • Structuring approach

   • Evidence required to support the argument

Page 5: Planning – Essay Plan 1

Title Development

• Title Tips:

  • Should not repeat the coursework question.

  • Be specific to the topic and approach.

  • Example Title: "A critical evaluation of the relevance of Social Identity Theory-based approaches to the policing of crowds."

Introductory Paragraph

• Identify the specific area of the Black Lives Matter events that you will focus on

• Identify the social psychological perspective/approach for examination.

Page 6: Planning – Essay Plan 2

Main Body Structure

• Main body of essay

  • Describe approach and define core concepts

  • Describe state of evidence in relation to this approach; break down by core concepts e.g., if you were looking at SIMCA you might need to deal separately with the evidence for the effects of group identification, beliefs about group efficacy, perceived/felt group injustice. –

  • Critical assessment (establishing relevance to BLM) • Internal and external validity – are there any paradigmatic/methodological issues? •

    • Any key areas of tension, e.g., in SIT-based approaches, the social category vs its content.

    • Any issues about balance of evidence, or with replicability etc.?

      • Look at Meta analysis’s

    • Generalisability, in theory and in practice (application)?

Page 7: Planning – Essay Plan 3

Conclusion Structure

Key Elements to Include:

• Summarize key points and take-home messages without repeating prior sentences.

• Assert a clear position—avoid neutrality.

• Offer recommendations for enhancing social psychology’s relevance to real-world issues.

• End with impactful concluding sentences.

Page 8: Things to Avoid – Essay Types

Common Pitfalls in Essays

• **Avoid:

  • No planning leading to unstructured essays.**

  • Over-reliance on general knowledge (“common sense”).

  • Failure to coherently describe relevant studies.

  • Imbalance in detail regarding methodologies and findings.

  • Absence of a clear argument and conclusion that merely summarizes.

Page 9: Writing Well - 1

Effective Writing Strategies

1. Conduct thorough research and read widely.

2. Develop a clear plan for points to make.

3. Maintain clarity in argument about social psychology’s relevance to specific issues.

4. Use well-structured paragraphs:

   • Each paragraph narrates a story (beginning, middle, end).

5. Organize sources efficiently and integrate across multiple studies.

Page 10: Inspirational Quote

Quote by Albert Einstein

• "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

Page 11: Writing Well - 2

Additional Writing Tips

1. Be concise; avoid unnecessary verbosity while adhering to the 2000-word limit.

2. Ensure clarity and accuracy in terminology.

3. Integrate information from various sources without disjointed presentation.

4. Be patient and strategic in writing paragraphs.

5. Ensure connection between paragraphs to support a cohesive argument.

6. Review final conclusions against essay body for addressal.

7. Proofread thoroughly and read aloud for clarity.

Page 12: Common Mistakes - 1

Frequent Errors in Essay Writing

• Answering incorrect questions or misinterpreting prompts.

• Lack of engagement with social psychology literature, falling back on common sense.

• Poorly structured arguments leading to disconnection.

• Superficial relevance claims without substantial evidence.

• Neglecting detailed evaluations of evidence against theoretical frameworks.

Page 13: Common Mistakes - 2

More Mistakes to Avoid

• Insufficient integration across sources; merely listing findings.

• Selection of outdated or inappropriate sources.

• Unsubstantiated claims without evidence.

• Insufficient depth in discussing key findings.

• Absence of a critical perspective in analysis.

Page 14: Common Mistakes in Deindividuation Handling

Specific Issues in Essays

• Insufficient critical engagement with debatable psychological processes such as deindividuation.

• Ignoring more recent theoretical developments like the SIDE model.

• Confusion between related concepts like deindividuation and dehumanization.

Page 15: Common Mistakes - 3

Final Common Errors

• Overgeneralizing based on limited research findings.

• Inadequate critical analysis of sample limitations.

• Poor adherence to submission guidelines, including proofreading inadequacies.

• Failing to maintain APA 7 standards in citations and references.

Page 16: Example of Weak Writing

Critique of an Essay Sample

• Poor clarity: Ambiguously linking social comparison processes to prejudices without sufficient evidence.

• Lacks distinction between inherent biases and social influences on behavior.

Page 17: APA Formatting

Essential APA Formatting Guidelines

• Fonts: 11-point Calibri, Arial; 12-point Times New Roman, Georgia.

• Margins: 2.5 cm/1 inch on all sides.

• Double-spacing, left-aligned, with first lines indented, no extra space between paragraphs.

• Header includes page numbers; the introduction is not a heading.

Page 18: Assessment Criteria - Excellent Performance

Criteria for High Grades (A- to A+)

• Excellent understanding of theories and concepts.

• Extensive research evidenced.

• Clear structure and argument with strong integration of theory and evidence.

• Proper APA formatting throughout.

Page 19: Assessment Criteria - Ordeals for B and C Grades

B Grade Criteria (2i)

• Good understanding; evidence of range of reading; solid structure; mostly clear arguments.

C Grade Criteria (2ii)

• Reasonable understanding but basic/faulty structure and sources.

Page 20: Assessment Criteria - Failing Standards

Fail Criteria (F1-F4)

• Sparse or irrelevant content; weak comprehension of key ideas; excessive reliance on common sense or non-researched claims.

• Issues with clarity, structure, and adherence to APA guidelines.

Page 21: Assessment Criteria on Feedback Sheet

Criteria for Feedback Consideration

• Clarity, breadth, depth of understanding, coherence of argument, utilization of evidence, referencing accuracy.

Page 22: Submission Instructions

Required Submission Components

1. Feedback coversheet (completed)

2. Title page with title, SRN, and word count

3. The essay and references

4. AI transparency sheet if applicable

• Final Submission Deadline: Before 12 noon on Friday 14th March 2025 via Moodle.

Page 23: Questions and Support

Contact & Support Instructions

• Post questions on the discussion forum or engage during Q&A sessions until week 18.

• Use Slido for anonymous questions during week 15 sessions.