Final Project Guidelines and Fundamentals of Human Science Research

Final Project Overview and Administrative Guidelines

• The course final requirements consist of two possible project options, from which the student must choose one to complete.
• Deadlines and Submission:
      - The final due date for the project is May 12.
      - However, students are strongly encouraged to submit by May 10.
      - Submission by May 10 allows for instructor feedback and potential revisions before the hard deadline.
      - Submissions on May 12 will be graded immediately without feedback, as the instructor must finalize grades for graduation candidates three days later.
• Instructor Correspondence: After the May 12 deadline, the instructor will be in "grade mode" and will likely not respond to emails to prioritize finalizing records for graduation.

Project Option 1: Human Science Research Paper

• Objective: Defend why human science research is relevant and necessary in contemporary culture and society.
• Content Requirements:
      - Identify at least three perspectives/methodologies most appropriate for conducting human science research.
      - Discuss how a study would be designed based on course concepts.
      - Ground the paper in social justice or political issues (e.g., healthcare, AI, social inequity).
• Basis of Writing: The paper must be research-based rather than opinion-based. Subjective opinions should be reserved for the conclusion section.
• Resources: Use lecture notes, the textbook, and external academic resources.

Critical Thinking, Artificial Intelligence, and Human Synergy

• Defining Critical Thinking: In a course discussion, students defined critical thinking as:
      - Thinking "outside of the box."
      - Thinking for oneself rather than passively accepting others’ statements.
      - Finding deeper meanings and maintaining higher standards of thought.
      - Questioning underlying assumptions.
      - It is often discipline-specific; critical thinking in biology or chemistry differs from that in the humanities.
• AI and the Degradation of Thought: There is a concern that AI replaces critical thinking by performing the "questioning" work for the user, potentially leading to a degradation of cognitive skills over time.
• The Intersection of Human Science and AI:
      - Trust: Trust is a uniquely human way of being. Machines can replicate behavior, but they do not "understand" trust. Human science studies the human experience of trust/disbelief and how it interacts with AI-generated misinformation or disinformation.
      - Empathy and Consciousness: A debate exists regarding whether AI can truly be conscious. While AI can display empathy (like a pre-recorded dialogue or a smart car learning preferences), the lecturer suggests it is an extension of human consciousness rather than having its own.
      - Reasoning: Modern AI is shifting from generative (finding information) to reasoning (infusing data with logic). It can now generate logic based on gathered data about what it means to live, even without biological experience.
      - Human-Machine Synergy: Human science research bridges the gap between technological potential and human well-being, redesigning work flows to maximize synergy rather than simple replacement.

Key Areas of Relevance for Human Science Research

1. Human-Machine Collaboration: Research into capital trends (specifically looking toward the year 2026) highlights the need to redesign workflows and organizational culture (how people communicate, build teams, and overcome conflict) to keep the human element in the workplace.
2. Social Inequity: Addressing the root causes of disparities such as housing, segregation, and environmental health risks. This involves studying factors like race, class, and specific vulnerable populations (e.g., the veteran population experiencing high rates of homelessness).
3. Public and Behavioral Health: Addressing threats like chemicals in food, the behavioral effects of COVID-19, or the influence of social media on depression and anxiety.
4. Climate Change: Researching how displacement and destruction of livelihoods due to natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes) impact long-term mental health and well-being.

Case Studies in Human Science Application

• The Tobacco Industry:
      - Context: Decades of research established links between smoking and cancer.
      - Social Science Role: Identified factors influencing behavior, such as parental influence, peer pressure, and marketing practices.
      - Impact: Led to evidence-based policies, including indoor air laws (ending the era of smoking sections in airplanes/restaurants) and increased tobacco taxes, which successfully reduced youth initiation.
• The Rise of Vaping and Processed Foods:
      - As tobacco use decreased, cancer rates remained a concern due to a shift toward processed foods and electronic cigarettes (vapes).
      - Social scientists are currently working to change policies and marketing for vapes, similar to the tobacco interventions.
• Amazon River Water Study (2018):
      - Location: San Juan village, a 13-hour journey up the Amazon River.
      - Problem: High child mortality rates due to drinking polluted river water. The river, previously safe, was contaminated by oil company dredging and natural disasters.
      - Intervention: A clean water filtration system was established in 14 different villages.
      - Result: The project bridged the gap between research and community-driven change, reducing the mortality rate by $58\,\%$.

Project Option 2: Significant Life Experience Analysis

• Objective: Use psychological lenses to analyze personal transformation.
• Requirements:
      - Select two significant life experiences (e.g., a book that changed your life, a near-death experience, a religious/mystical event, or a traumatic event).
      - Apply two distinct concepts learned in the semester (one per experience) to analyze them.
      - Possible Lenses: Phenomenology (using bracketing to find meaning), Psychoanalysis (Freudian perspective), Critical Psychology, etc.
• Autobiographical Writing: While the content is subjective, the analysis must be scientific. The student must analyze their own experience through the chosen psychological framework.
• Instructor Anecdote: The lecturer described a recent trip to the UK where they took a transformative dip in a river in Wales; the air temperature was $36^\circ F$ and the water was $33^\circ F$.

Formal Paper Structure and Academic Standards

• Format: Strict adherence to APA format is required.
• Components:
      - Cover Page: Page 1.
      - Abstract: Page 2. A concise summary of the paper. It is recommended to write the abstract last to ensure it accurately reflects the finished work.
      - Body: 3 to 5 full pages. This does not include the cover, abstract, or reference pages.
      - Reference Page: Final page. For a paper of this length, 3 to 4 high-quality references are usually sufficient.
• Page Count Minimums:
      - The minimum total document length is 6 pages: 1 (Cover) + 1 (Abstract) + 3 (Body) + 1 (Reference).
      - Falling below the 3-page body limit results in an automatic deduction.
• Formatting Warning: No "cheating" the limits (e.g., $2.5$ spacing instead of double-spacing, or ending paragraphs early to jump to the next page).
• Grading Standards: The instructor does not give $100\,\%$ grades, as no paper is perfect; the focus is on the student's development, analysis, and growth through the writing process.

Final Academic Procedures

• Course Evaluations: Students must complete online evaluations. These are used by the Department Chair to evaluate the instructor and are used by the instructor to "tweak" the class for future semesters.
• Grading Timeline: Grades for late-semester assignments will be posted over the weekend following the final lecture.
• Participation: The lecturer thanked the students for their discussions and encourages them to apply these human science concepts in future academic and professional endeavors.