The final requirement for this course is a paper on some topic relevant to political psychology.
The basic guidelines are as follows: -approximately 10 pages in length (between 8 and 12)-a minimum of 5 professional references (not popular literature like Time Magazine, but professional journals or books)
I have discussed many possible topics and ideas for the paper in class. You may, for example, expand upon one of the topics we’ve discussed in the course, apply a theory to a real-world event or issue, or write a mini-psychohistory. A critical requirement of the paper is that you provide some interpretation of the theories and/or research you review. That is, it is not sufficient to simply describe the articles on your topic – you must interpret them, consider why they’re important, or critique them. The paper should make a point of some sort and not just be a summary. To be sure you start off on the right foot, please submit a brief description of your proposed topic by April 6th. Your topic must be relevant to political psychology. A paper that describes the current affirmative action policies in the US would not qualify. However, a paper that examines people’s reactions to those policies using some of the different theories of intergroup conflict would qualify. Similarly, a brief biography of a political figure would not be appropriate, whereas, an analysis of that figure from the perspective of a particular psychological theory would be fine.
