Over the next few days, your task is to pay attention to information presented in popular media sources, such as newspapers, magazines, TV programs, and the internet. You are looking for an article/story that discusses some recent scientific finding on a psychological topic. NOTE: For the purpose of this assignment, the popular press source must provide at least some discussion of aspects of the original research (i.e., its methods, participants, and findings). A very brief press release (e.g., “Researchers find that exotic Chinese herb may lessen depression symptoms”) will not be sufficient. In addition, the popular press article must provide enough information (i.e., author, article title, journal name) that you can find the original scientific article that first published the scientific study discussed in the popular press article. Your write-up MUST include the following: 1) Date and Source of the Popular Press Newspaper/Program/Website Article (i.e., the name of the article, its author(s), and the publication in which it appeared; the URL for the website) that discusses the findings of a research study conducted on a given psychological topic. 2) Summary of the Popular Press Article. Provide a summary of the article’s main points. This summary should include enough detail so that someone who has not read the article would still have a complete picture of what it had included. Be sure that your summary highlights the conclusions the average reader would be likely to draw about the research findings (and psychology in general) based on the coverage provided in the article. (NOTE: It is advised that you complete these first two steps of the assignment before reading the original study (in the scientific source). That way, you are experiencing the popular press article on its own. This will help to make any differences between it and the original scientific study more salient to you.) 3) Date and Source of the Scientific Article (i.e., title of the article; its author(s); name of the journal) that originally published the study discussed in the popular press article. 4) Compare/Contrast to the Original Scientific Source. After summarizing the popular press article, read the original study published in the scientific/academic source. Compare and contrast how the same research findings are presented/discussed in the two sources (popular press vs academic/scientific). In doing so, please consider the following: a) Do the two sources differ in terms of language and/or tone? Are strategies used by either to “grab the reader’s attention”? If so, how? b) Does the popular press article “get it right”? That is to say, does the article accurately relay the methodology, findings, and/or conclusions of the original study? If not, what errors or oversimplifications are made? c) Does the popular press article cite implications for the original research that “go beyond” what the original researchers have claimed? For example, does the popula.

1. Over the next few days, your task is to pay attention to
information presented in popular media sources, such as
newspapers, magazines, TV programs, and the internet. You are
looking for an article/story that discusses some recent scientific
finding on a psychological topic. NOTE: For the purpose of this
assignment, the popular press source must provide at least some
discussion of aspects of the original research (i.e., its methods,
participants, and findings). A very brief press release (e.g.,
“Researchers find that exotic Chinese herb may lessen
depression symptoms”) will not be sufficient. In addition, the
popular press article must provide enough information (i.e.,
author, article title, journal name) that you can find the original
scientific article that first published the scientific study
discussed in the popular press article.
Your write-up MUST include the following:
1) Date and Source of the Popular Press
Newspaper/Program/Website Article (i.e., the name of the
article, its author(s), and the publication in which it appeared;
the URL for the website) that discusses the findings of a
research study conducted on a given psychological topic.
2) Summary of the Popular Press Article. Provide a summary of
the article’s main points. This summary should include enough
detail so that someone who has not read the article would still
have a complete picture of what it had included. Be sure that
your summary highlights the conclusions the average reader
would be likely to draw about the research findings (and
psychology in general) based on the coverage provided in the
article.

2. (NOTE: It is advised that you complete these first two steps of
the assignment before reading the original study (in the
scientific source). That way, you are experiencing the popular
press article on its own. This will help to make any differences
between it and the original scientific study more salient to you.)
3) Date and Source of the Scientific Article (i.e., title of the
article; its author(s); name of the journal) that originally
published the study discussed in the popular press article.
4) Compare/Contrast to the Original Scientific Source. After
summarizing the popular press article, read the original study
published in the scientific/academic source. Compare and
contrast how the same research findings are presented/discussed
in the two sources (popular press vs academic/scientific). In
doing so, please consider the following:
a) Do the two sources differ in terms of language and/or tone?
Are strategies used by either to “grab the reader’s attention”? If
so, how?
b) Does the popular press article “get it right”? That is to say,
does the article accurately relay the methodology, findings,
and/or conclusions of the original study? If not, what errors or
oversimplifications are made?
c) Does the popular press article cite implications for the
original research that “go beyond” what the original researchers
have claimed? For example, does the popular press article
suggest that the variables studied are causally related (i.e., one
caused the other to happen) when the original research is merely
a correlation between the two variables (and therefore cannot be
used to make conclusions about causality between those
variables)?
d) Would a reader who read only one of these articles be likely
to draw different conclusions about the psychological topic
being examined (and/or psychology in general) or would the
conclusions be similar regardless of the source of the
information (i.e. popular press versus academic)? If different,
what would the differences be and what implications might that

3. have?
e) What has this exercise taught you about the process by which
research findings on psychological topics are communicated to
the general public and how will it affect how you read articles
(from various sources) in the future?
5) Complete Reference List. Provide a complete Reference list
that includes each source cited in your psychological
application discussion (both popular and peer-reviewed). The
APA tutorial from Assignment 1 covers citation and APA
format for journal article references. You are encouraged to use
the APA resources posted in Blackboard for help with APA
format
PRINT THIS PAGE and staple it to your assignment for use
during grading.
The grading rubric below will be used to evaluate this
assignment. Addressing each element of the rubric well will
ensure that you have included all critical aspects of the
assignment.
Academic Integrity: Any student caught plagiarizing this
assignment will receive an F for the assignment and will be
formally reported to the Office of Student Conduct. To
reinforce academic integrity, insert your name in the statement
below and provide your signature prior to submission.
“I, ______________________________________________,
verify that this assignment is my original work.”
Your Signature:
_____________________________________________________
__________
GRADING RUBRIC
MECHANICS & STYLE (25% = 5 points)
1) Are there 3 or more errors in spelling, grammar, and/or
punctuation? If so, -2 pts
2) Are sentences logically related to one another? If not … -1 pt
3) Is the paper’s overall organization consistent and logical? If
not . . . -2 pts

4. APA FORMAT (20% = 4 points)
1) Are the in-text citations in APA Format?
Only 1-2 errors -1 pt
3 or more errors -2 pts
2) Are the references on Reference page in APA format?
Only 1-2 errors -1 pt
3 or more errors -2 pts
NOTE: Failure to include citations for references in your
assignment is considered plagiarism so
please be sure to cite all resources you use.
CONTENT (60% = 11 points)
1) Is the summary of the popular press article sufficiently
complete so that someone
unfamiliar with the article would have a general sense of what it
reports about the
research findings? ____/2 pts
2) Does the write-up provide a critical analysis of the
differences and/or similarities
between the two articles in terms of language/word choice and
tone? ____/2 pts
3) Does the write-up provide a critical analysis of the
differences/similarities between
the two articles in terms of content (i.e., are the same
conclusions or implications
drawn; would someone have the same impression of the research
findings if she/he
read only one of these articles)? ____/4 pts
4) Does the write-up include an insightful discussion of what
the student learned about
the coverage of psychological research in the popular press and
how it will affect how
she/he consumes such information in the future? ____/3 pts

5. Was the assignment late? _________
(2 pt deduction per/day including the due date if assignment
was submitted after class)
NOTE: Assignments submitted more than 3 days past their
deadline will not be accepted.
FINAL GRADE (Mechanics/Style + Format + Content minus
any late deductions): _______/20 points
Overall Comments: