ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY, Psych 30

Fall 2008, Assignment #1

Professor Althea Maduramente, M.A.

PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ON THE TOP OF THE FIRST PAGE:

Your Name
Title of Research Article
Title of Journal, Year of Publication

1. Please type all answers using an 11 or 12 point font and 1.5 or double spacing with 1-inch
margins on all sides.

2. Each response should be preceded by the question typed out. The assignment should be
approximately 3-5 pages in length.

The news media often presents information about mental-health related topics. As an example,
the New York Times has a “Science / Health” section (every Tuesday) that commonly features articles
about psychological disorders. Other local newspapers have similar coverage. Magazines including
Cosmopolitan, Newsweek, Psychology Today, Fitness, Women’s Health, Discover, and others
regularly present information that relates to this class.

3. Your task is to locate an article about a Psychological Disorder from the newspaper/magazine
newspaper/magazine
or online news source (must be a real news source, no blogs, journals, or forums).

4. Find the original

original academic article that the popular article was based upon. This will require
going to the library to locate the original source. The article should relate to a mental-health
issue of your choosing.

Some popular articles mention specific studies, i.e. "a recent New England Journal of Medicine
article reported..." If the source article is cited, your job is made easier and you know exactly where
to look. If several sources are mentioned you can pick the most current article that appears most
relevant. Sometimes you will have to choose articles in terms of their accessibility or availability at
the BC library as well.

5. Please include copies of the popular article and the academic source with your papers.

6. After reading both the popular and academic write-ups, please answer the following
questions:
questions
a. In 1-2 paragraphs, please summarize the popular article. (1 point)
 In the research article: (Refer
Refer to Chapter 3 if you need guidance)
guidance
b. What was the main research question or issue addressed in the article, basically,
why was the research carried out? What type of research was it? (Be as specific as
you can be) (2 points)

c. Who were the study participants, how many were there, and what type of
procedure did they undergo? (Identify control, selection, and randomization
procedures; Identify cultural/ethnic considerations to the research) (2 points)

d. What did the authors conclude? Were the results statistically and/or clinically
significant? (1 point)

e. What type of approach did the authors adapt (biological, social, psychological, or
integrative approach) to their understanding of the disorder? Please describe. (2
points)

f. How does the information presented in the research article compare to the
information presented in the popular press article? Please note both similarities
and differences. (2 points)

g. Do you feel the popular article presents an accurate summary of the scientific
work? Why or why not? (1 points)

h. Did the authors identify any limitations to the study, do you see any additional
limitations? What do you think can be future avenues of research? (2 points)

Overall this assignment will give you the opportunity to use the resources necessary to locate original
and sometimes groundbreaking scientific advancements. It will also train you to think critically about
the information you receive from "reliable" sources, like the news, Cosmo, and the internet!

***Remember to attach copies of both articles to your written assignment ***

Scoring:
1 point- Grammar and Format (i.e. whether the instructions were followed and the article was
written and/or edited with care)
1 point- How well the research was carried out (i.e. whether your articles matched, whether your
articles are recent and/or come from an acceptable source from the APA list)
13 points – from the questions (some questions have multiple parts and should be answered fully,
please provide detailed answers without extraneous information – I prefer quality over quantity)

This assignment is due by 11:59 PM MARCH 23, 2008. If you do not submit this paper in class, you
can submit to my mailbox in the Psychology Office or electronically to
AGMaduramente@gmail.com. Electronic submissions will not be returned.