For this
paper, you will investigate the applied aspects of cognitive psychology. You may
select any topic that you find interesting. Your task is to write a paper in
which you summarize, synthesize and analyze current research on one of the
topics provided below or one that is
approved by me. Choose from one of the following unless otherwise agreed upon:
The topic I have chosen:
An African
American man is on trial for mugging a woman in broad daylight. There is one
Caucasian woman eyewitness who
saw the crime and identified this young man in a line-up. His lawyer calls you
to evaluate the reliability of this eyewitness memory. What would you say to
raise questions about the credibility of
eyewitness testimony in the
minds of the jury? Would it be any different if the witness were African
American, Hispanic, or Oriental? (E.F. Loftus; C. Meissner; R. Malpass;
G. Wells) (Note: if
you are interested in the credibility of children’s testimony you could
substitute it (B. Bottoms)
The provided rubric:
WRITING
ASSIGNMENT RUBRIC
Introduce
the topic and problem you’ll be addressing. Define the topic and major
concepts. Explain why the topic is important and present a thesis statement.
20 points
Describe methods (briefly) and results of
research studies: Explain how the results shape our current understanding of the
topic. Point out and address controversies in the field, if any.
30 points
Draw conclusions: Make general statements about the state of knowledge
concerning your topic. Describe the important questions that still need to be
addressed by future research (be certain to explain why you think those
questions are important enough to be answered).
30 points
Rules of grammar
followed, language is clear and precise, accurate use of vocabulary words
10 points
APA Style
10 points
Total
100 points
