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PSYCHOLOGY 111: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
Paper Assignment #2
Due: Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Overview: You will be given a question/topic and asked to write a one-page opinion piece. Next, you
will write a one-page design for an experiment to test your ideas. Subsequently, you will read two
empirical journal articles on the topic. You will then write a 5-6 page paper in which you summarize
and evaluate the research described in the journal articles, discuss the differences between the
research methods you proposed and those used in the articles, and discuss the differences between
your initial opinion and your opinion after reading and evaluating the research findings.
The assignment will be worth 100 points. Primarily, I will be grading the assignment based on the
accuracy and thoughtfulness of your answers. However, I will also consider grammar, punctuation,
spelling, and proper citation of sources. You will use the feedback you received on the first paper to
help you improve on the second paper and write a one-page reflective self-assessment.
Topic #2: Does promoting “color blindness” work as a strategy for promoting diversity and
improving intergroup relations?
Background: In a diverse society, there are a number of ways to work towards promoting racial
equality and reducing stigmatization, prejudice, and discrimination. Recently, in educational, legal,
organizational, and political domains, a strategy has emerged in which racial differences and
intergroup distinctions are deemphasized. The idea behind this “color blind” approach is that we are
all basically the same, and that race should be ignored and avoided. This approach can be described
by the metaphor of a “melting pot.” The alternative approach, described by the “mosaic” or
“multicultural” metaphor, suggests that we should explicitly acknowledge our differences.
Part 1
Important: Please do not read the assigned articles in Part 2 before completing Part 1.
A) Write an opinion piece. Do you think that taking a “color blind approach” will work as a
technique for decreasing prejudice and discrimination? Support your opinion with reasons
for your belief. (1 page)
B) How would you test the claim that a “color blind” approach, compared to a “multicultural”
approach, leads to a reduction in discrimination or prejudice? Describe how you might
conduct an experimental research study to answer this research question. (1 page)
There will not be a separate due date for Part 1. However, you will find the assignment
easier to manage if you complete Part 1 before moving on to Part 2.
Part 2
Now read the following 2 empirical journal articles:
Richeson, J. A., & Nussbaum, R. J. (2004). The impact of multiculturalism versus color-blindness on
racial bias. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40(3), 417-423.
Apfelbaum, E. P., Pauker, K., Sommers, S. R., & Ambady, N. (2010). In blind pursuit of racial
equality? Psychological Science, 21(11), 1587-1592.
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Part 2 (continued)
Use PsychInfo on the Milner Library website or Google Scholar to access the articles. You may also
search for other articles on the topic if you wish (some suggestions are included below), and refer to
these in your paper. At a minimum, you must read the two journal articles listed above.
Formal Term Paper: Write a 5-6 page paper in which you:
a. Summarize the research presented in the two assigned journal articles. Make sure you
mention the methods, findings, and conclusions.
b. Evaluate the research presented in the two journal articles.
c. Discuss the differences between the research methods you proposed and those used in the
two articles.
d. Discuss the differences between your initial opinion and your opinion after reading the
findings from the research presented in the two articles.
Format:
1. The entire assignment (i.e., parts 1 and 2 plus self assessment-see below) should be 8-9 pages,
typed and double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. Use 12-point Times New Roman or similar font.
2. Ensure that Part 1 of your paper covers A-B above, and that Part 2 of your paper covers points a-d
listed above. Give your paper a title.
3. Referencing: Be sure to cite your references. Cite where you got your information within the body
of the paper. Do not use direct quotes. You are to use the standard APA reference style within the
body of the paper (i.e., cite a source using author last name(s) and the year the article was published).
Do not use article titles in the body of your paper to refer to your sources.
Examples:
Antonio, Chang, Hakuta, and Kenny (2004) randomly assigned participants to one of four
groups. The participants demonstrated more complex thinking when assigned to a group with
diverse members (Antonio et al., 2004).
Strayer and Drews (2007) claim that driving impairment may be due to “inattention blindness.”
Participants did not have accurate memory for driving-relevant objects that they saw in the
driving simulator while talking on a cell phone (Strayer & Drews, 2007).
Part 3: Reflective Self-Assessment: Write an additional page in which you describe how the
feedback given to you on your first paper has affected how you improved your current paper. What
have you done differently? What have you kept the same?
Checklist:
___ One-page opinion piece
___ One-page study proposal
___ 5-6 page paper covering points a-d above.
___ One-page reflection on how you improved your paper based on feedback on your first paper
A note on plagiarism
Your answers must reflect your own writing. Be very careful not to commit plagiarism. Plagiarism is
claiming someone else’s work as your own. In order to avoid plagiarism, you MUST CITE YOUR
SOURCES. This means that when you discuss another person’s work, you have to give them credit.
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In psychology, this means that after you discuss someone else’s work, you need to list their last
name(s) and the year that the paper or book that they wrote was published in parentheses. You will
see numerous examples of this in the articles that you read.
However, it is important to keep in mind that although citing sources can help you avoid plagiarism,
you must also be careful not to simply restate or reword sentences from the articles to include in your
paper. This is also plagiarism. A good rule of thumb is not to use more than 5 words in order from a
particular article. DO NOT USE DIRECT QUOTES IN YOUR PAPER EVEN IF YOU CITE
THE AUTHOR. It is important for you, as a psychology major, to develop the skill of summarizing
research articles in your own words. If you have a question about what constitutes plagiarism or
how to cite sources, please see me. Plagiarized assignments will receive a grade of ‘F.’
Additional Readings on the Topic:
Norton, M. I., Sommers, S. R., Apfelbaum, E. P., Pura, N., & Ariely, D. (2006). Color blindness and
interracial interaction: Playing the political correctness game. Psychological Science, 17(11),
949-953.
Apfelbaum, E. P., Pauker, K., Ambady, N., Sommers, S. R., & Norton, M. I. (2008). Learning (not) to
talk about race: When older children underperform in social categorization. Developmental
psychology, 44(5), 1513-1518.
Apfelbaum, E. P., Norton, M. I., & Sommers, S. R. (2012). Racial color blindness: Emergence,
practice, and implications. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21(3), 205-209.
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