Reflection on Interesting Topics in Psychology

Think of Reflection Journals as your opportunity to reflect on the highlights of the module (chapters 1, 2, 3).

This is like if a friend asked you, “What are you studying?” "What did you learn?"  And your answer would be “Well, in this chapter I learned about ______, and I have to tell you, it was freaking brilliant.  You would totally relate to this. Let me explain...”  

See?  I don’t want an academic paper from you. This is a journal, right?  So, I’m going to go "easy" on formal writing and referencing style, like APA - for now, but I DO WANT you to improve your referencing style as we progress in the class.   SO, you do need to include “According to our book (or text)” each time you are explaining psychology concepts.  Be as creative as you like in your writing, I want to read essays that sound like you, not a stuffy text book.  So you better not copy and paste from any website, just explain things in your own way (but it still has to make sense!).

Instructions for your Journal (each Journal's instructions may be slightly different!)

3 Parts, each part covers one chapter

Part 1 (chapter 1):  {Two large paragraphs}

         a) First Paragraph -Choose a topic within chapter 1 that you found most interesting (not easiest, but interesting!).  After doing the readings, what subject stood out to you the most?  Was it a historical fact?  Was it a particular psychological theory or concept? Name it, and describe and explain it, again, like you are explaining to a friend.  If you're not sure if a subject is appropriate, just contact me first!

        b) Second Paragraph -Tell a personal story or observation that relates to the subject you’ve chosen.  You chose it for a reason, what was the reason?  How can you relate to it?  Why was it important to you?  Just tell a story or two.

Part 2 (chapter 2): 

- Repeat like above (a) and (b)  just choose a topic from Chapter 2.

Part 3 (chapter 3):

- Repeat (a) and (b), choose a subject from Chapter 3.  You get the idea.

Total suggested minimum word count = 500  If longer that’s okay! Just don’t do the bare minimum, please.  Effort!

Note: topics may come from ANY part of the chapter. Topics must demonstrate that you did some reading, so don’t choose a topic that is too general, like “biology” or “research” or “brain” where a layperson could write about generally.  Contact me first if you are unsure!  I can also look at your drafts!