Assessment Brief

PS51009D Applications of Psychological Research

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Overview

Component	Weight	Deadline
Science communication blog post or video recording	90%	Monday 11 May, 12 noon
Reflection piece	10%	Monday 11 May, 12 noon

Component 1 — Science Communication (90%)

The task

Create a written or video blog for a non-expert audience based on one of the topics of Applications of Psychological Research.

You are required to produce a science communication blog post OR a video recording. Select one academic journal article from those nominated by lecturers on this module (see Target Articles below) and summarise the research paper for a non-academic, non-expert audience.

The science communication should be presented in a format that will be appealing to a non-academic audience whilst still communicating the main points of the article. You are expected to use visual aids such as infographics, figures, tables, and/or pictures to support the written or recorded blog post.

Blog post: 800–1000 words
Video recording: 4–5 minutes

The content will summarise one of the target research papers. The focus is on clear and concise communication of scientific research made accessible to a general, non-expert audience. You are also expected to cover some of the content taught in the session of your choice, to provide context to the findings.

Necessary elements

You must summarise a research paper
You must create and include at least one visual aid (you cannot use a visual aid from the article — you need to create one yourself)
You must include citations
You must include a full reference list at the end of your written piece or video recording (APA style), which is not included in the word count

Submission format

Submit to Moodle for marking

All submissions must be uploaded to the Moodle submission page to be marked. Submissions not received via Moodle will not be graded.

Blog post: submit your written piece as a Word doc or PDF file via the Moodle link above.

Video recording: create slides and record your audio (and video, if you wish) in PowerPoint and submit the PPT file via the Moodle link above.

Optional — publish on this blog: if you would like Gordon to publish your piece on this site, you may also upload a copy to the PS51009D OneDrive folder. This is entirely optional and has no bearing on your mark (see How to Publish).

What good looks like

Style

The target style is science journalism aimed at a thoughtful general reader — curious but not an expert. A very useful reference is The Conversation (theconversation.com), an online resource of articles written for non-expert audiences.

Some examples of the required style:

Science writing in broadsheet newspapers such as The Times or The Guardian also gives a good sense of the required style:

Writing in the third person

Note that the examples above are written from the perspective of the people who actually did the research. Because you did not run the study yourself, write yours in the third person — describing what the researchers found, not what “we” found.

For video format, see this example for inspiration on style: YouTube example

Marking guidance

Submissions attracting marks in the upper second class and first class will very clearly and succinctly communicate:

the research question
the study method and procedure
the findings
the conclusions of the chosen research article

Short contextual discussions are also encouraged — for example, are the findings in line with other research in the field? Visual aids (tables, infographics, pictures) that enhance readability and understanding are fully encouraged and are necessary to achieve the highest marks.

Target Articles

Choose one of the following topics and its corresponding article for your science communication assignment.

Week 20 — No target article

There will be no target article for Week 20 (Tutorial on writing a blog post). You must choose from the other topics listed below.

Week 16 — Human-AI Interactions

Pálfi, B., Arora, K., & Kostopoulou, O. (2022). Algorithm-based advice taking and clinical judgement: impact of advice distance and algorithm information. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 7(1), 70. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-022-00421-6

Week 17 — Meditation Research

Condon, P., Desbordes, G., Miller, W. B., & DeSteno, D. (2013). Meditation increases compassionate responses to suffering. Psychological Science, 24(10), 2125–2127. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613485603

Week 18 — Individual Differences

Bremner, A. J., Caparos, S., Davidoff, J., de Fockert, J., Linnell, K. J., & Spence, C. (2013). “Bouba” and “Kiki” in Namibia? A remote culture make similar shape–sound matches, but different shape–taste matches to Westerners. Cognition, 126(2), 165–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2012.09.007

Week 19 — Neuropsychology

Cocchini, G., Beschin, N., Fotopoulou, A., & Della Sala, S. (2010). Explicit and implicit anosognosia for upper limb motor impairment. Neuropsychologia, 48(6), 1489–1494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.01.019

Music Psychology

McDermott, J. H., Schultz, A. F., Undurraga, E. A., & Godoy, R. A. (2016). Indifference to dissonance in native Amazonians reveals cultural variation in music perception. Nature, 535(7613), 547–550. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature18635

Expert Performance

Li, X., Huang, L., Li, B., Wang, H., & Han, C. (2020). Time for a true display of skill: Top players in League of Legends have better executive control. Acta Psychologica, 204, 103007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.103007

Eyewitness Testimony

Gabbert, F., Hope, L., & Fisher, R. P. (2009). Protecting eyewitness evidence: Examining the efficacy of a self-administered interview tool. Law and Human Behavior, 33(4), 298–307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-008-9146-8

Stalking

Scott, A. J., Stathi, S., & Burniak, V. (2022). Where to draw the line? The influence of prior relationship, perpetrator-target sex and perpetrator motivation on the point at which behaviour ‘crosses the line’ and becomes stalking. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 40(5), 584–603. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2592

Component 2 — Reflection Piece (10%)

Reflect on your experience creating your blog post for a non-expert audience, using Bain’s 5Rs reflective model.

Format: a written piece of 480–600 words, or a recorded piece of 2.5–3 minutes.

Deadline: Week 10, Term 2 — see the Moodle submission page for the exact deadline and submission link.

Respond to at least one prompt under each of the five Rs below. You do not need to address every prompt.

Reporting

Which topic did you choose and why?
Which mode of communication did you choose and why?
Who was the target audience of your blog and why (note that there is no such thing as “the public”)?
What was the style of your blog and why did you choose it?

Responding

How did you feel about creating a blog post before you started working on the assignment?
How did your emotions change from the beginning to the end of the assignment?
What aspects of the assignment did you find particularly interesting, engaging or challenging?

Relating

How does your experience in writing or recording this blog post relate to your previous experiences in communicating about science?
How does the mode of communication of your blog post relate to activities you have experience with?
Were there any aspects of the assignment that reminded you of other experiences?

Reasoning

What were the main factors that influenced your experience in the task?
Why do you think these factors influenced your experience the way they did?

Reconstructing

How can you apply what you learned from this experience in the future, including any area of your life?
How can you use the experience of communicating to a specific audience in your future work or studies?

Submission deadline

Both components are due Monday 11 May, 12 noon

Submit both components via Moodle. Submissions not received via Moodle will not be marked.

Submit here (Moodle)

If you also wish to have your science communication piece published on this blog, upload a copy to the OneDrive folder as well — but this is optional and does not replace the Moodle submission.

--- title: "Assessment Brief" subtitle: "PS51009D Applications of Psychological Research" toc: true toc-depth: 3 --- ::: {.callout-note} ## Download this brief To save a copy of this page: use **File → Print → Save as PDF** in your browser, or press **Ctrl+P** / **Cmd+P**. ::: --- ## Overview | Component | Weight | Deadline | |-----------|--------|----------| | Science communication blog post or video recording | **90%** | Monday 11 May, 12 noon | | Reflection piece | **10%** | Monday 11 May, 12 noon | --- ## Component 1 — Science Communication (90%) ### The task Create a written or video blog for a non-expert audience based on one of the topics of Applications of Psychological Research. You are required to produce a **science communication blog post OR a video recording**. Select **one** academic journal article from those nominated by lecturers on this module (see [Target Articles](#target-articles) below) and summarise the research paper for a non-academic, non-expert audience. The science communication should be presented in a format that will be appealing to a non-academic audience whilst still communicating the main points of the article. You are expected to use visual aids such as infographics, figures, tables, and/or pictures to support the written or recorded blog post. - **Blog post:** 800–1000 words - **Video recording:** 4–5 minutes The content will summarise one of the target research papers. The focus is on clear and concise communication of scientific research made accessible to a general, non-expert audience. You are also expected to cover some of the content taught in the session of your choice, to provide context to the findings. ### Necessary elements - You must summarise a research paper - You must create and include at least one visual aid (you cannot use a visual aid from the article — you need to create one yourself) - You must include citations - You must include a full reference list at the end of your written piece or video recording (APA style), which is **not** included in the word count ### Submission format ::: {.callout-important} ## Submit to Moodle for marking All submissions **must** be uploaded to the **[Moodle submission page](https://learn.gold.ac.uk/mod/coursework/view.php?id=1794744)** to be marked. Submissions not received via Moodle will not be graded. ::: **Blog post:** submit your written piece as a Word doc or PDF file via the Moodle link above. **Video recording:** create slides and record your audio (and video, if you wish) in PowerPoint and submit the PPT file via the Moodle link above. **Optional — publish on this blog:** if you would like Gordon to publish your piece on this site, you may also upload a copy to the **[PS51009D OneDrive folder](https://goldsmithscollege-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/gwrig002_campus_goldsmiths_ac_uk/IgARGfnH7ojgRqhRM7PF7HR_AbRQbdcJ_jeRtykPpkMi2E8?e=4m1SIt)**. This is entirely optional and has no bearing on your mark (see [How to Publish](contributing.qmd)). --- ## What good looks like ### Style The target style is science journalism aimed at a thoughtful general reader — curious but not an expert. A very useful reference is **The Conversation** ([theconversation.com](https://theconversation.com)), an online resource of articles written for non-expert audiences. Some examples of the required style: - [Goosebumps, tears and tenderness: what it means to be moved](https://theconversation.com/goosebumps-tears-and-tenderness-what-it-means-to-be-moved-72545) - [Memory and sense of self may play more of a role in autism than we thought](https://theconversation.com/memory-and-sense-of-self-may-play-more-of-a-role-in-autism-than-we-thought-63210) Science writing in broadsheet newspapers such as *The Times* or *The Guardian* also gives a good sense of the required style: - [Real art in museums stimulates the brain much more than reprints](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/03/real-art-in-museums-stimulates-brain-much-more-than-reprints-study-finds) - [Bike helmet study shows appetite for danger](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jan/24/bike-helmet-appetite-danger) ::: {.callout-note} ## Writing in the third person Note that the examples above are written from the perspective of the people who actually did the research. Because you did not run the study yourself, **write yours in the third person** — describing what the researchers found, not what "we" found. ::: For video format, see this example for inspiration on style: [YouTube example](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFcEQkO7DUI) ### Marking guidance Submissions attracting marks in the upper second class and first class will very clearly and succinctly communicate: - the **research question** - the **study method and procedure** - the **findings** - the **conclusions** of the chosen research article Short contextual discussions are also encouraged — for example, are the findings in line with other research in the field? Visual aids (tables, infographics, pictures) that enhance readability and understanding are fully encouraged and are **necessary to achieve the highest marks**. --- ## Target Articles {#target-articles} Choose **one** of the following topics and its corresponding article for your science communication assignment. ::: {.callout-important} ## Week 20 — No target article There will be no target article for Week 20 (Tutorial on writing a blog post). You must choose from the other topics listed below. ::: --- ### Week 16 — Human-AI Interactions Pálfi, B., Arora, K., & Kostopoulou, O. (2022). Algorithm-based advice taking and clinical judgement: impact of advice distance and algorithm information. *Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 7*(1), 70. <https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-022-00421-6> --- ### Week 17 — Meditation Research Condon, P., Desbordes, G., Miller, W. B., & DeSteno, D. (2013). Meditation increases compassionate responses to suffering. *Psychological Science, 24*(10), 2125–2127. <https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613485603> --- ### Week 18 — Individual Differences Bremner, A. J., Caparos, S., Davidoff, J., de Fockert, J., Linnell, K. J., & Spence, C. (2013). "Bouba" and "Kiki" in Namibia? A remote culture make similar shape–sound matches, but different shape–taste matches to Westerners. *Cognition, 126*(2), 165–172. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2012.09.007> --- ### Week 19 — Neuropsychology Cocchini, G., Beschin, N., Fotopoulou, A., & Della Sala, S. (2010). Explicit and implicit anosognosia for upper limb motor impairment. *Neuropsychologia, 48*(6), 1489–1494. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.01.019> --- ### Music Psychology McDermott, J. H., Schultz, A. F., Undurraga, E. A., & Godoy, R. A. (2016). Indifference to dissonance in native Amazonians reveals cultural variation in music perception. *Nature, 535*(7613), 547–550. <https://doi.org/10.1038/nature18635> --- ### Expert Performance Li, X., Huang, L., Li, B., Wang, H., & Han, C. (2020). Time for a true display of skill: Top players in League of Legends have better executive control. *Acta Psychologica, 204*, 103007. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.103007> --- ### Eyewitness Testimony Gabbert, F., Hope, L., & Fisher, R. P. (2009). Protecting eyewitness evidence: Examining the efficacy of a self-administered interview tool. *Law and Human Behavior, 33*(4), 298–307. <https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-008-9146-8> --- ### Stalking Scott, A. J., Stathi, S., & Burniak, V. (2022). Where to draw the line? The influence of prior relationship, perpetrator-target sex and perpetrator motivation on the point at which behaviour 'crosses the line' and becomes stalking. *Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 40*(5), 584–603. <https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2592> --- ## Component 2 — Reflection Piece (10%) Reflect on your experience creating your blog post for a non-expert audience, using **Bain's 5Rs reflective model**. **Format:** a written piece of 480–600 words, or a recorded piece of 2.5–3 minutes. **Deadline:** Week 10, Term 2 — see the [Moodle submission page](https://learn.gold.ac.uk/mod/coursework/view.php?id=1794744) for the exact deadline and submission link. Respond to **at least one prompt under each of the five Rs** below. You do not need to address every prompt. ### Reporting - Which topic did you choose and why? - Which mode of communication did you choose and why? - Who was the target audience of your blog and why (note that there is no such thing as "the public")? - What was the style of your blog and why did you choose it? ### Responding - How did you feel about creating a blog post before you started working on the assignment? - How did your emotions change from the beginning to the end of the assignment? - What aspects of the assignment did you find particularly interesting, engaging or challenging? ### Relating - How does your experience in writing or recording this blog post relate to your previous experiences in communicating about science? - How does the mode of communication of your blog post relate to activities you have experience with? - Were there any aspects of the assignment that reminded you of other experiences? ### Reasoning - What were the main factors that influenced your experience in the task? - Why do you think these factors influenced your experience the way they did? ### Reconstructing - How can you apply what you learned from this experience in the future, including any area of your life? - How can you use the experience of communicating to a specific audience in your future work or studies? --- ## Submission deadline ::: {.callout-important} ## Both components are due Monday 11 May, 12 noon Submit both components via **Moodle**. Submissions not received via Moodle will not be marked. **[Submit here (Moodle)](https://learn.gold.ac.uk/mod/coursework/view.php?id=1794744)** If you also wish to have your science communication piece published on this blog, upload a copy to the **[OneDrive folder](https://goldsmithscollege-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/gwrig002_campus_goldsmiths_ac_uk/IgARGfnH7ojgRqhRM7PF7HR_AbRQbdcJ_jeRtykPpkMi2E8?e=4m1SIt)** as well — but this is optional and does not replace the Moodle submission. :::