PSYC 2950: Psychology of Adulthood and Aging

Psychology of Adulthood and Aging

Instructions for the Term Paper: The purpose of the term paper is to provide you with the opportunity to explore an area of adult development and aging in depth. The paper is to be a 8-12 page literature review of some topic pertinent to the psychology of adulthood and aging and will constitute 15% of your final grade.

All papers must reference a minimum of five references from refereed journals (not Psychology Today or Newsweek, for example). Note: Do not rely heavily on popular literature, for example, a book you happen to see at Borders Books. Often, these books are not empirically based. Also, do not take the bulk of your paper from one source or from secondary sources. I want an integration, analysis, and critique of the current research literature relevant to your paper topic.

All papers must be typed, double-spaced, have 1 inch margins and in APA format. If you are in doubt as to what this means, see me for details. The American Psychological Association's Publication Manual can be purchased at the bookstore.

While you may already be familiar with the concept of a literature review and what it entails, I would like to just reiterate some basic information.

The basic format and structure of a literature review is discussed in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (remember, you are not conducting empirical research or writing a theoretical paper, thus the information concerning these two types of articles is not relevant for this class). The Publication Manual also provides all necessary information concerning referencing and writing style.
You can find examples of literature reviews in psychology journals. These are articles not discussing a specific study conducted by the authors but rather reviews, evaluates, and critiques all of the research in a specific content area. Often, the words "a review of the literature" or simply "a review" will be part of the article title. My two articles on Ageism and Life Review are examples of small-scale literature reviews.
Do's and Don'ts

Do:
Develop an bibliography of the key research related to your topic

Critically evaluate the research

Draw connections and correlations between the various research studies

Examine points of contradiction and hypothesize the reasons for these discrepancies

Organize your paper (you should outline before you write)

Provide the reader transitions between ideas

Reference appropriately

If your writing skills need work - check out the writing center (poorly written papers will not be accepted towards fulfilling the paper requirement)

Don't:
Paraphrase an existing literature review

Rely heavily on secondary sources (no textbooks or magazines should be used - use primarily articles published in professional journals)

Rely on popular literature (e.g. books from Borders - these tend not to be empirically based)

Include anecdotal information (e.g. information from your personal life or stories you heard about someone else's life/experience)

Discuss each article separately as if writing an abstract on each

For more information, see also: University of Washington's Writing a Psychology Literature Review

Bem, D. J. (1995). Writing a review article for Psychological Bulletin. Psychological Bulletin, 118, 172-177.

Additional writing and referencing tips:

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have concerning your paper.