Psychology 105: Case Study Assignment
Your Completed Assignment MUST Include:
1) TWO observations of events in your own life.
2) A 2-3 page write-up (12 point font, double-spaced a nd 1 inch margins) in which you explain
each observation, relate each observation to a psychological concept, principle, or
theory, and cite a research source for the concept/principle/theory you have selected.
3) Full citation of your two research sources in APA format.
4) A copy of the grading rubric (found at the end of this assignment).
Background: Psychology is an “applied” scien ce. That is to say, we are interested in using the information we
learn through scientific i nquiry to solve problems in the real wo rld. To do this, we must understand how
experiences in the laboratory and classroom relate to issu es in the real world. This assignment will ask you to
adopt the mindset of a psychologist and form those conn ections (i.e., specific, func tional connections between
the course material and your own personal experience). As you have learned in cl ass, psychologists are keen
observers of behavior.
Activity: Over the next few days, your task is to pay attention to your beha vior and the beha vior of others
around you. You are looking for situati ons/interactions that you can discuss/interp ret/analyze using the
information that you are learning in this course (i.e., psychological term inology, principles, concepts, and/or
theories). For this assignment, you should try to focus on observations that you can link to course material from
any of the topics covered in the course thus far in the semester.
Write-Up: Select TWO different events or observa tions to write about for this assignment. Each event or
observation will produce a journal entry that must include the following details:
1) Date of the observation/event.
2) Location of the observation/event.
3) Brief Case Description. This description should include any a nd all details needed to provide
a complete description of the event/observa tion for someone who did not witness it
first-hand. Avoid specific personal identifying details, such as names, to protect the
privacy of the people you observe.
4) Psychological Application. The application will provide a f unctional connection between
your observation and relevant course material (i.e., a specific psychological concept,
principle, or theory). Be sure to discuss this event using the psychological terminology
you have learned in class. A specific library reference (cited in APA editorial style) must
be provided in support of each psychologica l application. You will need to find a
reference that is NOT the textbook. You should avoid internet sources, with the
exception of electronic ve rsions of articles from peer-reviewed journals.
5) Complete Reference. Provide a complete reference en try for each source cited in your
psychological application discussion. The APA tutorial from Assignment 1 covers
citation and APA format for j ournal article references. The abbreviated entry example
below provides an example of APA format for books. You are encouraged to take
advantage of library and writing center re sources to help with APA format.
Below is an abbreviated example of a fictitious entry to give you an idea of how the case description and
psychological application will relate to one another. Your psychological application section should clearly
demonstrate your ability to identify and explain the related basic concepts, principles, and/or theories
within psychology as well as identify how the psychological principles relate to your observations in your
everyday life. Basically, your entries need to have more information/detail than the example below!
Observation 1
Case Description:
For the past few weeks, my three-year-old son intently watched me set the dinner table. Unexpectedly today,
when I was chatting on the telephone shortly before dinner, he took the personal initia tive to correctly set the
table on his own. Just as he was completing this task, he glanced over at me, pointed to the table setting, and
said, “Look Daddy, just like you.”
Psychological Application:
In this situation, my son learned from personal observation to imitate my be havior. This illustrates the concept
of modeling, through observational or vicarious learning, as discussed in Albert Bandura’s (1977) social
learning theory. In short, Bandura’s vi ew highlights the notion that “examp les speak louder than words.” This
accounts for the fact that my son first watched me and then set the table on his own personal accord without
verbal instruction.
Reference:
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hill.
REMEMBER : Your write-up should consist of complete, understandable sentences with proper grammar,
punctuation, and spelling. Clearly label your work following the example given above. Carefully proof-read
your paper before submitting it to avoid losing points.
Psych 105: Case Study Assignment
Grading Rubric
ATTENTION STUDENT: The following is the grading rubric that will be used to evaluate this assignment.
You MUST print this rubric and staple it to your assi gnment for use during grading.
EVENT/OBSERVATION 1:
______ (.5 pt) Date and location of the event.
______ (1.5 pts) Complete Case Study Description (i.e., desc ription provides enough de tail to describe
event/observation for someone who did not witness it first-hand).
______ (1.5 pts) Accurate Psychological Application (i.e., student relates a particular psychological
concept/theory/mechanism to the event/observation accurately and completely)
______ (1 pt) APA Reference (student correctly uses APA formatting to cite a reference for the
psychological concept/theory/m echanism applied to the observation)
EVENT/OBERVATION 2:
______ (.5 pt) Date and location of the event.
______ (1.5 pts) Complete Case Study Description (i.e., desc ription provides enough de tail to describe
event/observation for someone who did not witness it first-hand).
______ (1.5 pts) Accurate Psychological Application (i.e., student relates a particular psychological
concept/theory/mechanism to the event/observation accurately and completely)
______ (1 pt) APA Reference (student correctly uses APA formatting to cite a reference for the
psychological concept/theory/m echanism applied to the observation)
OVERALL:
______ (1 pt) Quality of the write-up (grammatically correct; sentences flow naturally)
Was the assignment late? _________
(1 pt deduction per/day includi ng the due date if assignment was submitted after class)
POINT TOTAL: ______ pt/10 possible points.
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