Note: This handout is based on
one that was originally written by Dr. Diane Humphrey, of King’s College
Department of Psychology.
Term papers are due on Monday April 1st, 2002, in class. A
late penalty of 3% per day (including weekends) will be assessed. (E.g., if
your paper is 4 days late, you lose 12%, so a grade of 82 becomes a 70 when the
penalty is applied.)
Your term paper should include a review of relevant literature on a
topic related to material in the course.
You should compare the articles or chapters you are reviewing to other
related articles or chapters from such journals as the Journal of Creative
Behavior, Visual Arts Research, New Ideas in Psychology, Creativity
Research Journal, Journal for the Education of the Gifted, Daedalus,
Imagination, Cognition and Personality, Leonardo, and other
related psychology journals or books.
Your term paper must include a literature review and must develop a
thesis. You may also present a proposal
for specific research related to your topic as part of your paper.
Your term paper should be no more than ten double-spaced pages excluding
title page, references, figures, tables, etc. It should be written in APA
format. Term papers will be graded according to the Marking Scheme for
Essays below.
Here is some stylistic advice for your term paper:
1. Always look up the original source.
Use only scholarly sources.
Avoid using secondary sources unless absolutely necessary, or unless you
wish to make a point about something a reviewer (another author) said about the
original work. This means that you
should not use textbooks, encyclopedias, the internet, magazine articles, or
other sources that cannot be verified.
2. Unless they're really crucial or really zippy, don't use quotations.
3. Ideas should be presented in a critical context acknowledging a point
of view. For example, avoid saying
something like, "The world is in chaos." Rather, indicate what makes you think that this is so and what
you've read that's relevant. "A
chaotic view of the world emerges in the literature linking psychology and
dynamical systems theory (Abraham, 1991: Crutchfield, 1990)."
4. It is good to acknowledge your own point of view, as in "A
dynamical approach provides a meaningful way to analyse aesthetics," but,
don't be personal as in "I really think chaos theory is the best thing
going."
5. Attempt to provide some interpretation and scholarly critique of the
material, rather than just listing a series of so-called "facts". But be sure to substantiate everything you
say.
6. Use up-to-date material unless your reference is of historical
significance.
7. If you do some "cross-border shopping", i.e., use material
from another area or discipline than the psychology of creativity, be sure to
"pay duty." Be sure to state
and explain the relevance of the material to the psychology of creativity. Your central issues should always be psychological.
Marking Scheme for Essays. Each of the following aspects is worth 25%:
-
Organization--Have you provided an introduction
and conclusion? Have you followed APA
style (term paper only)? Are the
various parts of the essay related to each other in a systematic way? Have you developed a thesis?
- Clarity--How clearly have you
expressed yourself? Have you clearly
indicated where the essay is going, what sorts of evidence or arguments you are
using, and what the relevant issues are?
Is it clear how the different sections of the essay are related to each
other? (For a model of clarity, see
Kearney's book, The Wake of Imagination.)
- Comprehensiveness--Have you included as much information on this issue as possible that is relevant? Is your scholarship thorough and fair? Have you given consideration to proponents of various points of view on the issue?
- Originality of thought--What is
your own contribution to this area? How
would you assess the issue and the evidence and arguments? Do you have any suggestions for further work
in the area?
Assignments for participation
– when creative works are experienced rather than treated as object – will be
given throughout the term. These will involve reports on some experience of art
or other products of creative activity. Brief reports can be made orally or in
writing. Instructions will be given with each assignment. There will be three
assignments through the term, each worth 5%.