Writing In Psychology Courses

Tips for Writing in Psychology

Point of View

In most academic papers, you will avoid the use of "I" and "you" and write in third person.

First person (avoid): In this paper, I will show that the movie Silver linings' playbook illustrates Erikson's theory of identity development and intimacy.

Second person (avoid): In this paper, you will see that the movie Silver linings' playbook illustrates Erikson's theory of identity development and intimacy.

Third person (do!): This paper shows that the movie Silver linings' playbook illustrates Erikson's theory of identity development and intimacy.

For a more in-depth explanation, visit our Point of View page.

Summarizing vs. Analyzing

Sometimes, students confuse a summary with an analysis. A summary tells us what happened in a book, movie, article, etc. But an analysis tells us what that means. Most of the time, your professors expect you to summarize AND analyze a work, applying what you've learned to it. For example, take these two paragraphs, based on the example assignment below which asks students to apply psychology theory to the movie Silver Linings Playbook:

Movie poster for "Silver Linings Playbook"

Summary version (tells us what happens in the movie): In this movie, Pat Solatano has lost his house, job, and wife. He now lives with his parents after spending eight months in a state institution on a plea bargain but is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife. Pat meets Tiffany, a young widow who offers to help him reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll enter into a dance competition with her. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them. (Summary provided by IMDB)

This summary tells us what happens but does not apply any psychology theory to the characters. Sometimes this is what is called for, but make sure to check with your professor.

Analysis version: In young adulthood, a person needs a “strong foundation of sense of self to reach out and commit herself to another person and bide by those commitments” (Watson, 2002). Although Tiffany and Pat enter into a committed platonic relationship, initially the purpose of this relationship is for each of them to achieve their own individual goals. Tiffany needed a partner to be successful in her dance competition, while Pat felt the competition would be an opportunity to demonstrate to Nikki (his ex-wife) how he has changed and has become a better person (Russel, 2012). However, throughout the process, each person reevaluates their goals as their relationship progresses, moving away from individual goals to a mutual commitment of love and support for each other.

Notice this analysis uses quotes and psychological theory (individual goals, commitments) to analyze the characters in the movie. While we get a sense of what's going on in the plot, we also get another layer of interpretation on top of it. Because of this, the word count is also longer in the second paragraph.

Organizing Essays

To begin organizing yourself, copy any of these graphic brainstorming and outlining guides

Writing Guides

No matter which class you're writing for, essays will usually be structured in similar ways. Check out these other Aims OWL guides for each section of your paper:

Using APA

APA formatting is required for all PSY and SOC classes. Check out our guides below:

Sample Assignment Sheet and Paper

Applying your knowledge could take many forms- perhaps your professor assigns you an essay, an op-ed, or an analysis of your favorite movie. In all of these cases, a few requirements are similar to the tips above: you'd write in third-person, apply what you've learned instead of summarizing, organize your essay, and use APA format.

Sample Assignment Sheet

Sample Theory Application Paper.docx

Sample Paper (Annotated)

See the annotated paper below adapted from Francie Rottini, Associate Psychology Professor at Aims Community College. Open in a new window for full annotations.

APA7 Sample PSY101 Theory Application Essay.docx

Writing Literature Reviews

When writing Literature Reviews, students read articles and use skills in order to analyze the articles. The following links will guide you through this process.

Decide on a Topic

If you're required to find your own topic, you'll want to use one that interests you, is narrow enough for an essay, and is both current and well-researched. Visit our topics page for more specifics.

Research

Find and evaluate sources, especially within library databases, while deciding on your topic. This may lead to you modifying your topic focus, and that's okay! It's called learning.

Read

Read and comprehend studies found in databases. An Aims OWL guide to reading academic articles is coming soon, but for now, check out this guide.

Summarize

You'll need to be able to write a summary of articles and studies that you read. A summary briefly explains the main points of an article or study. For an example, see the summary vs. analyzing section above.

Brainstorm

Then it's time to brainstorm your paper. Overall, what points have been made about your topic? What side(s) do you agree or disagree with?

Write a Thesis

Create a thesis, usually expressing agreement or disagreement with the studies. Remember, this should be easily proven by sources outside of yourself.

Outline

Before writing, it's important to organize your thoughts into an outline. This can save you time and effort! You'll form your topic sentences and decide on the sources to use to prove them.

Cite

Most sources you use will be paraphrased. Any time you use sources, make sure to cite them! Finally, make sure you understand the types of plagiarism and how to avoid them.

Sample Lit Reviews on the Web

Samples are powerful! Check out these students' excellent papers:

This annotated 20-page lit review, in APA7, complete with graphs and illustrations from the Purdue OWL
Three sample literature reviews from the University of West Florida

Google Sites

Report abuse