Opposites attract: We are most romantically attracted to people who differ from us.

General Instructions:
Write a typed, double-spaced, critical essay of at least 5 pages in length in which you develop “Information Literacy,”
which is the ability to be able to gather and apply research into empirically sound information. Critical Thinking and
Information Literacy is demonstrating, through written communications, that you can Evaluate, Analyze and Synthesize
the information you are reading.
Assistance: You have both the KC Writing Studio as well as Tutor.com available to you to assist you in writing your essay.
There are links to both of these sources in the Start Here menu on Blackboard. Using either source will provide you
with 4 additional points on your final essay grade.
Abstract: This should be an overview of your paper. It can be a copy of your well-constructed introductory paragraph.
An abstract is usually 250 words or fewer, so three or four sentences should be sufficient. Remember, the overview
should include the controlling idea or thesis of your paper.
Section 1: Choose a topic from the list which covers various domains of psychology. What is your paper about? What is
your purpose for writing about this topic? Is it informational only? Are you wanting to communicate something specific to
your reader about the topic? Are you wanting to prove something about the topic?
Section 2: Define the topic and discuss how it affects people.
Section 3: Discuss the valid research [peer-reviewed articles] regarding the topic. Explain what can be done to deal
effectively with the topic (as a society)? In this section, you should demonstrate your ability to evaluate the information
you’ve read as valid and that you can analyze the information you’ve read to formulate a conclusion.
Section 4: Provide a logical conclusion. Review for your reader what you wrote about and what you proved by writing
the paper. Conclusion should also include Synthesis of the information, which is primarily suggesting what should be
done with the information you have provided.
Format Requirements:
Use APA style
Review the APA writing style information listed on blackboard for examples of
Page 1: APA Title Page
Page 2: APA Abstract Page
Pages 3-4: At least a 2-page Essay with APA style in-text citations
Last page: APA style Reference Page
Research: Use at least 4 peer-reviewed articles to support the essay’s content. You may use non-peered reviewed
articles as they can provide good information, but these would be in addition to the minimum 4 peer-reviewed articles
required.
Submit your essay to SafeAssign on Blackboard. Do not cut and paste as SafeAssign is a plagiarism tool. While using
quotes from your researched peer-reviewed articles is okay, multiple quotes from your sources will make your
SafeAssign score much higher. You are wanting a SafeAssign rating of 25% or less. Paraphrase and put concepts in your
own words, but cite your sources for the information with APA style in-text citations.
A note on essays which were written in another class. If you submit an essay that was written for a different class, then
SafeAssign will rate it at 90% or greater. Researchers often use articles they have previously written, but they do so with
expanded information included. I will accept a paper you previously wrote, if you have added enough new information
to achieve a SafeAssign rating of 40% or less. From experience I can suggest that this will require at least three
additional peer-reviewed articles, which are cited within the text of your essay, and 2 additional pages of writing.