A well-written final paper in PSY 401 will require reflection and critical thinking about significant persons and theories important to psychology as a science. For your paper, compare and contrast at least 2 important figures in psychology in any of the following ways:
their positions on an issue (e.g., the unconscious; role of environment; free will vs. determinism; nativism vs. “blank slate”, etc.
their theories (e.g., nature vs. nurture; S-R Model vs. S-R-C Model vs. S-O-R Model, etc.)
schools of thought (e.g., functionalists vs. structuralists; behaviorists vs. humanists)
research methods (e.g., experimental, anecdotal, direct observation, self-report, etc.)
influence of major historical events (e.g., WWII, the Enlightenment, etc.)
Consider both the similarities and differences; in other words, compare and contrast.
In developing your paper and later presentation, address certain basic philosophical beliefs and previous philosophers that your selected person(s) believed in or disagreed with when putting forth their own theories.
Examples of Areas to cover when comparing and contrasting psychologists
Structuralism
Atomism
Empiricism
Holism
Logical Positivism (Logical Empiricism)
Phenomenalism
Positivism
Pragmatism
Rationalism
Use at least 5 professional references (i.e., journal articles or books). You may use your textbook and lecture notes as references. Cite these in your References section.
Papers must be typewritten and conform to APA style and format guidelines.
The required length for this paper is 6-8 pages of text (i.e., not including title page and reference page)