Week 2: Assignment – TA
The value of Critical Thinking in the field of psychology
Overfamiliarity with an idea can lead you to accept the information as true without questioning it. Just like the psychology myth that opposites attract, have you heard these other common psychology myths? Smiling makes you happier. We only use 10 percent of our brain. Memory is like a video recording. People are either left-brained or right-brained.
Have you ever wondered where these ideas originated and why they are so widely believed? Are they completely false or partially true? When you begin to look more closely at ideas and where the information came from, you have started the critical-thinking process.
Critical thinking is inherent in scholarly work because it forces you to separate opinions and biases from the evidence found in the research literature.
In this Assignment, you will examine the value of critical thinking by exploring facts and opinions and how they are distinguished from one to the other.
You’ll identify key traits of each and combine them into a balanced narrative, demonstrating how critical thinking helps evaluate information and build strong arguments.
As a reminder for doctoral students, this Assignment will also be used for your writing skills assessment. While your essay will be evaluated with two sets of rubric elements, the writing skills assessment will NOT count toward your course grade. Master’s students must also complete this Assignment, although they will not complete the writing skills assessment.
This writing skills assessment helps ensure you receive foundational writing support early in your Walden program. The results of the skills assessment will determine which writing skills course you will be enrolled in next term: SKIL 8001 Transitioning to Doctoral Writing or SKIL 8002 Enhancing Doctoral Writing Skills. As a reminder, completing one writing skills course is part of your program requirements and is designed to help you meet writing expectations in your program. For more information, please visit the Writing Skills AssessmentLinks to an external site. web page.
Your assessment essay will be scored out of 16 points using the writing skills rubric located at the bottom of the Week 2 Assignment Rubric.
Skills Assessment Rubric PointsWriting Support
12.5–16 points
When you finish this Foundations course, Walden’s Writing Assessment team will enroll you in SKIL 8002: Enhancing Doctoral Writing Skills. This course is self-paced, carries 0 credits, and is 12 weeks long; it is ungraded and tuition-free. It will begin in the term following your completion of this Foundations course.
If you have questions about the course, please contact WritingAssessment@mail.waldenu.edu.
0–12 points
When you finish this Foundations course, Walden’s Writing Assessment team will enroll you in SKIL 8001: Transitioning to Doctoral Writing. This course is instructor-led, carries 0 credits, and is 6 weeks long; it is graded on an S/U basis and is tuition-free. It will begin in the term following your completion of this Foundations course.
If you have questions about the course, please contact WritingAssessment@mail.waldenu.edu.
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
To Prepare for this Assignment:
- Review the readings in this week’s Learning Resources and specifically focus on the critical thinking resources.
- Think of and choose a common psychology myth that you have heard. If you have trouble of thinking of an example, identify one using a general Internet search.
- Remember to use the Assignment Checklist Download Assignment Checklistto assist you in completing this assignment.
The Assignment (1-page):
- Based on the psychology myth you chose, write a short paragraph that would be considered an opinion and why this is an opinion.
- Search the Walden Library databases for a peer-reviewed article on this same topic. Based on what you learn from the article, write a second paragraph that would be considered a fact and why it would be considered factual. Support your ideas with information cited from the article and include the reference to the article in APA format.
- Explain the differences between the two paragraphs. Explain how a reader would know which statement is opinion and which is factual. Use the Learning Resources to support your rationale.
By Day 7
Submit your Assignment by Day 7.
submission information
Before submitting your final assignment, you can check your draft for authenticity. To check your draft, access the Turnitin Drafts from the Start Here area.
- To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK2Assgn_LastName_Firstinitial
- Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.
- Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.
Rubric
PSYC_6002_Week2_Assignment_Rubric
PSYC_6002_Week2_Assignment_Rubric
CriteriaRatingsPts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent
20 to >16.0 ptsEXCELLENT – above expectationsPaper demonstrates an excellent understanding of all of the concepts and key points presented in the text/s and Learning Resources. Paper provides significant detail, including multiple relevant examples, evidence from the readings and other sources, and discerning ideas.
16 to >12.0 ptsGOOD – met expectationsPaper demonstrates a good understanding of most of the concepts and key points presented in the text/s and Learning Resources. Paper includes moderate detail, evidence from the readings, and discerning ideas.
12 to >8.0 ptsFAIR – below expectationsPaper demonstrates a fair understanding of the concepts and key points as presented in the text/s and Learning Resources. Paper may be lacking in detail and specificity and/or may not include sufficient pertinent examples or provide sufficient evidence from the readings.
8 to >0 ptsPOOR – significantly below expectations or missingPaper demonstrates poor understanding of the concepts and key points of the text/s and Learning Resources. Paper is missing detail and specificity and/or does not include any pertinent examples or provide sufficient evidence from the readings.
20 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWriting
5 to >4.0 ptsEXCELLENT – above expectationsPaper is well organized, uses scholarly tone, follows APA style, uses original writing and proper paraphrasing, contains very few or no writing and/or spelling errors, and is fully consistent with graduate-level writing style. Paper contains multiple, appropriate, and exemplary sources expected/required for the assignment.
4 to >3.0 ptsGOOD – met expectationsPaper is mostly consistent with graduate-level writing style. Paper may have some small or infrequent organization, scholarly tone, or APA style issues, and/or may contain a few writing and spelling errors, and/or somewhat less than the expected number of or type of sources.
3 to >2.0 ptsFAIR – below expectationsPaper is somewhat below graduate-level writing style, with multiple smaller or a few major problems. Paper may be lacking in organization, scholarly tone, APA style, and/or contain many writing and/or spelling errors, or shows moderate reliance on quoting vs. original writing and paraphrasing. Paper may contain inferior resources (number or quality).
2 to >0 ptsPOOR – significantly below expectations or missingPaper is well below graduate-level writing style expectations for organization, scholarly tone, APA style, and writing, or relies excessively on quoting. Paper may contain few or no quality resources.
5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWS01 Central Idea of Essay
Points in this row do NOT affect your Assignment grade.
threshold: 3.0 pts
4 ptsEnhanced: Clear main idea incorporates meaningful response to prompt and sustains throughout essay. Ideas are fully developed, leaving reader with no questions.
3.5 ptsIntermediate: Clear main idea incorporates relevant response to prompt and sustains throughout essay. Ideas are mostly developed but not to full capacity, so reader is left with some questions.
3 ptsTransitional: Clear main idea relates to prompt but focus shifts throughout essay. Ideas are general, not specific, and somewhat developed, so reader is left with many questions.
2.5 ptsFoundational: Main idea strays from prompt and is not clearly identifiable throughout essay. Ideas are general, not specific, and are occasionally developed, leaving reader with many questions.
2 ptsBasic: Main idea is unidentifiable or unrelated to prompt and scattered throughout essay. Lack of development impedes reader’s understanding of ideas in essay.
0 ptsNot Submitted: Did not submit element.
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWS02 Paraphrase and Analysis
Points in this row do NOT affect your Assignment grade.
threshold: 3.0 pts
4 ptsEnhanced: Accurate, relevant paraphrased evidence supports argument and includes strong analysis and citation and/or attribution. Writer offers thoughts or interpretations of source material with strong logical connection to original passage and prompt. It is clear where source information came from in all instances.
3.5 ptsIntermediate: Accurate, relevant paraphrased and/or quoted evidence supports argument and includes analysis and citation and /or attribution. Writer offers thoughts or interpretations of source material with clear logical connection to original passage and prompt. It is clear where source information came from in most but not all instances.
3 ptsTransitional: Somewhat accurate paraphrase, quotation, and/or allusion used to support argument, with attempt at analysis and citation or attribution. Writer offers thoughts or interpretations of source material with some logical connection to original passage and prompt. It is somewhat clear where source information came from.
2.5 ptsFoundational: Vague or inaccurate paraphrase, quotation, and/or allusion used to support argument, with weak analysis and inconsistent citation or attribution. Writer offers thoughts or interpretations of source material, although they lack logical connection to original passage and prompt. It is often unclear where source information came from.
2 ptsBasic: No evidence (paraphrase, quotation, or allusion) used to support argument. No analysis is provided, and no citation or attribution is attempted.
0 ptsNot Submitted: Did not submit element.
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWS03 Organization
Points in this row do NOT affect your Assignment grade.
threshold: 3.0 pts
4 ptsEnhanced: Ideas are well organized with logical overall structure. Ideas are clearly related and sequenced. Paragraphs have a single, clear focus with minimal unnecessary repetition. Skillful use of transitions creates a sense of flow between ideas.
3.5 ptsIntermediate: Ideas are organized with logical structure. Ideas are clearly related and sequenced. Paragraphs have a clear focus with minimal unnecessary repetition. Use of transitions effectively shows relationships between ideas.
3 ptsTransitional: Ideas are organized and sometimes logically sequenced and related. Paragraphs have some focus, but ideas occasionally stray from the main topic or are repeated unnecessarily. Transitions are present but not always used effectively, making relationships between some ideas unclear.
2.5 ptsFoundational: Ideas are loosely organized but lack logical structure. Ideas are often not logically sequenced or related, and so essay lacks a clear beginning, middle, and end. Paragraphs jump between ideas and present multiple points per paragraph. Transitions are used rarely or are rarely effective, making relationships between ideas unclear.
2 ptsBasic: Ideas are disorganized with unclear structure and little logical sequencing. Paragraphs have little focus and may appear as stream-of-consciousness. Lack of or ineffective transitions limit understanding of connections between ideas.
0 ptsNot Submitted: Did not submit element.
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWS04 Grammar and Mechanics
Points in this row do NOT affect your Assignment grade.
threshold: 3.0 pts
4 ptsEnhanced: Use of grammar and mechanics skillfully communicates meaning to reader. There are minor errors that could be related to proofreading and minor editing. Most sentences are constructed clearly and effectively.
3.5 ptsIntermediate: Use of grammar and mechanics effectively communicates meaning to reader. There are occasional errors in a few sentences, but they do not affect overall sentence structure or impede understanding of ideas.
3 ptsTransitional: Use of grammar and mechanics communicates meaning to reader. About one-third to one-fourth of sentences include errors. Errors may affect sentence-level ideas, though are more likely limited to clauses or words (e.g., verb tense, subject-verb agreement, use of plural/singular).
2.5 ptsFoundational: Some inaccuracies in grammar and mechanics limit reader’s access to ideas. About half of sentences include errors. Errors affect sentence-level ideas and impede understanding. They include overall sentence structure, verb usage, fragments, run-on sentences, and missing parts of sentences.
2 ptsBasic: Multiple inaccuracies in grammar and mechanics impede reader’s access to ideas. Most sentences include errors, which affect sentence-level ideas and impede understanding. They include overall sentence structure, verb usage, fragments, run-on sentences, and missing parts of sentences.
0 ptsNot Submitted: Did not submit element.
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