Psychology 1230: Adolescence

Don HartmannFall 2005Slides on Writing the Term Paper

Selecting a Topic: #1 Have you thought about the topic of your

autobiographical term paper? What were notable events during your

adolescent years? Hair started growing on your palms? Ran out of Kleenex after stuffing your bra?

What should you be processing or reflecting about? Killing the family cat? Continuing to look through key holes after teen success looking into your sister’s key hole.

When you have an idea, check the WEB—although I don’t want all WEB references—and see what is there on that topic.

Selecting a Topic: #2 Think about an issue that troubled you during your

adolescence, and that might profit from additional reflection. Possible topics are independence (autonomy) conflicts; early maturation (troublesome for many girls), late maturation, divorce, puberty, sexual precociousness or ignorance, shyness, identity concerns (particularly for ethnic or sexual minority teens), eating problems, being unpopular, depression, acting-out, unusual body parts, zits, teen pregnancy, addictions, hairy palms, impossible parents, sibling rivalry. Consider a couple possibilities for you. Reflect on them.

Are they important to you? Might they relate to at least one of the theories we will discuss? Can you share your experiences with another class member or partner (possible editors) and the instructor?

Selecting A Topic #3 Write about something from your

adolescence that: is important to you, requires additional processing (reflection) or

your part, you can share with at least two other individuals

—your editor and the professor, has some scientific literature written about it,

and is relevant to some theory

Likely bad topics: TV violence, my shy sibling, my son’s girlfriend, drunkenness in my extended family

How do I find a relevant theory?

Here is how to find a relevant theory: Test-Based selection: Look up the topic in your text. What

theories are addressed in the discussion of that topic? Professional literature-based selection: Find a chapter in a book

or a review article in a journal that addresses your issue—and then read them. What theories are used to make sense of the issue in these works?

Personal preferences: What theory do you want to learn about?. Suck-up selection: The professor is relatively informed about

behavior theory, cognitive social theory, social information processing theory, and psychoanalytic theory. But it is important to note that he is a theoretical Neanderthal—with due apologies to the Neanderthals.

Parental-dependence criterion: Ask your mother what you should do.

How do I find References? Check the WEB Check PsycInfo: This is the primary electronic

database for psychology. Learn to use it Look through

handbooks (e.g., Handbook of child psychology) annual series (e.g., New directions for child and

adolescent development) or advanced textbooks (e.g., Developmental

psychology: An advanced textbook) to find a chapter devoted to your topic of interest

These chapters should also turn up in your search using PsycInfo

Finding Journals & BooksGetting a journal (or book) Identify which book or journal you want—

e.g., from a search using PsycInfo Jot-down the following information about

the articles: Title of title of article (author), journal, year (volume), inclusive pages, and possible issue number

Go to the Marriott electronic catalogue and find the article’s location (e.g., Science Serials, Level 4) and call # (e.g.,  RJ504 .C467)

Go to that location and pluck the journal from the shelf. If its not there, check it’s whereabouts with the librarian

Writing Text CitationsWriting text citations: Two general

approaches. Assume you want to cite Bandura regarding the importance of self processes (e.g., self-monitoring). You could use either of the following:

“According to Bandura (1999), self processes are the critical components of human functioning.”

OR “Self processes are the critical

components of human functioning (Bandura, 1999).”

Writing References: BooksNote how these references are written!Alphabetized; hanging style; no first names,

only initials; publication year following the name; title of book or journal in italic; only the first word of title in upper case—with the exception of proper names

Hall, G. S. (1904). Adolescence: Its psychology

and its relations to physiology, anthropology, sociology, sex, crime, religion and education: Vol. 1 & 2. New York: D. Appleton. Ross, D. (1972). G. Stanley Hall. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

More on Writing a Reference to a Book (#2)

Hall, G. S. (1904). Adolescence: Its psychology and its relations to physiology, anthropology, sociology, sex, crime, religion and education: Vol. 1 & 2. New York: D. Appleton.

Ross, D. (1972). G. Stanley Hall. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Hanging Indent

No first names,

only initials

Only first letter of first

word in upper case

Title in Italics

Referencing Books #3

Thomas, R. M. (2001). Recent theories of human development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Miller, P. H. (1993). Theories of developmental psychology (3rd ed.). New York: W. H. Freeman & Company.

Title in italic

Edition in

bracketsCity of

publication

Initials only

Writing a reference for a chapter in an edited book

Dixon, R. A., & Lerner, R. M. (1999). History and systems in developmental Psychology. In M. H. Bornstein & M. E. Lamb (Eds.), Developmental psychology: An advanced Textbook (4th ed., pp. 3-45). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Editors’ initials first; not like authors’

Inclusive pages of chapter

Big E, small d; small e & small d

Internet References Note that I have limited the number of Internet references—

largely for 2 reasons: The Internet does not subject items it “publishes” to peer

review, as do most journals—unless, of course, the Internet reference is a published article.

One should be familiar with the important search engines in one’s field—and PsycIfo is ours. Get on and get in!

Referencing online material (general form; Publication manual, 2001, p. 223 ): Online periodical: Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2000). Title of article.

Title of Periodical, XX, 123-134. Retrieved month day, year, from source.

Online document:Author, A. A. (2000). Title of work. Retrieved month day, year,

from source.

Administration: (electronic references)Consider the following electronic journal reference:Hops, H., Davis, B., Leve, C., & Sheeber, L. (2003).

Cross-generational transmission of aggressive parent behavior: a prospective, mediational examination. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 23, 456-476.

If the electronic version is the same as the printed version--as is most likely, all you must do is add after the title of the article and before the journal name, the following: [Electronic version].  

If the electronic version differs from the printed version, add the WEB address preceded by the date of retrieval (e.g., "Retrieved October 13, 2001, from www//gvu/useer_surveys/survey-1997-10”

Using Secondary Sources

Consider the study by Jones and Jones which you want to cite, but did not read; you did, however, read about Jones and Jones in Santrock’s book.

The text citation: The study by Jones and Jones (as cited in Santrock, 2005)….

The reference citation: Santrock, J. W. (2005). Adolescence (10th

ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Avoidable Preparation Errors

Some term-paper preparation errors that are easily avoided:

Check in with me on your proposed topic(s). I might be able to help you with references and save you from some anticipatable problems

Give your editors enough time to edit your paper and get it back to you for revision before the due date

Don’t be afraid to make all of the suggested changes that are relevant in the papers you edit. Your extra credit will depend on the number and quality of your editing suggestions—including correction of references

Read the term-paper handout and the little tidbits I inserted prior to and at the end of each lecture

Highlights from the Autobiographical Term Paper

Read the handout, and again, and again, and again just prior to handing in your paper.

Remember to meet with me about the paper! Do not use only WEB references; get into the

psychology database, PsycInfo. Find an editor, either in the class of outside of

class. Check the frequently made errors section. Feel free to use first person pronouns. Use the active voice whenever possible (e.g.,

not “the book was taken to me by my mother” but instead “my mother took the book to me”)