Article Evaluation Assignment
Overview: Each article assessment will involve finding a news article, blog post, or social media post from your typical news feed that is relevant to personality psychology. Once you have read the article, you will write between 1⁄2 and 1 page evaluating the merits of the post in the context of current scientific thinking about personality. The purpose of this assignment is to get you to start looking for connections with the material in your everyday lives outside of the lecture hall. Personality psychology is all around us – we all have a personality! Many of the things people naturally think about are questions well within the domain of personality psychology, but unfortunately not everyone tackles these questions scientifically.
Assignment Learning Objectives: You should demonstrate an ability to…
1. Identify when someone is making a claim about personality psychology.
2. Evaluate the plausibility of the claim.
How to select an article: The two key aspects of a good article for this assignment.
The first aspect is the source of the article. I do not want you to seek out scholarly scientific journals from the library or elsewhere. Instead, I want you to find an article from your everyday life. The best source of articles are articles that you naturally stumble across during your typical week.
It is okay if the article you are reading cites a scholarly article. In this case, I do not want you to go the scholarly source that inspired the article you are reading. For example, at this link you will find a New York Times article about how social elites are overconfident: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/science/social-class- confidence.html?searchResultPosition=1 If this was an article that you selected, then you should evaluate the NYTimes article not the original study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In sum, the best source of article are outlets you are already reading. I like to read the New York Times and browse Reddit. These are two sources of articles I would use, where I am bombarded with claims about personality.
The second aspect of a good article is the content of the article/post content. An article is only appropriate for this assignment if it makes a claim about something from the domain of personality psychology. This is broad and includes a ton of claims. For example, an article about what kinds of people invest in digital currency might work well. However, an article about bitcoin hitting all-time high would not be appropriate. In sum, choose articles/posts with clear and compelling connections to course content.
How to submit an Article Evaluation: You are to complete 3 article evaluations over the course of the semester. See course calendar in syllabus for schedule of due dates. Article evaluates will be submitted via Turnitin on eClass.

In this assignment, you will use an online Geographic Information System to create a map.
Step 1 – Go to http://www.arcgis.com/features/
Step 2 – Click on sign in and create an ArcGIS public account (it’s free). You will use this account again when you geocode. You can sign up for an account here as well – https://www.arcgis.com/home/signin.html
Step 3 – Once signed in, explore the site. ArcGIS.com is a web-based GIS platform that is designed for sharing
maps. There are some featured maps on the home page. Open some of them and check them out.
Step 4 – On the top of the page next to your user name on the right-hand side, there is a button for making a
new map. Click on it to get a fresh map. You will create your own map here.
Step 5 – Maps are created by taking a basemap, what you see on the screen and then overlaying them with
layers of data. First, you should choose your favorite basemap. Click on the Basemap button and choose one that interests you.
Step 6 – Next you will add a layer, next to the basemap button you will find an add button. Browse Living Atlas to add a Layer. This will bring up a menu for searching. Search ArcGIS online for an interesting subject. There is just about any subject there. When you find one of interest clicks the add button.
Step 7 – Add additional layers if you wish. You will be able to turn on and off layers in the table of contents. After you add the layer zoom and pan to the extent of the map that you want to show. As soon as you are happy with
the map you made go hit the print button.
Step 8 – The print button will make the windows ready for you to print. Print this as a pdf, or save the map as a
pdf. Email the PDF to me. If you are not able to print a PDF from your computer, then click the share button, and
submit a link to your map.

Choose one of the papers that you identified as
relevant in your first assignment. The chosen paper
needs to have at least two studies in it. Read it
carefully. If you have decided to switch topics, your
chosen paper for this assignment needs to be on
your new topic.
2. 1-2 paragraphs, using
your own words (do not rely on the abstract).
3. Identify the methods used in that paper to the best of
your ability (e.g., Study 1 uses an experimental
design, Study 2 uses a longitudinal design).
4. Identify how key constructs are being
operationalized and measured, separately for each
study.
5. In about a paragraph or two, reflect on which of
these designs, constructs and operational definitions
might be applicable to your own research question
and why. How might you extend or improve on them in your proposal?