t, you are asked to create a review paper that illuminates an interesting aspect of Psychology’s history. The main
goal for this review is to highlight key historical trends (on a specific topic). You will need to describe and discuss at least five
empirical studies taken from different points in time (late 1800’s to present day). In addition, you will cite 5 additional sources
(journals, books, websites, documentaries, interviews, etc.). You should begin by selecting a topic that interests you and is also related
to the history of Psychology (it will need to be approved before you move to your final paper). You can choose an article from an
empirical journal through an online database but I suggest you also search this website first: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/.
After discussing this central article, its place in history and its connection to your textbook, you are then to review five additional
articles topically related to the first (you should summarize the studies in chronological order). You can go back in history or go back
to the future. These articles may be research articles, article reviews, meta analyses, but all should reinforce and support your view of
the historical placement of your initial article. In general, your paper should discuss how your selected papers illustrate their
historical context through the empirical work that they perform or review, contrast how the conclusions and questions have changed
over time and how the five papers as a whole illustrate the larger historical trend introduced by your main article and in class material.
One or two of the additional articles could trace backwards and demonstrate how issues raised in your central article got started, or if
you select an older article from the website, you could trace the steps the field has taken to the present day. Regardless of which path
you chose; you should select articles that demonstrate the trend in some topic that has been a focus of study over a sixty year or more
time frame. While the subject area is up to you, there are some inflexible requirements for this paper:
- One of the articles (either a supporting or the central article) must be relatively recent – published after 2013 and one must be
published before 1953. The other articles can fall in between but having at least a few years between the articles helps make the
contrast easier in this paper. - Try to use articles from the journals from the PsycINFO database or from the Classics website. Articles from non academic
publications may not be acceptable and your grade may be adversely affected. If you find relevant articles from other sources, be sure
to obtain prior approval before you use them. Remember your textbook is a source!
