***Scroll down for Essay 2 instructions**
These are resources for Essay 2
In-Text Citations:
6 Paraphrase Tips to Follow (and Avoid Plagiarism)
APA Essay Formatting | Scribbr 🎓
APA In-text citation Format (website, book, article, etc.)
APA reference page Format (website, book, article, etc.)
Essay 2 Instructions
This essay is based on one of the two research studies we covered both linked below.
You’ll choose one of these experiments, analyze your data, and write a formal research paper in APA format.
- Research Study 1: https://jordanwiggins.org/research-study-1-collecting-analyzing-data-compare-contrast-cause-effect/
- Research Study 2: https://jordanwiggins.org/research-study-2-harvard-iat-compare-contrast-cause-effect/
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown using the Essay 2 Rubric:
- Introduction (10%) – Write a full paragraph introducing the experiment you conducted. Include background on either the Asch Conformity or IAT study and clearly explain the purpose of your experiment (compare/contrast or cause/effect).
- Thesis (10%) – End your introduction with a clear thesis statement. It must specify whether your essay analyzes a comparison or cause-and-effect relationship.
- Methods (10%) – Describe in detail how you conducted your experiment. Explain your participants, materials, and procedure so that someone could replicate your work exactly.
- Results (10%) – Summarize your findings in paragraph form. Include a table or infographic comparing your data. This section should only report results — no opinions yet.
- Discussion (10%) – Analyze what your results mean and connect them to a specific real-world issue in your community or society (for example, bias in hiring, peer pressure in schools, or misinformation online).
- Conclusion (10%) – Summarize the significance of your findings and what they reveal about human behavior or bias.
- Limitations (5%) – Acknowledge weaknesses in your study (like small sample size or bias) and suggest how future research could improve it.
- Positionality Statement (5%) – Reflect on how your background or identity may have influenced your research or interpretation.
- Reflection (5%) – Explain what you learned from conducting the experiment and how it connects to course ideas.
- APA Format & Video (25%) – Follow APA rules carefully (title page, headings, citations, references). Your essay should also align with your video submission.You must turn in the appropriate video at the same time as the essay. The research study you select will be due on [see Blackboard]
Once you’ve reviewed those, let me know which study you’re using, and I can help you develop your thesis or outline.
Notes and Clarifications:
| Objective | For this assignment, you will write a compare and contrast essay that examines the research you conducted for one of the Research Study assignments. You will compare and contrast the findings, methods, and analysis within your chosen study, using the specific instructions and vocabulary from class to guide your comparisons. |
| Step 1: Choose Your Study (Options are in the next block) | Select one of the research studies to complete. Note: The research study you select for the essay must match your video submission. Both the video and the essay are due at the same time. |
| These are the studies you can choose from. Follow the specific instructions for your chosen study (Asch or IAT) to determine key elements for comparison and contrast. | Use the following points from your study’s instructions to guide your essay: For the Asch Conformity Experiment: Compare and contrast the subject’s conformity to the group, the influence of group pressure, and how your findings relate to Asch’s original experiment. Click here for instructions to this research study: Link For the Harvard IAT Study: Compare and contrast the participants’ implicit bias results with your hypothesis, pre-test interview data, and post-test interview responses. Click here for instructions to this research study: Link Be sure to include comparisons related to methodology, results, behavioral responses, and psychological concepts like conformity, implicit bias, cognitive dissonance, or ingroup/outgroup dynamics. |
| Step 2: Use of Infographic | Include an infographic in your essay to visually organize key aspects of your findings: – For the Asch Experiment, the table could compare factors such as group influence, frequency of conformity, and subject reactions to incorrect answers. -For the Harvard IAT, the table might compare pre-test predictions, actual IAT results, and post-test interview reflections. |
| Step 3: Essay Structure | Organize your essay into clear sections that compare and contrast key aspects from your video submission, using the instructions and findings from your study. Incorporate class vocabulary and theories throughout your analysis. Introduction: Introduce the experiment you conducted and briefly describe the Asch experiment or IAT study. State your purpose for comparing and contrasting different elements of the study. Thesis: The last sentence in your introduction. Your thesis would detail a compare and contrast OR cause and effect of the social issue. Methods: What did you do? – a section which details how the research was performed. It typically features a description of the participants/subjects that were involved, the study design, the materials that were used, and the study procedure. If there were multiple experiments, then each experiment may require a separate Methods section. A rule of thumb is that the Methods section should be sufficiently detailed for another researcher to duplicate your research. Results: What did you find? – a section which describes the data that was collected and the results of any statistical tests that were performed. It may also be prefaced by a description of the analysis procedure that was used. If there were multiple experiments, then each experiment may require a separate Results section. Include the comparison table or infographic in this section. Discussion: What is the significance of your results? – the final major section of text in the paper. The Discussion commonly features a summary of the results that were obtained in the study, describes how those results address broader issues and topics in society. Conclusion: Summarize the significance of the findings, reflecting on what your study reveals about human behavior, conformity, or bias. Limitations: The limitations section identifies the weaknesses or constraints that may have affected your study’s results or generalizability, such as sample size, data access, or researcher bias. It shows awareness of your study’s boundaries and suggests how future research could address them. Include directions for future research. Positionality Statement: In a research study, a positionality statement connects your identity and experiences to your role as a researcher, showing how your biases may influence what you choose to study, how you collect and interpret data, and how you engage with participants or sources. It adds transparency and credibility by helping readers understand the lens through which your research is conducted. You cannot say you do not have any or that it does not influence your research, it does. Reflection: Include a brief reflection of what you learned from conducting the experiment and how it relates to broader ideas, discussed in class. |
| Essay Requirements | Minimum 750 words in length. Use at least 5 sources, include your video submission, class materials, and the original study by Asch or the Harvard IAT. It is required that you use Galileo for 2 of your in-text citation sources. You must paraphrase and use in-text citations. Follow APA formatting guidelines, including in-text citations and a Works Cited page. Include a comparison table or infographic in your essay to support your analysis. Use only the words, phrases, theories, and vocabularies discussed in class. |
| Submission | Submit your Essay 2 and Video Report (for the selected study) by November 1 via Blackboard. Both the essay and the video must be submitted at the same time. |
| Notes: | You must turn in the appropriate video at the same time as the essay. The research study you select will be due on November 1. Make sure your essay reflects the information gathered in your video submission and adheres to the vocabulary and concepts discussed in class to enhance your comparisons. |
| Need Help? | Please send me an email if you need help with anything. |
| Reminder | Always follow any instructions from your instructor and Blackboard |
Below is ONLY a guide. Follow the instructions from your instructor and use this to ONLY help you.
Rubric
Samples
These samples are NOT perfect and were not the best. HOWEVER, they do provide insight on different ways students completed the assignment and have amazing elements in their writing.
You CANNOT use any of the sources or methods these students used.
Everyone’s essays are going to be different because your participants are not the same as theirs.
These essays are NOT in APA format. These are in MLA format. Please use the correct format provided by your instructor.
Jordan Wiggins 