PSYC 1030 Introduction to Psychology
Module 1 Research & Writing Activity (RWA 1)
INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Students are to view the free streaming video documentary The Magic of the
    Unconscious-Automatic Brain (2011, 52:15) on the MSCC Library Films on Demand
    webpage.
    Students may click directly on the hyperlink above or, alternately, may enter the
    documentary title on the MSCC library Films on Demand webpage using their MSCC
    login and password if prompted to do so. If technical difficulty accessing the video is
    encountered, students should contact the MSCC Library at (931) 393-1670 or the D2L
    Help Desk at (931) 393-1510 or by email at D2LHelp@mscc.edu
  2. After viewing the program in its entirety, students are to write an essay of a minimum of
    one thousand (1,000) words in length addressing the two sections described below.
    Points will be deducted if this length requirement is not met. To earn the maximum
    points (100) for this writing assignment, both of these sections must be completed fully:
    Section 1: Program Summary (50 points)
    In this section the student should provide, in their own words, a reasonably
    detailed summary of the salient information presented in the program.
    Section 2: Analysis, Concept Identification, and Personal Reaction (50
    points)
    In this section the student should provide their analysis of the significance and
    relevance of the information in the program to the scientific data presented in
    the textbook and their personal reaction to this information. The RWA must
    identify and associate information in the documentary with relevant specific
    information and concepts found in the textbook, citing the textbook information
    with APA formatted in-text citations like those used in the Discussion Question
    Responses (DQR). See DQR section in Course Syllabus for specific instructions
    and examples regarding citations.
    Additional Instructions
  3. RWAs must be written in single-spaced .docx, .doc, or pdf file formats only as these
    formats are compatible with the Turnitin Plagiarism Detection Program. 12 point Arial,
    Calibri, or Times New Roman fonts preferred. Please contact D2L Help at (931) 393-
    1510 or D2LHelp@mscc.edu if you need assistance with file conversion.
  4. Student’s full name, course name, and RWA number should be on the first page at the
    top. Pages should be numbered consecutively.
  5. Students should be careful to always paraphrase the information in their own words and
    should use few, if any, quotes. Plagiarism is very easy to detect so the best approach to
    this assignment is to simply write everything in your own words. Students may seek
    assistance at the Writing Center at the MSCC campus nearest to them for assistance
    with their RWA writing assignments.
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  6. No additional outside sources beyond the video program and the textbook are necessary
    to complete this assignment. In addition to in-text citations of relevant concepts in the
    textbook, there should be a full textbook end reference citation formatted identically to
    one in the DQRs.
  7. Students should proofread and spell-check carefully before submission as points will be
    deducted for errors in spelling, punctuation, and/or and grammar. Students may view
    these corrections on the Grademark tab in TurnitIn.
  8. The student’s RWA should be uploaded to the designated folder on the Assignments
    page by the designated due date on the Course Calendar. Submissions by email
    attachment will not be accepted.
  9. Late RWA submissions after the designated due date may be uploaded to the
    designated Late Folder for that particular RWA. Late submissions are reduced by ten
    (10) points per day late.
  10. When an RWA is received in the designated folder on the Dropbox page, D2L
    automatically sends the student a confirmation email that the RWA was received. If this
    confirmation message is not received then the RWA was not correctly submitted. The
    student bears the full responsibility of checking to ensure that their RWA was received
    into the correct RWA folder.
    TurnitIn Plagiarism Detection Program:
    Upon uploading to the designated folder on the Dropbox page, all RWAs are automatically
    evaluated through this program to determine if academic misconduct has occurred as a result
    of plagiarism. TurnitIn generates an “Originality Report” that calculates the Similarity Index –
    the percentage of the content in the student’s RWA that can be found in the database that is
    not the student’s original work and may constitute plagiarism (this may take 30 minutes or
    more after submission to complete).
    Students are strongly encouraged to open, review, and print (if desired) the Originality Report
    for their RWA submission. The color of the Turnitin Originality Report box and the associated
    Similarity Index indicates the percentage of content in the student’s RWA submission that
    matches content in the TurnitIn database. A BLUE or GREEN box indicates generally that the
    Similarity Index is within the acceptable range. A Similarity Index of zero or close to zero is
    best. If a color other than BLUE or GREEN is received for the assignment, the
    student MUST use their Originality Report and revise and resubmit their assignment
    by the specified due date as often as necessary until a BLUE or GREEN box is
    received for the assignment. If the student does not revise and resubmit the nonblue/green assignment by the specified due date, a grade of zero (0) will be
    recorded for that assignment. Students may revise and resubmit their RWAs as many times
    as desired prior to the due date. Only the last submission will be graded.