Discussion Posts Need to Be:
- Substantive and thoughtful; that is, discussion posts must refer to a topic from the week’s readings. All discussion posts must be supported by current journal article(s) found in SFC Online Library Database system. Discussion posts should draw from the information found in this week’s course materials, from personal experience, and from credible sources (peer-reviewed journal articles and sites provided by your professor).
- All information gained, read, or acquired from any source that is not your personal information must be cited throughout the document otherwise it is plagiarism. All information must be cited in the body of the document AND full-reference text at the end of the document using APA style & format criteria.
- APA style & format criteria:
- Peer-reviewed journal articles from SFC Online Library Database System
- Current: January 2015 – Current month 2020
- PDF available
- Times New Roman font
- 12-point font
- Black ink
- Single spaced work for DISC and RESP assignments only (to save space)
- In-text citations appear throughout work
- Full-text references appear at bottom of work
- The discussion post should be three (3) well-developed paragraphs in length (about 7-9 fully developed sentences each; adhere to APA style & format including in-text and full-text reference citations).
- If your professor and/or fellow classmate(s) asked you a question, to follow up, or further explain a point, you are required to do so in addition to your two main responses. Failure to timely respond by Sunday of each week (to follow up questions) will result in reduction of points; 1 point for each entry not addressed.
The main discussion post is due by Day 3 (Wednesday of each week). Please click on “REPLY” from the main discussion post instructions to submit your assignment.
Credible sources relevant to this course are (this is only a PARTIAL list):
Santa Fe College Library Database system (https://sfcollege.libguides.com/az.php (Links to an external site.))
American Psychological Association (www.apa.org (Links to an external site.))
Society for Personality and Social Psychology (https://www.apa.org/about/division/div8 (Links to an external site.))
American Psychiatric Association (www.psychiatry.org (Links to an external site.) or www.psychiatryonline.org (Links to an external site.))
National Institutes of Health (www.nih.org (Links to an external site.))
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.org (Links to an external site.))
World Health Organization: WHO (www.who.int (Links to an external site.))
REMEMBER: YouTube, Social Media, Wikipedia, etc. are NOT credible sources.
Examples of topics to write about
(Choose only one topic from the examples below OR choose a topic of your interest that pertains to this week’s material):
Matching Phenomenon (within-couple similarity in attractiveness)
To explain this phenomenon, ethologists offer two explanations: type preference and mating phenomenon. Type preference refers to partner preferences shared by all individuals within one group; people prefer highly attractive partners to partners of a lower level of physical attractiveness, regardless of their own attractiveness. The matching hypothesis holds that partner preferences vary as a function of people’s own characteristics. Concerning physical attractiveness, it suggests that people adjust their preference for physically attractive mates based on their own attractiveness.
Which hypothesis do you believe is supported by proper social psychological evidence and why?
Cohabitation and Divorce
A television series, Married at First Sight, follows couples who get legally married the moment they meet. The episodes keep an eye on the suddenly betrothed from honeymoon to early nesting. The show is based on the premise that those who live together before marriage tend to get divorced more often than those who do not live together before marriage. What implications of this finding are supported by current peer-reviewed research? Does this mean that couples should not live together before marriage if they want to decrease their chances of getting divorced?
Attachment Style, Level of Anxiety, and Ability to End a Relationship
What is the relationship between attachment style and the level of anxiety someone has about being left or leaving a relationship that is no longer meeting the needs of the person and or couple? Scientific information reports which style of attachment is more likely and less likely to leave a bad/toxic/empty relationship? Using this concept, interdependence theory with investments and alternative opportunities, may be beneficial.
Culture and Romance
Think of a man or woman that had all the qualities you desired in a partner. Would you marry this person if you were not in love with him (her)? Discuss the implications of your cultural fairytales and expectations and how they can affect your choice of mate and when (if) you decide to marry.
Make sure you find credible journal articles in our SFC Online Library Database system to support your work, regardless of what you decide to write about.
