Note – this assignment was adapted from https://www.hunterthreadgill.com/teachin

Note – this assignment was adapted from https://www.hunterthreadgill.com/teaching/history-of-psychology-term-paper Links to an external site.
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is three-fold:
For students to become knowledgeable about a famous psychologist
For students to practice gathering evidence to answer a question (a skill all too often neglected)
For students to practice crafting arguments for or against a given idea
Steps to successfully complete this assignment
Within this assignment, you are expected to do three things:
Read THIS definition of a genius. (in attached paper) Download THIS definition of a genius. (in attached paper)Specifically, focus on pages 143-145 (the section “Definition of Genius”). From this, you should be able to get a general understanding of what I mean by “scientific genius.” Additionally, please refer to the attached handout Download attached handoutto help guide you about what kind of information you should include in your paper to defend your premise about whether or not your chosen psychologist is a scientific genius. This is the kind of information about which I expect you to write. Note that you will not be able to write about all of this information, but it should help you in crafting an argument for whether or not your subject is a scientific genius.
Pick your subject of this evaluative essay. I have provided a couple of lists below the grading rubric that should spur some ideas about who to write about. I challenge you not to write about Freud (everyone and their mother [pun intended] wants to do that).
Write a persuasive essay convincing me that your subject is (or is not) a scientific genius. An example paper Download example papercan be found in attachments (thanks to Dean Keith Simonton for posting this online).
Guidelines
At least 5 pages (not including a title page or references), double-spaced, 12-point, Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins all around
References should be in APA-format
Grading rubric
This paper is worth 120 points and will be graded as followed:
1. 10 points – How well do you state your thesis? Do you explicitly state whether or not your subject is a genius or not?
2. 10 points – Do you define what a genius is? Refer to the article mentioned above to actually define what a genius is.
2. 30 points – How much detail do you go into concerning their lives/careers/etc.? Use the handout above as a set of guidelines for what kind of information I am looking for.
3. 20 points – Do you weave together your definition of a genius with the information you have gathered to explain why your chosen subject is a genius, or are your conclusions merely added onto the paper at the end? I expect you to build a case for why your subject is a genius throughout your paper. Do not merely list a bunch of facts and then tack on a paragraph on the last page about why your subject is a genius. Remember, arguments require you to explicitly state your thesis, and then constantly refer to it as you build your case for your argument.
4. 30 points – Is your conclusion justified by what you have presented?
5. 10 points – Is your argument comprehensible to someone who has not taken the course? Would your roommate or grandma be able to be convinced by your argument for why your subject is a scientific genius?
6. 10 points – Do you have multiple good sources (not Wikipedia)? I won’t put a set number required, but it should be more than just 1 or 2. Is it in APA-format?
References
Please use a variety of references and document them (even if you don’t quote directly, make sure you let me know where you got pieces of information). This can include (but not limited to) encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries, biographies, autobiographies, anthologies, etc. Make sure they are professional resources (i.e., not Wikipedia or Bob’s Conspiracy Blog). A good set of resources can be found hereLinks to an external site. (scroll down to “History of Psychology Sources” and “History of Psychology Websites”).
Resources for picking a topic
I have two sources for you. One is the list of individuals who have received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association. This list can be accessed https://www.apa.org/about/awards/scientific-contributions?tab=3Links to an external site.
The second one is an article that lists the 190 people who were most frequently discussed in 24 history of psychology textbooks. T Download 190 people who were most frequently discussed in 24 history of psychology textbooks. That list can be accessed (attached)
Obviously, make sure they were a psychologist first and foremost (For example, Isaac Newton did a lot to help set the groundwork for psychological theories, but he was not primarily a psychologist). Additionally, individuals who are cited more often will likely have more information about them available.
You may have to do some scrounging for information on some subjects, but isn’t that the point of the assignment?
Please let me know if you are having any trouble with any of this. Note that I’m not going to grade this assignment super hard; it’s not meant to be a daunting and anxiety-provoking task. Rather, I’m just asking you to try and make a case for why your chosen subject is a scientific genius. When it comes to writing papers in which we argue for a certain position, the arguments we make are often not black and white; there often is a degree of ambiguity. What I am primarily looking for in this assignment is for you to demonstrate that you gave effort in writing this paper, and that you put forth the best argument you could muster for why someone is (or is not) a scientific genius.