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Psychology 356 Final Short Essay  

In answering these questions, please cite some specific techniques or examples from the book or lectures- don’t just give your opinion; Do include your personal view but then also give some evidence for that opinion. Write your answers; then READ your answers; then re-write your answers! There is no such thing as good writing, only good “re-writing”.

The advantage of a take home is that you have time to think about what you want to say and how you want to say it.  Take advantage of the format! This short essay is an opportunity for those of you who feel you don’t “test well” to show that you know more than your objective scores would indicate.

Papers must be submitted on Moodle, double-spaced, minimum of 12-point font.  Length is not a substitute for quality. Clear, simple language is good. Make sure that your answer has been proof read and that YOU read it as well as author it (big difference psychologically!). Again, your personal opinions are great as long as you make a logical case for them, preferably with some form of credible evidence from lectures or the book. There are many “right” answers to these questions. If you answer more than two questions, the third will not be read. Think. Reflect. Outline. Write. Proof read and then “read it as a reader”. Edit. Save. Upload. Have an awesome summer. Good luck!

ANSWER TWO only of the following:

1. The CSU is undergoing a major organizational transformation in order to prepare for the 20th…uh, check that…that is, the 21st century. Business consultants have suggested that the system restructure to run more like a “business” and less like a traditional academic institution. So…
What principles of organizational behavior should be applied to a new and improved CSU? What business practices in corporations are applicable to the mission of the University? Which ones are not particularly applicable? Why? Give specific examples to illustrate your points.

2. Your seventeen-year-old niece asks you to talk to her high school seminar about the field of I/O Psychology. (I know you probably don’t have a seventeen-year-old niece, but play along).  In ≈400 to 600 words, write out your speech to her class. Give a rationale for each major point you make. Stick to the main points, but remember that 17 year olds (like most people, actually) have a limited attention span for dry facts!

3. Human factors is one of the fastest growing areas of psychology, and is one of the few areas where a master’s degree is considered the standard for getting a senior level appointment in industry.  You are asked to describe the field and its relationship to more traditional areas of psychology (e.g. social, developmental, cognitive, clinical, physiological, etc.) to psychology majors who do not want to go on to a doctorate and are considering career options. Be sure to cover how it differs from classic I/O Psychology.

4. Job motivation is a very key topic for this course.  Motivation is a better predictor of success in professions than sheer academic prowess.  What are the key points for sustaining motivation across a working career? How will you apply these principles to your own goals? BE specific!! What is the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance, and how does motivation figure in this equation? How can industry and education better foster motivation in their employees and clients?

5. Create life.  Evaluate the behavior of your new species. Project its likely evolutionary pattern over the next 600 years.  Prove your hypothesis to the .000001 level of confidence. Post your results and receive at least 2 million hits before the Ides of March 2016.