Psych Essays - Make a case using evidence rather than words or reasoning alone/ Present a coherent argument, not an impressive set of words.

While logical reasoning can be a good way to demonstrate an understanding of the topic or information at hand it should not form the basis of your essay. Instead your essay should be based on research with any additional reasoning ideally being used to tie multiple examples together or suggest extensions to the research (i.e. suggesting directions for future research).

To put it another way the examples in the SEE structure of your paragraphs should usually be research findings rather than anecdotal evidence. If that still doesn’t make sense let’s try some Shakespeare:

Polonius:
Your noble son is mad:
Mad call I it, for to define true madness,
What is't but to be nothing else but mad?
But let that go.

Queen:
More matter with less art.

Hamlet Act 2, scene 2, 92–95

In the example above Polonius has not earned any marks. As the Queen points out while he has said a lot of words while trying to explain why Hamlet is mad he hasn’t actually said anything of substance. Like the Queen we want matter, not art in Psychology.

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