Psych Essays - Rules of Thumb - SEE

SEE - Statement, Example, Explanation.

SEE is an easy rule of thumb that you can use to help you structure clear, simple paragraphs in your essays.

Statement
Start with a specific statement. This should outline what topic your paragraph is going to cover.

Example
Elaborate on your topic sentence (your statement) with a relevant example.
This could be hypothetical, anecdotal, or (preferably) involve citing relevant research evidence.
In all cases keep it brief - your reader only needs to know the important points from the example, not the whole story.

Explanation
Most of the time this is where you really pick up marks because this is where you really answer the question and show your marker that you know what you're talking about.
Explain how your example relates to the initial statement
Explain how your paragraph addresses the essay question
Explain how this paragraph develops on or relates to information your have already presented (may warrant it's own paragraph).

While SEE is a useful rule of thumb, like all rules of thumbs, it is not always relevant. With time you will learn when you should and shouldn't apply it when structuring your paragraphs.

Psych Essays - Creating Essay Structure - Creating Flow

Flow is an elusive and vague term but proper use of what it refers to can really improve the perceived and actual quality of your essays.

At a high level flow is achieved by:
Making points clearly
Following a logical order that feels natural to the reader
Linking sentences and paragraphs in a non-disruptive manner

If that all sounds a tad vague and waffley that's probably because it is.

Perhaps then it is easier to talk about flow by addressing the above points one at a time.

Making points clearly
Sentences should be easy to read
- Use short sentences where possible
- Avoid unnecessary commas
-
Paragraphs should be easy to read
- Follow the SEE paragraph structure
- Stick to one point per paragraph

Following a logical order that feels natural to the reader
Tell the reader what to expect
- Do this primarily in the Introduction
Give the reader what they expect
- Follow the structure you have outlined in your introduction
- Stick to one idea per paragraph

Linking in a non-disruptive manner
Give the reader what the expect
- If you have provided a solid outline in your introduction sticking to it will ensure transitions are made smoothly
Soften transitions to new ideas
- In addition to following the outline supplied in your introduction the end of one idea/paragraph can be linked to the next. This is often done through the use of linking words/phrases such as "Additionally", "However", "Unfortunately", "On the other hand", "Further support comes from..." etc.

Overall though the creation of flow is something that comes from practice. The more essays you write the more your essays will flow.

Psych Essays - Creating Essay Structure - Core Components

The Introduction
In many cases a solid introduction can be created by rewording the question. This is because your essay question will probably provide the key elements of the introduction. In fact if the question is very specific it may well provide all of the key points. 

Importantly your introduction does not have to be written first. In fact, as it should outline the overall structure and order of your final essay, you may like to write it after you are happy with the overall structure and flow of your body paragraphs.

Body Paragraphs
Your body paragraphs should inherit structure from the question. You should address broad points, including definitions, early in the essay and more specific points later in the essay. As already mentioned this should also be reflected in the introduction. In fact, to the reader, it should look like the body paragraphs inherited their structure from the introduction.

The Conclusion
The conclusion is a lot like the introduction. It should cover the same ideas in the same order. However instead of simply raising the ideas you should now be summarising the points you made in the body of your essay. Once again this should follow the order used in the introduction.


Information on using the essay question to structure your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion can be found here

Psych Essays - Creating Essay Structure - The answer is in the question

A common point of anxiety around essay writing comes in finding the correct structure.
Every year we are flooded with requests to give a clear outline of the structure.
However every year that outline has already been provided.

Where and how is this information provided you ask?
Typically any specific structural requirements can be found in the question itself or the marking guide.

By unpacking these and using them to plan your essay before you start writing you should be able to create a well structured essay that answer the whole question.

However, before we get into that, there are some key structural elements that are often missed. Importantley these key structural elements are always the same:

• You will need an introduction
• You will need body paragraphs
• You will need a conclusion

The structure of your answer to the question will be reflected in each of these elements.

Example using a specific question:

The easiest way to explain how the structure for an answer to an essay question can be extracted from the question is to use an example. We will use the following example:

"Discuss the relationship between the concepts of space and time in the human mind."

Unpacking:

In the question above the key words that provide structure are:

"Discuss the relationship between the concepts of space and time in the human mind."

• "Discuss" provides an instruction for your overall approach to the essay. It suggests that you should consider all sides of any argument that the question is interested in. This can include evidence for and against the topic of interest as well as strength or weaknesses of either side.
• "...relationship between" points to the fact that the relationship that does or does not exist between two or more ideas that follow will be important. This provides a point of focus.
• "...the concepts of space and time in the human mind." are the topics of interest for this essay. Each of these refine the focus of the essay. Specifically you need to focus on the concepts of:
• space - Your first concept
• and time - Your second concept
• in the human mind - This places a restriction on these concepts. Importantly we are focussing on space and time in the human mind rather than space and time as understood in physics or by real world clocks. This is an important point to pick up on. If you were to discuss space and time outside the human mind there would be no marks available for that content.

Remembering that you want to move from broad ideas to specific ideas while defining important terms for your reader your structure would probably look like this:

1.  Define space in the context of the essay - you may like to use references here
2.  Define time in the context of the essay - you may like to use references here
**These definitions could be done in the same paragraph if you keep them brief or could be done in separate paragraphs if you wanted to go into more detail on each concept***
3. Discuss how these 2 ideas relate, preferably by using research evidence.

• a) Consider how they do relate
• b) Consider how they don't relate
• c) Consider which side of the relationship argument (if either) is more convincing - Why? Are there any limitations? etc.

These points provide the general structure for every section of the essay (intro, body, conclusion)

If you do not feel that your question or marking guide can be used to provide structure you might like to read about what to do when your question doesn't provide structure.

Planning:

As we have seen from unpacking the question the simplest approach to structuring our question goes:

Intro
Definition paragraph(s)

• - Cover space
• - Then cover time to stay consistent with the question

Paragraph(s) in favour of a Relationship

• - One idea per point. We will call this point A.
• - Plan your points out then then use them to write your intro and body paragraphs. We will call this point B.

Paragraph(s) against a relationship

• - One idea per point. We will call this point C.
• - Plan your points out then then use them to write your intro and body paragraphs. We will call this point D.

Evaluation paragraph(s)

• - One idea per point. We will call this point E.
• - Plan your points out then then use them to write your intro and body paragraphs. We will call this point F.

Writing:

At this point you use your plan to write each section. As you use the same plan for the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion you should end up producing consistent structure throughout. The use of consistent structure gives your reader a clear idea of where your essay will be going and is a core component in the creation of flow in an essay.

Your essay will probably end up looking like this, but without the blue section headings:
Introduction:
Research (a reference could be used here to strengthen this claim) has suggested that there may be a relationship between the concepts of space and time in the human mind (or the reference could go here). Key to these claims of a relationship are points A and B. However evidence against this idea of a relationship comes from points C and D. In order to decide which case is more likely it is necessary to consider both sides and evaluate the strength of their arguments using E and F.

Body:
Definition Paragraph(s)

• - Space first (as it it mentioned first in the intro)
• - Then time

Paragraph(s) presenting evidence in favour of a relationship

• - Point A first (as it it mentioned first in the intro)
• - Then Point B

*If any of these paragraphs address space or time separately ideally space will be considered first to match the intro

Paragraph(s) presenting evidence against a relationship

• - Point C first (as it it mentioned first in the intro)
• - Then Point D

*If any of these paragraphs address space or time separately ideally space will be considered first to match the intro

Paragraph(s) presenting an evaluation of the evidence for and against a relationship

• - Point E first (as it it mentioned first in the intro)
• - Then Point F

* If any of these paragraphs address space or time separately ideally space will be considered first to match the intro
** If any of the paragraphs only evaluate one side of the argument ideally paragraphs evaluating evidence in favour of the relationship should precede those evaluating evidence against the relationship as that would match the order already provided in the essay.
*** This section should build towards the conclusion. If you have decided that one side 'wins' be sure to convey this to the reader during the evaluation.

Conclusion:
Clearly there are arguments for and against a relationship between the concepts of space and time in the human mind. While each argument has its strengths and weaknesses overall it seems that... whatever you decide upon by the end of the body paragraphs.

Creating Essay Structure - Common Essay Words and what they imply

Typically the structure of an essay is supplied in the question itself. Importantly the individual words used in an essay question can provide a solid suggestion of where to start.

If you have a word that isn't included in the list below or if you would like something clarified further please leave a comment and I will update the post.

Define
When you are asked to define a concept you are typically required to provide something similar to a dictionary definition. Critically it probably shouldn't come from a dictionary though. Typically it is best to obtain a definition from a journal article or a book by an authority on the subject.

You should expect to write at least one sentence per item that you are asked to define. In most cases you will not be required to write more than one paragraph defining each item.

Describe
This is the next step up from providing a definition. It would be wise to start by defining the item of interest. Once a definition is in place, i.e. once your reader knows what you're going to be talking about, you should move on to talking about the item in general. Start big then move into specific examples.

Discuss
This is the next step up from describe. Once again you should probably start by defining the terms of interest in the essay so your reader knows what you're going to talk about. Once the terms are defined spend a paragraph or two describing the current state of knowledge about the terms of interest. From here you can start comparing and contrasting the terms and/or providing some form of evaluation. This part can be done by appealing to research articles or books OR through your own analysis. In all cases the important part is your ability to back up your claims.

Claims can be backed up by providing relevant research or sound reasoning. Where possible use relevant research or combine both. Sound reasoning is often the weakest option because you should be able to find research to back up your claims most of the time. If you have not done this it typically demonstrates a lower level of research on your part rather than how impressive your thinking is.

Compare and Contrast
In essence this is about identifying similarities and differences. You may also like to consider relative strengths and weaknesses when you contrast the terms used in the question.

Evaluate
Usually this is about judging something. Does it do what it intends to do well or not? For example is Psychoanalysis an effective therapy? When you do this be sure to provide solid reasons for the judgements you pass. It is also a good idea to consider each side of the argument before reaching a final decision.

Consider/Considering...(i.e. considering research)
This can be thought of as providing a focus for your essay. Pay attention to what follows this and tailor your answer around it.

Use/Using
This is similar to Consider/Considering. If anything it is more restrictive. It provides a clear focus for your essay that you should not stray from.

Gear Homestead - Wedding Photos

I wanted to share some photos from a wedding I shot at Gear Homsetead in Porirua a while back.
These will make their official debut along with the new Patten Makers Photography website (being developed by The Techroom) later in the week.

While I am an Auckland based wedding photographer I do enjoy travelling to Wellington and I can provide wedding photography in Wellington if travel expenses are covered. At the time of writing this full day packages including travel costs come in at around $2200 depending on fluctuations in flight, rental car, and accomodation costs.

If you're looking for an Affordable Auckland Based Wedding Photographer for your wedding photos you can check out our wedding photography packages by clicking here.

Creating Essay Structure - What to do when the question doesn't provide structure

Every now and then you will strike a truly horrible question.
One that is so vague that it is unclear how to go about answering it.

In these cases:

1) Re-assess the question
Before you go any further make absolutely clear that the question is not providing any structure. Does it give you the key topic? Does it suggest that you should take a certain approach? Does it use any key essay words? If it does use those words to build your essay structure. If it does not you're going to have to try something else...

2) If possible, ask for clarification
If the question is really this bad chances are you won't be the only one with issues. Ask your tutor, lecturer, or similar to provide clarification. This will benefit the whole class.

3) Revert to standard essay structure.
At the very least the essay question should have provided you with a topic. As a general rule essays:
Define what they're talking about
then
Give some background about what they're talking about
then
Discuss important implications of what they're talking about. This can include strengths, limitations, practical applications, relevance in today's society etc. etc.

Psych Essays - Avoiding First Person

This is intended to be a growing resource.
Include your specific issue as a comment at the bottom of the page and I will suggest a work around that avoids using first person pro-nouns.

I, we, our, my. If you have used any of these in a pscyhology essay chances are they have been circled, crossed out, or highlighted. You probably also lost marks.

Why are you marked down?
To be perfectly honest I don't really know. My best guess would be that psychology essays are supposed to be objective and formal. The use of first person pro-nouns suggests the use of subjective opinion and often comes across as casual. Most likely it is simple convention. In the same way that you have to have an introduction and a conclusion you should not have first person pro-nouns.

How can it be avoided?
The short answer is to restructure your sentences in a way that allows you to get around the use of personal pro-nouns. Unfortunately that answer is somewhat rediculous as, chances are, if you knew how to structure a sentence that didn't use a personal pro-noun you probably would have written a sentence that didn't use a personal pro-noun. The simplest solution then is to give a few alternatives:

The easy ones:
our data shows that
becomes
THE data shows that

when you/I/we go to the supermarket
becomes
when people go to the supermarket

The harder ones:
I think that...<- often comes at the start of a paragraph
becomes
This suggets that...<- often comes at the end of a paragraph

The cost AND benefits of avoidance
You may have noticed that some of the phrases outlined above become concluding or summarising statements when the personal pro-nouns are removed. While these statements could theoretically be included on their own they would clearly be much stronger towards the end of a paragraph where support for the proposed position had been outlined.
Clearly this is a cost in that it appears that more work must be completed to make the same point.
HOWEVER it is best viewed as a BENEFIT as, through providing relevant research evidence, your point will be strengthened and you will have shown an ability to find and integrate relevant research evidence.

How can I show my thinking if I can't say it's my thinking?
Perhaps surprisingly this point comes back to referencing. Remember that anything that is not referenced is assumed by the reader to be your own thinking.

48 hours 2011 - Best Foot Forward

Thorough coverage of our 48 hours experience has been provided by our director/writer/producer; Brendon of Half Shell Productions.

Reviews of Best Foot Forward can be found on the 48 hours website but please feel free to leave a comment below or on youtube.

Psych Essays - A Disclaimer

If you're reading this you're probably looking for tips on writing a psychology essay.

You might even be a student in a course I'm a tutor for.

In any case THE INFORMATION ON THIS BLOG IS NOT AN OFFICIAL UNIVERSITY GUIDELINE. IN FACT THE UNIVERSITY HAS NO IDEA THAT I AM POSTING THIS INFORMATION.

While it may help you write an essay for the course that you are taking the best information on how to write an essay for your course will come from the course itself.

What I say could be wrong for your course.

Check your course's requirements.
Check your course's requirements.
Check your course's requirements.
Check your course's requirements.
Check your course's requirements.
Check your course's requirements.
Check your course's requirements.




Seriously, check your course's requirements.

Wedding Video - DIY with dSLRs?

In recent years the technology in dSLRs (the sort of camera I shoot wedding photos with) has come a really long way. Not only are we now able to take photos in low light without excessive noise, take high resolution images, and even correct colour temperature at will after the shoot we can now take video.

Enticingly this video is often beautiful and 'cinematic' as it is shot through lenses similar to those used on movies. In fact a number of television shows and short films have been shot using dSLRs to achieve this cinematic look. Indeed a number of wedding videographers are now using them in their professional ventures.

Should you then use these cameras to film your wedding? The answer, as always, is both yes and no.

Before we begin you should address the following questions, these are the no questions:
1) Are you happy with the sound recorded from the camera's microphone?
- If you answer yes to this move on.
- If you answer no to this:
- a) Can you plug-in an external Mic? Are you happy with the sound from the external Mic?
- If you answer yes to this move on.
- If you answer no to this:
- b) Can you use an external sound recorder? Can you synchronise the recorded sound with the recorded video later?
- If you answer yes to this move on.
- If you answer no to this you should not use a dSLR to record your wedding as sound is a key component of any video.

2) Does your dSLR suffer from Jello cam?
- If you answer no to this move on.
- If you don't know what I mean google your camera model and Jello cam. If your camera has this issue people will be complaining about it.
- If you answer yes to this:
- a) Can you correct it or limit the amount of movement in the recording by using a tripod and no panning?
- If you answer yes to this move on.
- If you answer no to this avoid using your dSLR to record your wedding.

3) Do you have someone who knows how to operate the camera as a video camera? Are they comfortable with manual focus? Are they comfortable with Manual Exposure Control?
- If you answer yes to this move on.
- If you answer no to this get them some lessons or use a video camera with autofocus etc.

4) Do you like the look of dSLR video?
- If you answer yes to this move on.
- If you answer no to this use a standard video camera

5) Will the camera be able to capture the ceremony without overheating?
- If you answer yes to this move on.
- If you don't know the answer to this check the manual or try and record a video that is as long as your wedding ceremony/speeches/point of interest will be. Note that many dSLRs can't record for more than 20 minutes at a time.
- If you answer no to this consider using multiple dSLRs, perhaps from different angles, to allow the sensors to have breaks. Alternatively consider using a video camera.

There we have it. If you've made it this far it looks like dSLR video will be a good solution for your wedding :)

Psych Essays - Quotes and Paraphrasing

Often students feel the need to include quotes in their essays. While this can help demonstrate knowledge of other people's knowledge of the topic it does very little to demonstrate that the student knows what they're talking about. This is particularly true if the quote is never explained. In fact, from a marking perspective, quotes often only show an ability to cut and paste rather than an ability to understand the material or craft an argument

Importantly marks are often available for demonstrating an understanding of the material rather than an awareness of its existence. Demonstration of understanding is best done in your own words. For this reason I advise my students to aim for 0 quotes when writing their essay. Instead I encourage them to paraphrase.

Paraphrasing involves taking an idea from a source and presenting it in your own words. Please note that as it is not your own idea you will still need to reference it. Yet,as you still need to acknowledge that the idea came from someone else, how can paraphrasing be better than quoting?
1) It shows understanding
By correctly presenting the information in your own words you show that you understand the information enough to talk about it yourself.
2) It allows for integration
By using your own words you are free to craft sentences that will work for your essay rather than the book, article, website, etc. that you are citing. This also means that you can combine information across sources to show similarities/differences and/or create a stronger argument. If necessary you can even work in an explanation of the information you are citing.
3) It improves flow
All of these forms of integration help improve flow in 2 key ways. The first is that it allows you complete control over the words used in your essay. If something isn't working you are free to change it. The second is it ensures your essay has one voice, yours. one voice is notably more consistent than several.

If I still haven't convinced you and you still feel the need to quote here are some things to keep in mind:
1) ""
Anytime you use quotation marks you are telling your reader that you are quoting something. As such if you quote a single word you will need to include the relevant information (Author, Year, Page number for APA). Alternatively, for single words, you could just remove the quote marks...
2) Format
If you use quotes format them correctly. For APA this means you need to include the Author, Year, and page number of the quote. It also means if it gets too long it needs to be presented in an indented paragraph.
3) Explain and integrate
Remember that quotes don't show you understand what you're talking about. As such the explanation and integration of your quote are key. Alternatively you could just paraphrase the information and get it all out of the way in one go...

Family/Group photos at the wedding - the hidden time trap

Often when people are thinking about the sort of photos they want on their wedding day the ones that seem the easiest are the ones that occur right after the ceremony. The ones where you line up your family members, smile at the camera, then move on to the next group.

In many ways these photos are the easiest as the are the most formulaic. However there are a few key things to remember.

1) Smiling can get hard
Generally speaking smiling is easy. This is mostly because we tend to do it fairly quickly. However when you're smiling for 20+ minutes straight things can get a bit painful.

2) You will have more than 1 photo with each group
While it seems like a quick thing to get everyone lined up, looking the right way, smiling, and not blinking the task gets infinitely harder as you add more people to a group.

3) Kids follow their own rules
Re-read the previous point. That's hard enough to do with adults who don't want to run off and play somewhere else/aren't ready for a lie down.

4) Sometimes adults follow their own rules too
Of course, some adults will want to run off somewhere else. Some of them will want to go have a lie down. Some of them just won't like photos.


So what can you do to keep this part of your day fun, manageable, and under control?

1) Budget 2-5 minutes per photo
Each photo will require one group to move into position, another group to move out of position, and those in the shot to have a few photos taken. If everything runs really smoothly you can expect this to take 2 minutes per photo. More than likely though people will move slowly and

2) Organise a drill sergeant/people shepherd
Get a list of photos to a friend or family member who knows who all the people are. Their job will be to make sure all the groups are in the right place at the right time. School teachers seem to be particularly good at this.

3) Divide and conquer
You may like to use two people; one per family. If you do this make sure there is a clear leader at each point of the shoot. If they're both trying to be in charge the whole time things can get confused quite quickly.

4) Don't take photos you don't want
As with every other aspect of your wedding it is your wedding. Don't feel like you need to have photos taken that you don't want taken. You are in charge.

5) Small groups are good
Small groups are easier to organise and are less likely to include a blinker.

A list of suggested family photos for your wedding can be found here. The list is not exhaustive nor is it a required baseline. Remember to take only the photos you want to take.

Great Photography tutorials

There are a number of great things about being a photographer today. Perhaps the greatest thing is the ability to learn from other photographers with ease. In particular a number of great photographers are posting informative tutorials online; many of which are in video format on YouTube.

To get you started I thought I'd introduce my top 3 photography tutorial video sources:

1)
PhotoGavin



This guy is great. He is constantly uploading tutorials related to taking photos AND working with photos in photoshop. Well worth a look.

2)
FroKnows



Jared Polin is a bit more all over the place than Gavin but is just as good in his own way. You'll find he focuses a bit more on technology and emphasises in camera framing over post processing. I am a personal fan of the in camera framing approach that Jared takes although I am somewhat less hardline.

3)
FontanaKnowledge



Here you will find clear descriptions of important concepts and a few techniques for low light shooting. All the information is presented in an unfailingly friendly manner.

BONUS:
MarcSilber



Easily the most hit and miss of the bunch. Marc will often interview photographers who are respected in their fields. While this diverse approach is a strength in that you will be exposed to a number of viewpoints it is also a weakness in that themes are seldom developed on. Also be wary of advertising in these videos. In the early days there was some clear and heavy sponsorship from Sandisk. It seems to have been toned down now though.

Exam Tips - Psych Based Tips

If you're a psych student you've probably learnt a lot of things about how memory works. What you might not have thought about are the practical applications of this information. As many of the studies are done on humans who need to remember things many of the studies will be relevant to humans (such as yourself) who need to remember things (for exams for example).

Repetition Repetition Repetition
Strengthen those synapses

Depth of Encoding
Most stage 1 courses will mention a study where people in 3 groups were given a list of words.
Group 1 looked at whether the words were upper or lower case.
Group 2 looked for words that rhymed with the list words.
Group 3 thought about the meaning of the list words.

Group 1 remembered the least words, Group 3 remembered the most words.

The take home message?
Focus on understanding the material at a deep level. In doing so you will remember the information better (= more exam marks) and have a deeper understanding of the material (= more exam marks).
One really good way to ensure deep encoding and understanding of the target material is to organise a study group where you have to teach the target material to each other. Teaching information well requires you to have a deep understanding of the information.

Repetition Repetition Repetition
Read the same information in different ways. This will increase the memory cues associated with the information.

Time is your friend... and your enemy
If there's one message to take away from Ebbinghaus's memory curves it is this:
If you learn something but don't review it quickly it's as good as gone.
As such you should review information quickly after learning it and often to prevent memory decay. This applies to information you learn during the study period and during the course itself. If you can keep on top of the information during the course (as it comes in) you won't have to study as hard during the study period!

Interestingly this also relates to...

Repetition Repetition Repetition
Repeating information often will help prevent memory decay.

Anchoring and Self Efficacy, Stereotype effects...
How well do you think you're going to do?
If you've read anything on Stereotype effect or anchoring work related to self efficacy you'll know that this can impact on your results.
Put simply if you think you're going to do well you will probably do better than if you think you aren't going to do well.
Believe in yourself, it's in your best interest.

Repetition Repetition Repetition
Repetition Repetition Repetition

Exam Tips - General Tips

The simplest things can often help in exams. Be sure to keep the following points in mind:

Look after yourself
-Sleep well the night before
-Take water with you
-Eat a good breakfast/lunch before hand
Double, triple, quadruple check time and location
Answer all of the questions
Don’t save the rainforest

-Double space your answers so it’s easier to make corrections later
Manage your time
-Divide the time available by the marks available to get a rough guide for how long you should spend on each section
-If you get stuck, move on, come back to that question later
Mark yourself
-If the question is worth 3 marks have you written something worth 3 marks?
If in doubt include an example
-Use to clarify a point or try to get more marks
Read the questions carefully
-Typically you won’t get marks unless you answer the question that is asked

Affordable Auckland Weddings

Weddings can be expensive things. In order to help keep costs down I'm thinking of creating a directory of affordable wedding services available in Auckland. If you know of any please let me know and I will add them to the list below.

Once the list gets big enough I look at moving to a more permanent website.
Specifically this one: Affordable Auckland

Patten Makers Photography - Affordable Wedding Photos


Wifey - Affordable Wedding Dresses

Picture Perfect Party Favours - Affordable Favours and Decorations

Sweet Addictions - Affordable Wedding cakes