Assigned: 1/23/02
Due: In Discussion Section 2/7, 8.
Content: The topic for EWA1 is your interest in majoring in psychology. Explain why you chose to major in psychology. Include reasons that support the decision and argue against reasons for not majoring in psychology. Imagine that your audience thinks you should have chosen a different major. Your EWA should be an argument that attempts to persuade your audience that you made the correct decision and even that they should consider majoring in psychology as well.
Some tips and guidelines
Information was presented in class (1/23/02) about argument as a form of discourse that has the specific function of providing the grounds for a claim or assertion. Claims or assertions can be stated in the form of a thesis or hypothesis. A claim stated as a thesis might be It is important to major in psychology because society needs research on how people think . A similar idea could be presented as a hypothesis, e.g., Increasing the number of psychologists will increase our understanding of how people think. Having made a claim or assertion, the remainder of the discourse provides the evidence for the claim.
A simple argument consists of the claim plus the evidence for the claim. A complex argument might consist of a combination of many simple (smaller) arguments. For example, you might list the advantages (or disadvantages) of majoring in psychology. Complex arguments also can include counterarguments. A counterargument is a claim and evidence that contradicts an argument you have made. An opponent will frequently put forth a counterargument . However, introducing a counterargument can also be an effective way to argue your own position. By introducing a counterargument and showing why it is inaccurate, weak, or irrelevant you can strengthen the force of your own argument. One technique for introducing a counterargument is to imagine the objections your audience might offer to the argument you are making, e.g., You might think that psychologists don’t get paid a great deal of money and so majoring in psychology is a bad idea. (This is a claim that opposes your claim that majoring in psychology is a good idea.) To support your position you would then show why there is little or no evidence to support this claim.
Some kinds of evidence are harder to argue with than others. For example, to say that you “want to help people” and that is why you majored in psychology is not a sufficient explanation s to why you chose to major in psychology. There are many professions that help people (e.g., police officers, teachers, priests). Likewise, to say that you “are interested in what makes people tick” is also not a sufficient explanation because there are many professions that try to understand the meaning of human action. You should include evidence that explains why, of all the possible fields of study available to you, you chose to major in psychology. Here are some questions that may help you come up with your claims and evidence.
• What are some of the specific things that you find interesting about the way people think or behave?
• Is there a particular area within psychology or topic that you find intriguing or that has led to some findings that surprised you?
• What kinds of unique opportunities or challenges does psychology provide?
To summarize, your goal in EWA1 is to clearly explain why you chose to major in psychology and why your interests and career objectives are better served by a psychology major than a different major. Remember to include any references that you relied on in making your argument and include a reference section in your EWA.
Length of EWA1. Your paper should be 3 to 4 pages in length.