Psychology Course Assignment

 

Purpose:  To develop students’ critical thinking skills in evaluating psychology Web sites/pages. 

 

 

Part I

 

Take a little time to explore the Web by locating Web sites/pages from each of the following categories for one mental disorder.

 

  1. a non-profit group/individual, e.g., self-help or support group
  2. a for-profit group/individual, e.g., provides information bout purchasing a service or product
  3. a government agency or academic research institute

 

Sometimes, but not always, the URL can give you a clue, e.g. “.com” commercial site, “.gov” government agency, “.edu” academic institution (but can also be any individual with access to a school account.)

 

FOR EACH SOURCE, answer the following questions: 

 

  1. What is the complete URL?
  2. Who is the sponsor of the Web page (individual, non-profit association, corporation, etc.)?
  3. If the page contains an individual article, do you know who wrote the article and her/his qualifications for writing on this topic?
  4. Does the site claim to provide results of research or scholarly work?  If so, what evidence is cited to support the claims or assertions?
  5. Are the sources/reference for factual information clearly listed so that can be verified in another source?  If so, how?
  6. Is the information content clearly separated from advertising and opinion content?
  7. Is there an indication of when the page was created or last updated?  If so, when? 
  8. Is there a way to contact the Web sponsor or creator for more information?  If so, how?

 

Part II

 

  1. Indicate the BEST source you found, and list five important facts you learned from it.

 

  1. Would you consider this source to be reliable?  Why?

 

  1. Do you think the Web is a useful source of information for students? What are the advantages and disadvantages?