In your final project, you will be collecting field data on ONE of the 4 following topics.  Each completed paper must be 6-8 pages, double spaced, 12 pt. font, using APA style citations/references.  A cover page, reference page, and any charts and/or surveys are not part of the page total. Be sure to include your name, the date, course name, and instructor name on the final paper.  In addition, the instructor will be submitting all papers into the Turn-it-in database to check for plagiarism and duplicate submissions.  Any cases of blatant plagiarism or repeat submissions will result in disciplinary action.  It is important that you retain an academic tone throughout this submission.  In other words, no “I”s, “my”s, “we”s or any other self-referencing words throughout the paper.  For example, instead of writing, “I used a survey to examine…”, you should write, “A survey was used to examine…”  This is difficult for students to get used to, but makes quick and substantial improvements to writing style!!

Make sure to thoroughly read and answer all questions related to the topic you chose.  Your paper must include (a) an introduction section that includes at least 4 scientific (preferably peer-reviewed) sources and your research questions, (b) a methods section that includes how you collected your data and any materials used to collect this data (e.g., survey), (c) a results section describing your findings including any completed charts you used (just a plain English description of your findings, no statistics necessary), (d) a discussion section (generalizations to relevant theory, generalizations to real world, any limitations, and suggestions for future research), and (e) a references page (APA style). 

Choose one of the following paper topics:

1.  Narcissism is a topic we discussed when learning about self-understanding. Research shows that narcissism has been increasing among America’s youth in recent years. Define narcissism, and then search any media source to look for evidence of narcissism. This media can include social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or traditional media like TV, movies, or magazines.  The first step should be to make a chart to examine the following criteria within each source.  (a) What form of media are you examining?  (b) What indicators of narcissism do you see?  (c) Describe the source of the communication (demographics)?  (d) Describe the target of communication (demographics)?  (e) What about signs of caring for and empathy toward others?  You should examine a minimum of 8 sources to gather enough data.