week 4

1. Gathering Ideas
about Psychology
• Identify the argument in a piece
of reading
• Compare and contrast key points
from a range of reading
• Suggest reasons for differences
between pieces of reading

2. What do we mean by argument?
Expressing a point of view and giving the reasons why you have that point of view.

3. Find the argument
In pairs:
• identify the argument of the
paragraph you have been given
• break the paragraph down into WEED

4. What’s the argument?
We often dismiss terrorists as non-humans, monsters, at first but when we learn that they were seemingly
normal individuals with families and jobs, it is hard not to wonder about how their minds really work. The
search for a terrorist “personality” or “mindset” dominated psychological research in the 1970s and 1980s
and remains a significant area for research today. A new study published in Nature Human Bahviour, which
assessed the cognitive and psychological profiles of 66 Colombian paramilitaries imprisoned for committing
terrorist acts, now argues that poor moral reasoning is what defines terrorists and have attempted to define
a single predictive ‘marker’ for terrorist behaviour. However, more psychologists are now beginning to
believe that a number of key psychological components are fundamental to the radicalisation
process. These include motivation, group ideologies and social processes that encourage progressive
distancing from former friends, for example. Rather than measuring to predict, we might be better off
devoting resources to improve understanding of what motivates individuals to join the ranks of violent
extremists. Therefore, quality psychological research aimed at searching for multiple markers of the
radicalisation process, such as changes in dress, behaviour and social circles may be fruitful. Increasingly
important, is that the more we find out about terrorists’ quest for significance, the better we can
understand the identity and social issues that are fundamental to radicalisation. There is every reason to be
optimistic that psychology can be a powerful tool in the fight against terrorism.

5. So, how is an
argument built?
How does
knowing this
help us identify
an argument?

6. What’s the argument?
Each group has two different
pieces of reading and you
have been given one of them
to read.
Read and identify the
argument and how it has been
built.
Compare with the other group
members who have read the
same article: have you found
the same argument?
Share what you have found
with the others in your group
who read the different article.

7. Gathering
different
arguments.
A reading grid like this is a useful way of keeping track of your reading and to
start seeing how different authors’ ideas compare and contrast.
Author/Title/
Date
Topic Argument Key evidence How to use
Bellur, Nowak
and Hull (2015)
Effect of media
multitaksing
on concentration
in class
Switching
between/using
different media in
class distracts
361 students –
more
multitasking in
class = lower
grades
Contradicts
Minear et al.
(2013) (students
able to switch)
Junco and Cotton
(2012)
Effect of media
multitasking
when studying at
home
Media
multitasing when
stuyding is
detrimental on
learning
1839 students –
Facebook and
texting when
studying = lower
grades
Supports Bellur,
Nowak and Hull
(2015) - could
disucss toagethr
to make the
point.
Also contradicts
Minear et al.
(2013)

8. Some current research suggests that a high level of media multitasking is associated with
lower levels of educational achievement due to the distraction it can cause For example,
Bellur, Nowak and Hull (2015) surveyed 361 students on technology usage and high school
estimated Grade Point Average (GPA). They found that media multitasking during class
reduces GPA by lowering students’ ability to concentrate. However, a common theme of
media multitasking that has been central to current research is the ability to switch
attention between mediums, and some of these studies may question Bellur, Nowak and
Hull’s (2015) findings. Minear et al. (2013), for example, found no correlation between
frequencies of media multitasking and task switching ability. Their study participants
indicate that cognition ability may have evolved to ignore irrelevant information as a coping
mechanism for the increasing levels of media in day to day life. This suggests that human
cognition does have the ability to process the ever-increasing levels of external stimuli and
that media multitasking may not have a negative impact on concentration levels.
Using a grid makes it easier to write comparisons. Look at how this Psychology student has
done it for an esssay on whether students' media multitaksing is associated with distraction
levels, using two articles from their grid.

9. Now present!
• Use your reading, organising and discussion to give a 5 minute presentation on your group’s
topic. Suggested format:
• Introduce the topic
• Argument 1
• Argument 2
• Compare and contrast the arguments
• Sum up

10. Online Learning
Complete the review activity on Canvas: Identifying
an Argument (find in Quizzes).
Continue your blog.
Homework
Find your next article/podcast on Psychology and
write summary notes