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PSYU1104 Introduction to Psychology Essay

Essay Question:

Background: When considering the accuracy and applicability of a psychological theory, one must consider the context in which it was developed. For example, a theory developed and tested within an Individualist society, may not apply to people raised in a Collectivist society. This is the case for the vast majority of psychological theories (Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, 2010), including Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Essay: Maslow’s theory on the hierarchy of needs reflects universal motivations that all humans possess, regardless of whether they live in an Individualistic or Collectivist society. In your essay, take a position on the statement (i.e., indicate whether you agree or disagree) and present a critical discussion of the research evidence that supports your position.

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SUBMISSION

It is department policy that assignments are set in terms of a specified word limit and specified format which are as follows:

• 1250 words maximum (Please include your Word Count on the title page of the Essay)
• Double-spaced lines
• Correct length essay title and running head
• 12-point font
• Times New Roman font
• Margin of 1 inch (2.54 cm) at the top, bottom, left, and right of every page
• The word limit includes in-text referencing but does not include the reference list at the end, nor the title page.

ESSAYS ARE NOT ACCEPTED AFTER THE RETURN OF MARKED MATERIAL.

• Penalties for breaching word limit: 5% (i.e., 1.25 ) mark deduction for every 100 words over the limit.
• Penalties for late submissions: 5% (i.e., 1.25) mark deduction for every day after the due date.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The Week 3 and 4 tutorials are dedicated to how to write in psychology, be sure you have completed these tutorials which also includes an exercise for you to mark an essay using the rubric below.

• Specifically addressed the topic and required elements of the essay question
• Developed a robust, theoretically solid and evidence based argument
• Accurate presentation of literature demonstrating good knowledge of the research area and perspectives
• Thoughtful, insightful, specific, and cogent conclusion on the question/topic
• Overall structure and format of the essay – did each section contain the required elements?
• Overall style, presentation, language, and grammar
• Citations and references list of sources used, formatted in APA style

STARTER REFS

The starter references are available for download via the Leganto link.

Note: the starter references are a great place to start researching the area. Whether or not you chose to cite them is up to you.

1. Bouzenita, A. I., & Boulanouar, A. W. (2016). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: An Islamic critique. Intellectual Discourse, 24(1), 59-81.
2. Gambrel, P. A., & Cianci, R. (2003). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Does it apply in a collectivist culture. Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, 8(2), 143–161.
3. Henrich, J., Heine, S. & Norenzayan, A. Most people are not WEIRD. Nature 466, 29 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/466029a
4. Hofstede, G. (1984). The cultural relativity of the quality of life concept. Academy of Management Review, 9(3), 389–398.
5. Keller, H. (2012), Autonomy and Relatedness Revisited: Cultural Manifestations of Universal Human Needs. Child Development Perspectives, 6, 12-18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00208.x
6. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370–396.
7. Mittelman, W. (1991). Maslow’s study of self-actualization: A reinterpretation. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 31(1), 114–135.
8. Nadkarni, A. & Hofmann, S. (2012). Why do people use Facebook? Personality and Individual Differences, 52(3), 243-249.
9. Raymond, M. A., Mittelstaedt, J. D., & Hopkins, C. D. (2003) When Is a Hierarchy Not a Hierarchy? Factors Associated with Different Perceptions of Needs, with Implications for Standardization – Adaptation Decisions in Korea. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 11(4), 12-25,

Important things to include in your essay

Provide definitions of key theories (e.g., Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) and terms (e.g., as Individualist and Collective society).
Critically discuss at least three different pieces of evidence that support your position. The three pieces of evidence must come from research findings (not your personal beliefs and/or experiences) so be sure to cite relevant studies.
It is not enough to simply cite a study that supports your position; you must critically discuss a study’s findings, lists its methodological strengths, weaknesses, and/or limitations, for example.