ABSTRACT
In the typical psychology course, students write examinations and term papers in which writing is used almost exclusively as a tool for the evaluation of their learning. The process of writing can be used as a problem-solving tool and as a tool for producing creative and analytical thinking. The students write two short analyses of journal articles, through which they learn how to find psychological literature in the library and learn ways to approach reading and analyzing journal articles. Miller had students in an undergraduate course in social psychology keep journals that described the application of concepts from that course to their daily social experiences. The students are required to turn in five writing assignments throughout the semester. The first two assignments require students to analyze journal articles, learning to use psychological literature. The last three assignment comprise the final project, in which they design an unobtrusive observational study, collect data, and write a formal research report.
