The aim of the thought paper is to for you to develop the ability to critically evaluate empirical research. Remember that this is a cognitive neuroscience course and, as such, your paper should focus on how the brain supports mental processes. Choose any topic from “Memory” (Chapter 9 or lecture) or “Attention” (Chapter 7 or lecture).

Your paper should focus on recently published (during or after 2010) primary research (i.e. journal articles, NOT books or reviews); you will be expected to focus on one article, but should use at minimum 2 additional articles to support your findings.

The first part of the paper should be a Summary, where you, in a concise manner, describe the paper. In your summary, you should include the rationale of the paper, the methods used, what they found, and a discussion of the conclusions. This should not be longer than 1 page.

The second part of the paper will be the Commentary/Critique where you will provide your original thoughts on the paper. This should not be a second summary. Here you can relate the findings to other papers, or discuss the practical (e.g. real-world) applications of the chosen research. Also, you can discuss what you found interesting about the research, if you were convinced by the results/conclusions, (or the stated importance of the conclusions) limitations of the study/studies, its strengths, and/or ideas for future research. This section is meant to be an open-ended response and evaluation of this section will be based on your understanding of the issues presented in the article, your ability to articulate your thoughts in a concise manner, your ability to integrate the chosen article within other research/within a wider context, and the depth in which you evaluate the article.

Format: Your paper should not be longer than 4 pages (not including references), double spaced; the page should have 1-inch margins and by typed in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font. All references should be done in APA-style. Please do not include a title-page, but include your name AND student number in the header of the paper.

Category: Essays