Appendix C Types of Basic Writing Assignments
A Response or Reaction Papers
Most tutors consider a response or reaction paper a one to two-page position on the readings
for a given week. Some tutors assign a specific question based on what they consider important impli-
cations of the readings; others leave the topic for the paper to each student. Often tutors have students
share reaction papers with each other before class (easily done simply by having each student post them
directly to a discussion on the website for your tutorial,to which you give all students access). Typically
APA style is required for textual references and papers are double-spaced with appropriate margins but
no other formatting requirements are imposed.
Sample Reaction Paper Assignment (from Chris Soutter)
[This is the assignment I give to my students the week before the first class, along with the packet of readings
for the upcoming week. Students meet with me individually that week for advising sessions on course selection,
during which I ask them how they're coming and offer additional assistance if they're having trouble. Response
papers are required for each of the three weeks in the first unit; thereafter students are allowed to drop any one
week in each of the remaining units.]
Reaction papers in this class are short (1-2 pages, double-spaced) syntheses of a week's worth
of readings along with some conclusion that you propose as a result of the readings. They may take you
a little time to get used to, but don't worry. After writing the first one or two, you'll suddenly discover
that they are easy to write--in fact, you'll probably start writing them in your head even as you do the
readings. So give it just a little while--take a crack at the first one, and soon you'll develop your own
style of doing them quickly and effectively.
Though you need to bring each reading into the paper, don't fall into the trap of trying to sum-
marize them. First of all, it isn't possible. If there were a one-page version that did them justice, I'd ask
you to read that one instead of the 90 or so pages you're actually reading! Second, that would make the
whole paper about someone else's thoughts. You need to leave room for your own. So just bring in at
least one key point from each reading, without getting stuck on reporting everything.
How do you decide what points to include? That's the key to a reaction paper. One way to start
is to make a quick note for yourself about what the key points of each reading seem to be. Look them
over. Do you see any common threads among multiple readings? If you find any contradictions among
them, that's wonderful - that gives you a great approach to the material! You can lay out one author's
argument, and then the other's. Your contribution will be the way you play referee. Which part of one
author's point seems more persuasive and which weaker unless it can then be strengthened by a piece
of another's contribution? Even when there aren't contradictions, there are usually implications worth
pursuing. Take the notes you made on key points, and ask yourself "so what?" Why do we care? Why
did anyone bother to publish that? See if you can figure out the psychological consequences if that find-
ing is correct.Sometimes the finding itself is minor but the potential consequences for science are mind-
blowing. If memory really does work in a certain way, then what does this say about how memory must
be organized in the brain? Or what we'll be good at remembering and what we'll never be reliable at
retrieving? Or how we learn? Or what contributes to better or worse performance on memory tasks?
Do remember to focus on science. Stories of individuals may help us decide to look at interest-
ing questions, but they don't give us answers. Controlled experiments do that.So rather than relating the
readings to your own experiences or those of a friend, think instead of yourself as a scientist. Now that
A TF's GUIDE TO TEACHING WRITING FOR PSYCHOLOGY
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