Essay 1 – A Critique of “A Balanced Psychology and a Full Life” by Seligman et.al.

A minimum of 3 direct quotes with citations and a Works Cited page are required. First-person “I” may be used since this is a critique, but second-person “you/your” may not be used.

This essay follows the “Critical Reading and Critique” chapter (Chapter 2). Please read the entire chapter, paying very close attention to the Model Critique section and Guidelines for Writing Critiques. Then follow the OUTLINE PROVIDED BELOW.

Your paper should be about 1000 words (approximately 3 pages). Use Word or Rich Text Format. Be sure to use appropriate MLA heading (see Model Critique) and double space.

A critique involves some summarizing, so you should briefly summarize the principles that the authors presented, but a critique goes beyond summary, as you will note in Chapter 2. Part of your critique will be your response to the author’s words.

MLA format notes:

Note that the Works Cited page will have only one entry. Use model in your Hacker handbook for “One selection from an anthology or a collection.” (p. 442). Our textbook is an anthology (a collection of writings by different writers). Do not use any outside sources – only the essay by Seligman et. al. (The abbreviation et. al. is Latin for “and others.” It is used when a piece has three or more authors.)

Use in-text citations at the end of quoted, summarized, or paraphrased material from the author. The in-text citation will contain the author’s name (unless mentioned in a signal phrase) and the page number. Examples:

The authors report that “a wealth of excellent research resulted from this chain of events” (Seligman et. al. 539). OR Seligman et. al. report, “a wealth of excellent research resulted from this chain of events” (539).

Outline: (Follow the outline closely.) See also p. 68 in the textbook.

Introduction: In the introduction, begin with GENERAL information and move toward your specific THESIS STATEMENT. You might begin with quotes about or thoughts on the concept of happiness. Then give some general information about the Seligman, et. al article and why it was written (see introductory information that precedes the piece), including the title of the in quotation marks and all three authors’ full names. Lead up to your thesis statement. Your thesis statement should be the last sentence in the introduction. In it, give a brief preview of your critique of the article. Did the authors succeed in their purpose (to introduce/explain the concept of positive psychology) and to what extent do you agree with these researchers’ work on studying happiness? EXAMPLE THESIS: Seligman et. al. succeed in defining the relatively new field of positive psychology, and I agree that studying the more positive feelings of humans is a valid topic of research. (Do not copy the example verbatim.)

Body Paragraph One: Summarize the main points of the essay.

Body Paragraph Two: Discuss whether the authors succeeded in their purpose to explain positive psychology clearly to the reader. Did all of the points make sense? Were the authors thorough and detailed, giving examples, etc.?

Body Paragraph Three: To what extent do you agree with these researchers? Respond to the authors’ views.

Conclusion: Begin your conclusion by re-stating your thesis in slightly different language. Revisit your main points or say something further on the topic.