AP Psych: assignment for Mean Girls...

and mean boys, too.

As the study of situational factors that influence an individual's social behavior, social psychology reveals a great deal about what is at work in human relationships. Regardless of your future goals, studying social psychology can benefit your understanding of how we interact with one another.

We've finished watching Mean Girls, and while, yes, it was totally fetch, it also presented a number of examples of ideas that you read about during our studies of social psych. In this final project – the last one of the year for you seniors – you will collaborate with other AP Psych students on-line to create a document that showcases your ability to contrast the social psych concepts in Mean Girls with those in another film of your choosing.

Step 1: Figure out with whom you want to work. Two- to five-person groups, please.

Step 2: As a group, select a movie from this list. Try to watch it as a group, if possible.

Step 3: Create an on-line document in which you all (no social loafing allowed!) discuss what the two movies (MG and the film of your choice) have in common in terms of social psych. The final product's form is up to you: a Google Doc, a wiki, a series of tweets, a conversation over e-mail or Facebook...whatever's clever. Please do not write a synopsis of the film. I can easily read one on imdb.com. Be sure to include relevant terms from our studies of social psychology.

In your final product, it should be clear that every group member's voice is included. Remember that your task is to uncover the social psych on display, not to provide a critique or analysis of the movie's narrative or the direction. This is due Wednesday, May 30 by 11:59 PM. Each student should have 400-500 words of input.

Yes, these instructions are pretty loose, but I want to give you enough leeway to come up with a final product that is original and insightful. Don't make me put you in my burn book, Mathletes.

Also, return your textbooks!