Читать книгу How to Write Brilliant Psychology Essays - Paul Dickerson - Страница 87

This second sample, below, is much better. The author has made it their own. It is shorter, but contains several key ideas contained in the original passage. To create this passage took a little bit longer, but not as much as you might think. The original passage was read for detail and argument, in the way a detective might read for evidence and motive. The detail included ‘qualitative’, ‘cross-cultural’ and some of the quotes that summarised findings, such as ‘a stable relationship with the spouse’. The argument identified that there were findings common to both cultures as well as those which indicated cross-cultural differences and that both could suggest (according to Wong and Goodwin) that participants were principally concerned with the overall characterisation of the relationship, rather than separable ‘costs’ and ‘benefits’.

Wong and Goodwin’s (2009) cross-cultural, qualitative study poses a challenge for the Equity Theory understanding of relationships. Across the UK, Hong Kong and Beijing, participants appeared particularly concerned with the quality of the relationship, for example ‘a stable relationship with the spouse’. Even where cultural differences were identified – such as ‘companionship’ being rated as more important for UK participants and ‘harmonious marital relations’ for Hong Kong participants – the emphasis was still on the overall relationship, rather than discrete costs and benefits to the individual.

This second attempt is much stronger than the first. You might notice how it is selective in the detail that it uses – who says we have to use all of the information in the sources that we consult? Often it’s just a key idea, argument or detail that we take up. If you get a clearer sense of what you want to use it for, it is much easier to be in control of the target passages that you draw on, rather than weighed down by them.