Psych HW

PSY 101 Sample Outline for Course paper:

Note: The outline is organized by Topic, Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. Within the Body, the content is organized by themes (sub-topics).

TOPIC Is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) an Effective Treatment for Depression?

1. INTRODUCTION

1. Topic Sentence

2. Further introduction of your topic

   1. Define (Symptoms of Depression)

   2. Incidence (Numbers/Demographics)

   3. Relevance (Broader Implications; Mental Health crisis)

1. BODY

1. Theme 1: CBT is Effective for those with Mild Depression

   1. Topic Sentence: Numerous studies have shown CBT to be an effective treatment for mild Depression (citation).

   2. Evidence from articles

   3. Specifically, individuals with mild Depression significantly benefit from CBT (citation). Kline (year) showed that……

2. Next Paragraph: Theme 1 continued (Additional Evidence that CBT is effective for those with mild Depression).

   1. Topic Sentence

   2. Evidence

3. Next Paragraph: Theme 2: CBT and Major (severe) Depression

   1. Topic Sentence: Although CBT is effective for those with mild depression, those with more severe Depression may require both medication and CBT (citation).

   2. Evidence

4. Next Paragraph: Theme 3: Conflicting Evidence*

   1. Topic Sentence: In contrast, other studies have failed to support the idea that CBT is an effective treatment for Depression (citation).

   2. Evidence

*You may or may not find conflicting evidence related to your topic. If conflicting evidence is not relevant to your paper, then Theme 3 might be another sub-topic such as the effectiveness of CBT versus meditation.

1. Next Paragraph: Theme 4: CBT and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

1. Topic Sentence:

   1. Evidence

1. CONCLUSION:

   1. Topic sentence

   2. Summary of main conclusions from paper

   3. Importance/Implications for human health/psychology

   4. Directions for future research