Write an essay that addresses both of the following questions:
What are the processes by which people develop into liars (as described and explained in the reading set)? Based on your explanation of these processes, how could individuals and/or societies be protected from being deceived?
It would be a good idea to do the following:
Use ideas and facts from the reading set while also relying upon your own logic. For example, you might agree with or disagree with an author and give your reasoning. Or, you might choose to emphasize the importance of one idea while diminishing the importance of another, with an explanation of why you are valuing the ideas in this way.
Make connections between the readings. Although the authors approaches are different, you will find parallels between them. For example, you could identify points of agreement and disagreement, or you could point out that they are reaching similar conclusions by different methods or logic.
Define and employ key terms that seem to be central to the arguments of your sources and, therefore, to your argument as well. Here are some possible key terms: co-operative behavior; freeloading; centrality of truthfulness; skepticism and determinism; discrepant perspectives; Golden Rule; principle of veracity; and self-harming and other-serving dishonesty vs self-serving and other-harming dishonesty.
The following is REQUIRED. Essays that dont conform to these requirements will not be graded:
The length of your essay must be 1,500 words or longer. This word count does NOT include the following (which are not required): title page; abstract; bibliography/references/works cited.
Quote and/or paraphrase and work directly with material from all three readings in this reading set.
Attribute any material that you summarize, quote, or paraphrase to its source (using the page numbers of the reading set). The context paragraph, above, gives examples of what proper attribution looks like. (We are using MLA style, but you may also use APA style or any other style youre comfortable with.)
Your own ideas and thinking are necessary and important, and you cannot pass this evaluation without them.
However, you should base your essay on the information contained in this set of readings, and engage with the arguments contained in the set of readings. Do not give an account of your own life experience; do not use any outside readings (including from the internet); and do not rely on information from courses you have taken.
You may only receive assistance with writing your paper from employees of UMass Bostonnot from friends, relatives, or outside tutors. You may not use electronic assistants such as Google Translate or Grammarly. (You can and should use the spelling- and grammar-checker built into your word processing program, a writers handbook, and a dictionary or thesaurus.)
June 2020 WPE Portfolio Question
Colleges of Education and Human Development, Honors, Liberal Arts,
Nursing and Health Sciences, Science and Mathematics, and the School for the Environment
June 2020 Writing Proficiency Evaluation (WPE)
Portfolio Reading Set: The Slippery Slope of Lying
Due by electronic submission May 29-June 3, 2020
Table of Contents
1. Dol, Daniel. “The Darker Side of Imagination.” The Instruction of Imagination: Language as a Communication Technology. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015. Print.
2. Bok, Sisela. II. Truthfulness, Deceit, and Trust. Lying: Moral Choice in Private and Public Life. New York: Vintage Books, 1978. Print.
3. Garrett, Neil, Stephanie C. Lazzaro, Dan Ariely and Tali Sharot. The brain adapts to dishonesty. Nature Neuroscience. 19, 1727-1732 (2016). Web.
Articles reprinted with permission Notes:
Review the portfolio requirements (modified for the June 2020 WPE only) at this link:
https://www.umb.edu/editor_uploads/images/academic_support_services/ug_studies/June_2020_ Portfolio_Requirements.pdf
Your portfolio must contain a challenge essay that is at least 1,500 words (double spaced in 10 or 12 point type) that answers the question above; three course papers as described in the portfolio requirements link above, and an honesty statement.
Submission instructions will be emailed to all registered students on May 29, 2020. Portfolios may be submitted from the time you receive instructions on May 29, 2020 until June 3, 2020 at midnight.
Late portfolios will not be accepted.
The following will not be graded:
Challenge essays that are too short
Portfolios that are incomplete
Challenge essays with severe attribution problems
Portfolios that include any paper that employs academic dishonesty or plagiarism Challenge essays that make use of facts or sources that are not in the reading set
Challenge essays that fail to use all the required essays in the reading set.
Plagiarism in a portfolio, whether it is in the new essay or in one of the supporting essays, will be treated in the manner as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, which can be downloaded in PDF form at: https://www.umb.edu/life_on_campus/policies/community/code. The consequences of violating these policies are serious and may include suspension or expulsion.
