When you have completed this course, you should be able to demonstrate the ability to write clearly and effectively, using professional and empirical sources of information about groups and group processes. As the first step in this direction, this reflection discussion asks you to evaluate two sources of information onreference groups and depression. One is a primary source, and the other is a secondary source of information that summarizes the primary source. This discussion will help you understand the importance of choosing primary sources when they are available.

Before you write your initial discussion post, you should first read the article Evaluating sources: Credibility Next, watch the video Evaluating Sources for Credibility.

Next, use what you learned about credibility and primary and secondary sources to assess which version of the following articles is most appropriate for a junior/senior college-level assignment requiring scholarly, empirical sources:

Does Knowing High-Status People Help or Hurt. Vanderbilt University

Does Who You Know in the Positional Hierarchy Protect or Hurt? Social Capital, Comparative Reference Group, and Depression in Two Societies. LiJun Song

Which article provides more details about the purpose of the study, the method, participants, and conclusion? Which version is authored by an expert on group processes? To evaluate expertise, you should Google information about the author. What are the credentials of the author? What kind of position does the author hold, and how might that affect their credibility?Which article was published in a peer-reviewed journal?