The Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) is a unique kind of debate designed to foster your critical thinking skills, your discussion skills, and your mastery of specific content areas. During a SAC, every member of the class will be actively involved in debating a controversial issue. After presenting and defending your side of the issue, you will switch sides and argue for the opposing position. I can promise you that this will be the hardest and least liked part of the SAC, as well as one of the most beneficial! In the final stages of the SAC you will work together to synthesize all of the information and points of view in order to write a group position. In preparing for the SAC you will be working with others who are on your side and you will have a coach as well. You will be using material from the textbook and I will place readings that you can check out at the Psychology Department offices at St. John's and at St. Ben's. You may also do research at the library if you wish.

1. Group formation and research. You will be assigned to a SAC group, exchange names and phone numbers, and select sides. After class you will need to read as much as you can and take notes. Also start to develop your position and outline your presentation.
2. The preparation period. We will spend about 30-35 minutes in class developing your positions. During this time you will meet with your coach, your partner, and students from other groups that are arguing your side of the issue. This is a time to learn from other students, share your research, notes, and articles, and work up your positions.
3. The in-class debate. We will spend an entire class period in the debate portion of the SAC. Make sure you are in class a few minutes early because we start immediately. After the toss (the winner gets to pick if they want to go first or second), Each side will have a chance to present their position (without interruptions). Try to be as forceful and persuasive as possible. When the other side is presenting, you should listen carefully and take notes, including notes about what you don't understand and would like them to clarify. Then each side will have a chance to elaborate their position and refute the other side in a period of open debate. Remember to listen careful y and critically to the other side. These are complex issues and all of you are smarter than any one of you. Work together to get all the ideas and facts out. Then you will reverse your positions, each side arguing against their previous position. Finally, the group will have time to write a group consensus position, incorporating all the best facts and ideas from both positions. At the end of the SAC, you will turn in your group cover sheet (this is given to you at the start of the SAC and contains a short self-evaluation), your group consensus position, and each person's outlined presentation.

This final whole class discussion will also continue in the following class period.

Tips on getting a good grade on the SACS.

Your grade on the SAC is based on three elements: Your research and preparation, how well your group functions during the in-class debate, and on the quality of the group position. (This last element seems to give people the most trouble.) Another way of saying the same thing is that the successful group does four things:

1. Uses critical thinking (see below).
2. Does careful research.
3. Makes use of the psychological evidence and concepts.
4. Follows the rules for constructive controversy.

Further description of the characteristics of critical thinkers and the rules for constructive controversy:

1. Critical thinkers are flexible-they can tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty.
2. Critical thinkers identify inherent biases and assumptions.
3. Critical thinkers maintain an air of skepticism.
4. Critical thinkers separate facts from opinions.
5. Critical thinkers don't oversimplify.
6. Critical thinkers use logical inference processes.
7. Critical thinkers examine available evidence before drawing conclusions.

Source: Challenging your Preconceptions: Thinking critically about psychology, by Randolph A. Smith. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole, 1995

For a more extensive discussion of critical thinking see chapter 1--Guidelines for critical thinking.

1. I am critical of ideas, not people. I challenge and refute the ideas of the opposing pair, but I do not indicate that I personally reject them.
2. Remember, we are all in this together, sink or swim. I focus on coming to the best decision possible, not on winning.
3. I encourage everyone to participate and to master all the relevant information.
4. I listen to everyone's ideas, even if I don't agree.
5. I restate what someone has said if it is not clear.
6. I first bring out all ideas and facts supporting both sides, and then I try to put them together in a way that makes sense.
7. I try to understand both sides of the issue.
8. I change my mind when the evidence clearly indicates that I should do so.