GRE > Analytical Writing for Psychology

Overview
In this section, you will write 2 essays. The first essay will be about a critical issue, and the second essay will be about your argument for or against a particular topic given. The scoring for this section is based on your ability to articulate your position clearly and to demonstrate critical thinking strategies through your writing. You will be given a score in between 0 and 6 in .5 increments (6 being the highest). Here are some examples of some topics you might have to write an essay on.

Here's an example of an issue:

As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

Here's an example of an argument

In surveys Mason City residents rank water sports (swimming, boating and fishing) among their favorite recreational activities. The Mason River flowing through the city is rarely used for these pursuits, however, and the city park department devotes little of its budget to maintaining riverside recreational facilities. For years there have been complaints from residents about the quality of the river's water and the river's smell. In response, the state has recently announced plans to clean up Mason River. Use of the river for water sports is therefore sure to increase. The city government should for that reason devote more money in this year's budget to riverside recreational facilities.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on the assumptions and what the implications are if the assumptions prove unwarranted.