L7 - Reporting Psychological Investigations

Question 1

General points about writing psychological reports:

Answer 1

Write the report in the third person e.g. A study was carried out ….. (rather than, I carried out a study).
The report should be clear so that exact replication would be possible

Question 2

Stages in writing a psychological report

Answer 2

1) title
2) abstract
3) introduction leading to aims/hypothesis
4) method section
5) results section
6) discussion section
7) reference section

Question 3

Title

Answer 3

This should provide a clear focus of the study and should involve the key variables that you are investigating. It should not be too vague or too specific
e.g. “An investigation to study the relationship between health and stress levels.”

Question 4

Abstract

Answer 4

This is usually written once the whole report has been completed (because it involves a summary of main concepts). It provides a clear and concise summary of the entire investigation so that the readers can gain an overview of the piece of research and whether it is worth reading the whole report. Information is provided such as:
- Background literature/research
- Aims
- Experimental hypothesis (one or two tailed)
- Null hypothesis
- Research methods and procedures
- Experimental design
- Sample used (number, age, setting) and sampling method
- Brief account of findings, including statistical tests, results, levels of significance
- Conclusions of the study
- Limitations or implications of the study

Question 5

Introduction leading to aims/hypothesis

Answer 5

This should include previous research (a review of related research) and a clear rationale about why you wish to study this topic area. There should be a general discussion of the research topic and this should become more focused towards the end of the introduction section until you eventually arrive at research that is more specific to your actual question. From this information an aim can be stated. (In some cases a hypothesis can also be established that will be one/two tailed. You might want to state the null hypothesis too.

Question 6

Method section

Answer 6

This states how the investigation was carried out and it should be precise so that the study can be replicated. It might be a good idea to display the method using bullet points to aid clarity. There are a few subsections to be aware of:
a)Design:
i) The experimental design (independent measures, matched participants or repeated measures) and the reasoning for why this particular design has been used.
ii) Also the research method needs to be selected with justification
iii) The independent and dependent variables need to be stated (as well as confounding ones) iv) Ethical issues need to also be taken into account and how they might be dealt with.
b) Sample:
i) Give details of your sample, e.g. number of males and females, age, background, where did you get them from? ii) Also explain the sampling method used and why. How were the sample accessed? Where did the sample originate from e.g. place? Participants must remain anonymous and do not use any names!
c)Apparatus/materials:
Make a concise list of materials that are required to carry out the research
d) Procedure:
Bullet pointed steps (or written as a report) that need to be carried out in order to conduct the research, which must be written in sufficient depth and detail for easy replication. Clear information must be presented from the start to the end of the research. Briefing, standardized instructions and debriefing must be included.

Question 7

Results section

Answer 7

• The results gained from the research.
  • Descriptive statistics - Tables, charts, graphs, and raw data. Central tendency such as the mode, mean and median should be stated, as well as measures of dispersion (the range and standard deviation).
  • Inferential statistics - what statistical test has been used and why (please remember to justify the use of statistical test). Significance levels and calculated values need to be reported
  If qualitative data has been collected, categories and themes should be described with examples State whether the experimental/null hypothesis is accepted/rejected

Question 8

Discussion section

Answer 8

The researcher will interpret the results of the study using four key areas:
a)Summary of results:
The results are reported in a brief format and some explanation given about what they mean b)
b)Relationship to background research:
The results of the study are discussed in relation to the research reported in the introduction section and other related research
c) Limitations of methodology and modifications
Criticisms may be made about the methods used in the study and modifications/improvements suggested
d) Implications and suggestions:
The implication of the results for psychological theory and real life applications. Suggestions can be made for future research

Question 9

Referencing section

Answer 9

The full details of any journals or books that have been mentioned in the report must be provided in the reference section.
Journal referencing:
Author’s name(s), date of publication, title of article, journal title, volume (issue number), page numbers (see example below)
Book referencing:
Author’s name(s), date of publication, title of book, place of publication, publisher