L7- Reporting psychological investigations Flashcards
What general points should you consider when writing a psychological report?
1) Write report in 3rd person
2) Report should be clear so that exact replication possible
How many stages are there in writing a psychological report?
7 main stages
What are the 7 stages?
1) Title
2) Abstract
3) Introduction leading to aims/hypothesis
4) Method section
5) Results section
6) Discussion Section
7) Reference section
Describe the 2nd stage
2) Abstract (150-200 words long):
- usually written once whole report completed (involves summary of main concepts)
- provides clear and concise summary of entire investigation so that readers gain overview of research and whether it’s worth reading whole report
Info provided such as:
• Background literature/research
• Aims
• Experimental hypothesis (1 or 2 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 study
• Limitations or implications of study
Describe the 3rd stage
3) Intro leading to aims/hypothesis:
- should include previous research (review of related research) and clear reasoning about why you wish to study this topic area
- general discussion of research topic should become more focused towards end of introduction section until you eventually arrive at research that is more specific to your actual question
- From this info aim can be stated (hypothesis can also be established that will be 1/2 tailed- state null hypothesis too)
Describe the 4th stage
4) Method section:
- states how investigation was carried out
- should be precise so that study can be replicated
- display method using bullet points to aid clarity
What are the subsections in the 4th stage?
Few subsections to be aware of:
a) Design:
- Experimental design (independent measures, matched participants or repeated measures) and reasoning for why this particular design used
- Also research method needs to be selected with justification e.g. observation
- IV and DV need to be stated (ALSO confounding ones)
- Ethical issues need to be taken into account and how to deal with them
b) Sample:
- Give details of sample e.g. number of 👨 and 👩 , age, background, where did you get them from etc
- Explain sampling method used and why- pps must remain anonymous so ✖️ use any names
c) Apparatus/materials:
- Make concise list of materials required to carry out research
d) Procedure:
- Bullet pointed steps that need to be carried out in order to conduct research- written in sufficient depth and detail for easy replication
- Clear info presented from start to end of research
- Briefing, standardized instructions and debriefing must be included
Describe the 5th stage
5) Results (gained from research) section:
- Descriptive statistics- tables, charts, graphs, and raw data
- Central tendency e.g. mode, mean and median should be stated as well as measures of dispersion (range and standard deviation)
- Inferential statistics - what statistical test used and why (justify use of statistical test)
- Report significance levels and calculated values
- If qualitative data been collected, categories and themes should be described with examples
- State whether experimental/null hypothesis is accepted/rejected
Describe the 6th stage
6) Discussion Section:
Researcher will interpret results of study using 4 key areas:
1) Summary of results- results reported in brief format and some explanation given about what they mean
2) Relationship to background research- results of study discussed in relation to research reported in introduction section and other related research
3) Limitations of methodology and modifications- criticism may be made about methods used in study and modifications/improvements suggested
4) Implications and suggestions- implication of results for psychological theory and real life applications- suggestions made for future research
Describe the 7th stage
7) Reference section:
- Full details of any journals or books mentioned in report must be provided in reference section
Journal referencing:
Author’s name(s), date of publication, title of article, journal title, volume (issue number), page numbers
E.G.- Smith, M. (1991) “Effects of time of day and personality on intelligence and test scores” Personality and Individual Differences, 12(11). Pages 112-119
Book referencing:
Author’s name(s), date of publication, title of book, place of publication, publisher
E.G.- Flanagan, C. and Berry, D. (2016) A Level Psychology. Cheltenham: Illuminate Publishing
Describe the 1st stage
1) Title:
- should provide clear focus of study and should involve the 🔑 variables that you‘re investigating
- ✖️ be too vague or too specific, e.g. “An investigation to study the relationship between health and stress levels.”
