Reporting psychological investigations

Question 1

Designing your own study - introduction

Answer 1

Consider past research (theories and / or studies).
The findings from such studies lead to research aims / hypotheses.
Decide on the research aims and / or hypothesis.
(In an exam this may be provided)
Decide on whether to use a directional or non-directional hypothesis.
This is related to what past research has found.

Question 2

Designing your own study - method

Answer 2

Decide on the target population.
Decide on the overarching research method.
For example:
Experiment.
Questionnaire.
Case study.
Content analysis.
Your choice of method should be related to the research aims and the relative advantages and disadvantages of each method.
(In an exam the required method is likely to be stated)
In the case of an experiment or study using correlational analysis you need to identify the IV and DV or co-variables.
Decide how these will be operationalised.

Question 3

Designing your own study - design and materials

Answer 3

Consider what materials you will be using and describe these.
Consider issues related to validity and reliability and how these will be dealt with.
Reliability generally concerns questionnaires, interviews and observational techniques.

Question 4

Designing your own study - design and materials (experiments)

Answer 4

Lab, field or natural experiment?
Repeated measures, independent groups design or matched pairs?

Question 5

Designing your own study - design and materials (questionnaires)

Answer 5

Structured, semi-structured or unstructured?
Open and / or closed questions?
Produce a sample of some of your questions.

Question 6

Designing your own study - design and materials (observations)

Answer 6

Naturalistic or controlled?
Direct or indirect?
Structured or unstructured techniques?
Overt our covert observation?
Participant or non-participant observation?

Question 7

Designing your own study - ethics

Answer 7

Identify any ethical issues that might arise in the study.
Consider how they might be dealt with.

Question 7

Designing your own study - participants

Answer 7

Identify a suitable sampling technique.
Explain how it would be used.
Consider size and composition of the sample.
If using independent groups, explain how to assign participants to groups.
In an observational study, sampling applies to the selection of participants and also applies to how often observations are recorded.
(Time or event sampling)

Question 8

Designing your own study - procedures

Answer 8

What will actually be done?
To what extent could someone else follow your instructions and repeat exactly what you do?
Outline standardised instructions given to each participant.
This includes valid consent.
Explain when and what materials will be given, where the participants are tested, how long they will have etc.
Conduct a pilot study.
Before conducting the full-scale study, a pilot study might be conducted with a few people similar to the target population, testing the materials to be used and the standardised instructions.

Question 9

Designing your own study - results

Answer 9

Consider what statistics to use.
This includes descriptive and inferential statistics.
(This includes the level of significance to be used)
For a questionnaire / interview:
Analysis is likely to focus on individual questions.

Question 10

Structure of research reports

Answer 10

Abstract.
Introduction.
Method.
Results.
Discussion.
References.

Question 11

Structure of research reports - abstract

Answer 11

A summary of the study covering the aims, hypothesis, the method, results and conclusions.
(This includes implications)

Question 12

Structure of research reports - introduction

Answer 12

This begins with a review of previous research (theories and studies).
The focus of this research review should lead logically to the study to be conducted so the reader is convinced of the reasons for this particular research.
The introduction should start broadly and narrowing down to the particular research hypothesis.
The researcher(s) states their aims, research prediction and / or hypothesis.

Question 13

Structure of research reports - method (design)

Answer 13

Design:
Experimental design.
Type of observation.
Design decisions might be justified.

Question 14

Structure of research reports - method (participants)

Answer 14

Information about sampling methods.
How many participants took part?
(And their details)

Question 15

Structure of research reports - method (apparatus / materials)

Answer 15

Description of any materials used.

Question 16

Structure of research reports - method (procedures)

Answer 16

Including standardised instructions, the testing environment, the order of events and so on.

Question 17

Structure of research reports - method (ethics)

Answer 17

Significant ethical issues may be mentioned

Question 18

Structure of research reports - results

Answer 18

What the researcher(s) found, including:
Descriptive statistics - tables and graphs showing frequencies and measures of central tendency and dispersion.
Inferential statistics - justified, observed (calculated) value and significance level reported.
Statement of qualitative research, categories and themes are described alongside examples.

Question 19

Structure of research reports - discussion

Answer 19

Summary of results.
Relationship to previous research.
Consideration of methodology
Implications of psychological theory and possible real-world applications.
Suggestions for future research.

Question 20

Structure of research reports - references

Answer 20

The full details of any journal articles or books that are mentioned.
In the text only the name and date are given.