Reporting psychological investigations

Question 1

What are the 6 sections each report contains?

Answer 1

Abstract
introduction
Method
Results
Discussion
Referencing

Question 2

What is the abstract?

Answer 2

At the start of the report. A paragraph outlining the aims, methods, findings and conclusions. the purpose is to give the reader an overview of the study and provide them with the necessary information to determine whether they should read the whole report.

Question 3

What is the introduction?

Answer 3

An overview of past research and theory in the chosen area. a literature review designed to give the reader context and an idea of what others have found when researching this area. Then leads the researcher to state their aims and their hypothesis

Question 4

What is the method?

Answer 4

Includes details of how the research was carried out, makes the study replicable as the reader would know exactly what to do to carry out the study in the same way. usually split into four sub-sections.
- design- details, relevant variables and the experimental design
- participants- how many people were used, their characteristics and sampling method
- materials- what is needed to carry out the study
- procedures- step by step account of how the research was carried out

Question 5

What is the results?

Answer 5

The findings split into 2 sections
- descriptive statistics- summary of data, measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion and graph
- inferential statistics- statistical test used, observed and critical value, significance level, if it was supported or not

Question 6

What is the discussion?

Answer 6

Where the findings are discussed
- explanation of findings
- links to past research
- applications/implications
- areas for improvements/ ideas for future research

Question 7

What is the referencing?

Answer 7

List of all materials cited, in psychology its common to use the APA referencing style