Abstract

1. Title Mentions DV and IV/Predictor (or IV’s/Predictors) FirstnameLastname, Second Author, Template Poster & Fourth Author Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Abstract This is a 35 inch x 47 inch template for a research conference poster. It contains some advice for psychology students and also shows how some formatting can be done. In your abstract, strive for 100-200 words. You’ll save time and summarize your poster better if you write the abstract after all the other sections are finished. Introduction Some people prefer paragraphs in a poster, as if the poster is just a very short research paper. This is the most common way to write a poster. But after presenting dozens of conference posters, I have to admit that what I prefer is to see the literature review and list of hypotheses in outline form (i.e., with bullet points). I’ve never seen a conference attendee read an entire poster, and outlines are easier to skim than paragraphs. But the choice is yours (unless your professor gives you a firm rule). A good way to start your intro is by very briefly giving your reader a reason why they should care about your dependent variable. If your dependent variable is compulsive buying, for example, tell the reader (very, very briefly) what compulsive buying is and what kind of problems compulsive buyers experience. Cite relevant research using APA-formatting rules, of course, but remember that you do not have space in a poster for lots and lots of references (like you might have in a paper). Then tell the reader very briefly why your indepdendent variable (or independent variables) should be related to your dependent variable. Notice how little space you have to describe things in a poster. Omit every needless word. This is just example text for how you might list your hypotheses. In this study, I (or we) hypothesized that: Zippideedoodah would be significantly positively related to dependent variable. Yippideedoodee would be significantly negatively related to dependent variable. Zippideedoodah and Yippideedoodee would significantly interact, such that the relation between Zippideedoodee and dependent variable would be noticeably stronger for participants high in Yippideedoodee than for participants low in Yippideedoodee. I expected all of these predicted results to obtain while participant age, sex and socioeconomic status were statistically controlled. Method Here is example text that shows you how you can very briefly describe your method. 33 males, 80 females and one transgendered person (Mage = 21.25, SDage = 6.28) completed an online survey that was advertised on Facebook. Participants used 1 to 7 scales with all individual difference measures. Higher scores on each variable represented higher standing on the construct. To measure compulsive buying, we used the six-item scale developed by Ridgeway et al. (2008). Extraversion was measured using the ten-item scale available at the Oregon Research Institute’s International Personality Item Pool. The four components of impulsivity were measured with items from the original UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale (Whiteside & Lynam, 2001), though only the 40 items which Magid and Colder (2007) observed to have satisfactory factor loadings were used in our analyses. Each scale was internally consistent (compulsive buying: α = .83; extraversion: α = .90; urgency: α = .90; premedidation: α = .90; perseverance: α = .89; sensation seeking: α = .89). Results Here is some sample text for a very short results section. But keep in mind that it would be better to just present a table or two preceded by a one or two sentences of explanation. The type of table you use will depend on the type of analysis you do. Ask your professor for an example of an APA-formatted table that’s appropriate for your analysis. A simultaneous multiple regression (R2 = .30, F [8, 105] = 5.49, p < .001; predicting compulsive buying) included sex, age, educational attainment, extraversion and the four impulsivity components as predictors. Urgency was the only significant impulsivity component (β = .30, t = 3.12, p = .002). This effect confirms our hypothesis. Contrary to predictions, there was a non-significant effect of sensation seeking (β = .09, t = .92, p = .36) as well as a marginally significant effect of perseverance (β = -.19, t = -1.86, p = .07). In the same multiple regression model (with compulsive buying as the criterion), a negative association was found with educational attainment (β = -.27, t = -2.71, p = .01). Contrary to predictions, age was not a significant predictor (β = .03, t = .32, p = .75) but sex was (β = -.19, t = -2.16, p = .03; such that men scored lower than women). Discussion In the first paragraph of your discussion, it’s a good idea to summarize your results (in plain English that a high school student could understand). If you choose to write in outline form (i.e., bullet points) in your introduction, use the same form here in the discussion (and in the method and results, if appropriate). Each section of your poster should have a similar look (although the results section might be the only section with a table). You may only have space for two paragraphs in your discussion. Because of this, your second paragraph should briefly state what your results suggest about current theory (i.e., do your results support or contradict the XYZ model of compulsive buying?) and practice (i.e., what do your results suggest that clinicians/parents/teachers/policy makers/organizations should do?). Don’t forget to write your abstract after all the other sections are done. By the way, if you’re desperate for space at the end, it might be forgivable to make the font size of your references a little smaller than your typical font size. You may have noticed that, in a poster, you should follow the APA-formatting rules for citations, references and headers, but otherwise you can be flexible. The indents in the references below, for example, are improper, but they make the references a little easier to distinguish. References Billieux, J., Rochat, L., Rebetez, M. M. L., & Van der Linden, M. (2008). This is just an example reference: Are all facets of impulsivity related to self-reported buying behavior? Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 1432-1442. Faber, R. J. (2011). Diagnosis and epidemiology of compulsive buying. In A. Mueller & J. E. Mitchell (Eds.), Compulsive Buying: Clinical Foundations and Treatment (pp. 3-17). New York: Taylor & Francis. Frost, R. O., Kim, H., Morris, C., Bloss, C., Murray-Close, M., & Steketee, G. (1998). Hoarding, compulsive buying and reasons for saving. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 657-664. Magid, V., & Colder, C. R. (2007). The UPPS impulsive behavior scale: Factor structure and associations with college drinking. Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 1927-1937. Ridgway, N. M., Kukar-Kinney, M., & Monroe, K. B. (2008). An expanded conceptualization and a new measure of compulsive buying. Journal of Consumer Research, 35, 622-639. Ridgway, N. M., Kukar-Kinney, M., & Monroe, K. B. (2011). The measurement of compulsive buying and its application to internet buyers. In A. Mueller & J. E. Mitchell (Eds.), Compulsive Buying: Clinical Foundations and Treatment (pp. 3-17). New York: Taylor & Francis. Rose, P. (2007). Mediators of the association between narcissism and compulsive buying: The roles of materialism and impulse control. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 21(4), 576-581. Whiteside, S. P., & Lynam, D. R. (2001). The five factor model and impulsivity: Using a structural model of personality to understand impulsivity. Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, 30, 669-689.