Methods and Results Section

1. Methods and Results Section Psyc 301 Week 3

2. Today’s Agenda • Observational Study worksheet, data chart, and summary due today • Return Critiques • Quick Review • Observational Group Assignment Q&A • Methods & Results • Writing Workshop

3. A little fun with research words: • What is inter-rater reliability? • What is a dependent variable? • What is an independent variable? • Operationally define reaction time. • What is an observational study? • Some features (Intervention, w/o intervention) • What is the difference between an observational study and a true experiment?

4. Observational Study Results • Please break into your groups from last week. • We’ll share what we did and have an opportunity for others to ask questions.

5. Observational Study • Concept you looked at • HOW • Variables/times/location • What surprised you? • Tales from the field

6. Method & Results: Recipe • Method • What went in it? (Participants & Materials) • How did you put it together? (procedure) • Results • How did it turn out?

7. APA STYLE: Method • Key Points • Blueprint for readers to evaluate the study • Allows reader to mentally walk through the study • “Appropriately descriptive but not so exhaustive that it results in an overly detailed paragraph” (Dunn, 2004)

8. APA STYLE: Method Subsections: • Participants • Materials • Design • only sometimes • Procedure

9. What is included in the Methods section? • Participants – who? Also, where? • Describes participants in the study • Total # of subjects and the number in each category. • Major demographic characteristics such as sex, age, race/ethnicity, etc. • Do not give information that would enable others to identify the participants (e.g., names, references to GMU) because you need to maintain confidentiality. • REMEMBER: the 2 C’s: Compensation and Confidentiality • Brief Example (Dunn, 2004): Participants Fifty-six men, 51 women, and 1 respondent who did not indicate his or her sex participated in the experiment for credit toward a course requirement.

10. What is included in the Methods Section? (cont’d) • Apparatus or Materials – what? • List any special laboratory equipment used • specific questionnaires, charts, machines, other supplies prepared/used for data collection • Manufacturer names and models should be provided for machines • If any of the materials directly relate to one of the concepts, say so • e.g., you may have used a questionnaire in order to assess your participants’ level of happiness • What are the materials in your observational study?

11. Materials/Apparatus Example (Dunn, 2004) Stimuli and Apparatus Digital audio recordings were made in a large IAC sound-attenuating booth by means of a SHURE 5155D microphone in the booth, which was linked to a Denon PMA-680R stereo amplifier and Radius 81/110 computer with SoundScope software (GW Instruments, Inc., Somerville, MA). Test sessions were videotaped to ensure that infants’ mood was comparable across sessions) to preclude maternal vocal changes arising from infants’ mood change).

12. What is included in the Methods Section? (cont’d) • Procedure – how? • What happened from beginning to end? • Step-by-step/chronological representation of the study • General description of experimental design and tasks • How participants were assigned to conditions • Instructions given to participants • Description of all the independent and dependent variables • Operational definitions • Ways confounding variables were controlled for (reliability and validity as well) • Address debriefing procedures and ethical concerns • In Dunn, 2004: Refer to Table 5.1 on pg. 94

13. Example (Dunn, 2004) Procedure and Apparatus Each trial consisted of the following sequence of events. First, a central fixation dot appeared for 250 ms. After a 250-ms interval, a priming stimulus (an upright or inverted letter, or an array of random dots) appeared for a variable duration, followed immediately by the test display, which stayed on until the participant responded As quickly and as accurately as possible, the participant made same/different judgment about the two test figures by pressing one of two keys. Response times (RTs) were recorded by the computer. Feedback about an incorrect repsone was provided by an auditory tone presented as soon as the participant responded. Trials on which the response was incorrect were repeated at the end of the block.

14. Results Section: What does it tell us? • Presents research findings • Statistical Analyses of the study data • Tells reader “What happened” in terms of investigating the hypothesis • Were the hypotheses confirmed or rejected? • Results explained: • Verbally -- explain statistics in words • Statistically -- test statistics • Numerically -- comparing averages • Only report the results and do not discuss the data • Discussing the data is for the Discussion section

15. Results Section: Writing about statistics • Restate the hypothesis • State the Purpose of the analysis • ID the descriptive statistic to be used to summarize the results (I.e., Pearson Correlation) • Present a summary of this descriptive statistic across conditions in the text itself, in a table, or in a figure (point out the major findings on which the reader should focus) • Numbers are most clearly presented in parentheses. Example: More individuals sat on the right side of the bench (20) than on the left (10) or in the middle (5). • State the conclusion that follows from each test, but do not discuss implications (these belong in the Discussion section).

16. Example of Methods & Results Section from a paper written in APA style* *note: While according to the APA, there is one correct way to write the M&R, you will notice that journal articles tend to vary in the presentation of the M&R.

17. Methods Participants ______________________________ Materials ______________________________ Procedure ______________________________ Results ____________________________ ________________________________

18. A few reminders… • This time, you won’t be turning in raw data, but the methods and results of the data • Double-space • Put subheadings in italics • APA Style - Use Dunn (especially pages 92-98) and APA Manual (esp. pgs 17-26) as a reference

19. A few words about language… • This is a formal, “research” language, and thus you should avoid: • Colloquialisms (I.e., “gonna” and “dead as a doornail”) • Overuse of the words, “we” or “I” (only use if necessary) • Contractions • Spelling and grammar mistakes

21. Writing Voice • Passive versus Active voice: • Passive voice -- gives an impression of uncertainty • Ex) The participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups. • Avoid past tense text (were, was) • Active voice -- self assured • Ex) The experimental method required the random assignment of participants to one of three experimental groups

22. A few words about numbers… • Use your books to determine when to spell things out (numbers, etc.) and when to abbreviate. • The general rule for numbers is to spell out the numbers zero to nine • Numerals for numbers 10 and above • Decimals should extend to no further than the hundredths place (e.g., 7.10, 4.94) • Don’t include decimals if there are none (e.g., “7” rather than “7.00”) • Never begin a sentence with a numeral • Use M= for mean, Mdn= for median, N= for your total number of participants

23. Some Writing Suggestions • Clutter - remove it, sentences should be concise and clear • Clutter causes confusion, uncertainty • Ex) Is it clear to someone who is coming upon the subject for the first time? • REDUCED: Is it clear to someone encountering the subject for the first time

24. Some More Writing Suggestions • Avoid “Journalese” • “firing off a note” - how does a note fire? • “buzzing fragments” - what makes a fragment buzz? • “New York’s finest” - cliche

25. Refer to: • Dunn 2004 book: • General description: p. 92 - 98 • Example paper: p. 108 - 110 • APA Publication Manual: pg. 17 - 26 • APA style handouts (structure) • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/apa/index.html

26. For next class… • Write up Methods and Results sections for your observational study. • Print out and hand in final grade criteria for observational sheet stapled to your assignment • This outlines the main components that you will be graded on • Located on course website • Total value: 15 points • Grammar and spelling count (Proofread!) • Remember… this is a class about APA style

27. In-class activity • Method and Results practice • Hand in at the end of class for participation points • Due next Week: • Written methods and results sections of your OWN observational study • This is an independent writing assignment