Psychology 468

Psychology 468W

Research Methods

Research Project

Research Project Description:

This term you will continue and complete the research project that you proposed in Psy 467. Each student will design, propose, and carry out an individual research project. As noted last term, this project is similar to the paper you completed for Psychology 217W or 301W. The project will require that you use all of your library research skills, experimental design knowledge, scientific writing and knowledge of APA 5^th edition style. In addition, you will apply the statistical techniques learned in this class to analyze your data and present your findings in a formal presentation to the Western Oregon University community at the end of spring term.

In Psy 467 you completed a first draft of your research paper. This term in Psy 468 you will complete the following assignments

Portion of Project Due Date Pts Possible

Abstract April 17 10

Proposal to Present w/revised Abstract April 24 10

Oral Presentation April 24 15

Draft #2 May 1 50

IRB Paperwork May 1 10

Poster at Academic Excellence May 31 25

Draft #3 June 8 80

200

Abstract & Proposal to Present w/Abstract: To be eligible to present your research in a poster later in the term at the Academic Excellence showcase, you must submit an abstract in class on April 17^th. Your abstract will be returned with feedback on April 19^th. Make required revisions and then submit your abstract on a proposal to present form electronically to roscoel@wou.edu and strappc@wou.edu by 5:00 pm on Tuesday April 24^th. A sample proposal to present sheet and instructions on writing your abstract appear in this packet. An electronic copy of the proposal to present form is available on the Psychology Division website. Complete this sheet, insert your revised abstract and submit electronically as directed above. Be sure to submit your abstract on time. Late submission may result in exclusion from the poster session at the Academic Excellence showcase.

Oral Presentation: In class on April 24 you will present an 8-10 minute summary of your proposed research to a small group of your classmates. Your peers will serve as an advisory committee and evaluate the ethics of your proposal. Guidelines for your oral presentation appear in this packet. Do not miss this day of class. You will not be allowed to make up a missed oral presentation.

Draft#2: This draft is due in class on May 1^st. This draft must be typed with double spacing and include each of the following sections as outlined in the APA manual (5th edition): Title Page, Introduction, Method, and References. This draft should be between 8-10 pages in content length (introduction and method) and include at least 10 scholarly references. This draft should include revisions suggested in Draft#1 and you are required to attach Draft#1 with my comments/feedback. Draft#2 guidelines and gradesheet attached.

IRB Paperwork: At the beginning of the term, we will review the campus IRB process. In class on May 1 we will complete the paperwork necessary to submit your research proposal to the Institutional Review Board. For class that day you must bring a copy of your abstract, you must be prepared to describe your methodology in detail, and include copies of any assessment tools or materials that you plan to use (i.e., surveys, word lists, pictures, etc.). In addition, you must submit a signed copy of the consent form that you plan to use in your research, as well as your debriefing form. You will not be allowed to begin data collection for your study until you have submitted a complete IRB packet including the above information and have received formal approval from the IRB.

Poster Presentation: Each student will prepare a poster that depicts the research conducted and present that poster in a formal poster session to be held at the Academic Excellence showcase on May 31^st. Guidelines and grading criteria for posters are attached. You may choose to present your poster at one of the two poster sessions: 9:00-11:00 am or 2:00-4:00 pm.

Draft# 3: The complete paper is due on Friday June 8^th by 5:00pm to Dr. Strapp (Todd 309) or Linda Kunze (Todd 325). Your final paper should include each of the following sections as outlined in the APA manual (5^th edition): Title page, Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, and References. It should be between 13-15 pages in content length, include at least 12 scholarly references. Additionally it must incorporate feedback received from prior drafts. Be sure to attach Draft #2 with comments/feedback. Draft#3 guidelines and gradesheet are attached.

Psychology 468

Writing an Abstract

Due April 17, 2007

An abstract is a brief summary of a study. The summary should be concise, informative, and self contained, to allow readers to understand what occurred in the study, without reading the entire article. Although abstracts are typically written after a study is completed, in order to present your study at the Academic Excellence showcase, you must prepare and submit an abstract prior to collecting your data. Therefore, you will write the abstract as you plan to conduct the study, in as much detail as possible recognizing that what you present at the Academic Excellence showcase may include slightly different results.

Your abstract must include the following information in the order that appears below:

-The first sentence should be a clear cut statement of your hypothesis: why are you conducting this study?

-The participants in as much detail as possible (provide estimates of number, sex, age)

-The research design used (i.e., between, within, mixed design study) along with how you manipulated the independent variable and how you measured the dependent variable. Be sure to reference any published scales that are used in the study.

-Specify the expected results.

-The conclusions and implications drawn from the results, what do your results tell us about this topic?

Content Guidelines:

1) Be sure that your abstract is self-contained (you should be able to understand it without reference to the rest of the paper). Define abbreviations, acronyms and unique terms. Paraphrase rather than quote. If the research presented is based on previous research be sure to reference the other publication.

2) Be concise & specific. Make each sentence as informative as possible. The first sentence should describe the purpose of the research completed.

3) Your abstract should be 100 words or less.

4) Write in clear and vigorous prose. Use active rather than passive voice.

Style:

1) Type the abstract in block form (no indentations).

2) Double space between all lines of text. Type must be dark & readable.

3) Do not hyphenate between lines.

4) Your abstract should be free of spelling & grammatical errors.

5) Although you are limited to 100 words, make sure that you use complete sentences.

Abstract Grade Sheet (1 point each)

Content

1. The problem under investigation (one sentence)

2. Participants in as much detail as possible

3. The research method used

4. Clear how IV was manipulated and DV measured

5. Expected results

6. Implications of the results

Style

7. Block paragraph no indentions

8. Double spaced

9. Met 100 word limit

10. Free of spelling & grammatical errors

Revise your abstract based on changes recommended and resubmit your abstract on a completed Proposal to Present form to roscoel@wou.edu and strappc@wou.edu by April 24 at 5:00 pm.

Psychology Academic Excellence Proposal to Present Form

Your Name: Joey Superstudent Phone No.: (503) 123-4567

Email: jss@wou.edu

Title of your Presentation: The Effects of Gender on Credibility and Intelligence Ratings

Abstract (100 word limit):

This research predicted that a scientific article would be rated more positively if the author was a male compared to a female. Using a between-subjects design, thirty participants, including 15 females and 15 males (M = 19.5 years, SD = 1.21) were randomly assigned to read an article written by a male, a female, or an unspecified author and then rate the credibility and intelligence of the author. The female author received lower credibility scores and was rated as less intelligent compared to the male author. These results suggest that gender stereotypes influence perceptions.

Session Format:

Power Point Presentation OR Poster

Choose a length: 15 minutes Choose a session: 9 to 11 OR

30 minutes 2 to 4

Audio Visual Requests:

Your Faculty Sponsor: Chehalis Strapp

For Publicity Use -

Major: Psychology

Current Academic Standing (FR, SO, JR, SR):

Home Town: Salem

High School: SC High School

Note, you may be asked for your permission for WOU to use your name, image and work for promotional purposes.

This form including your abstract IS due via e-mail to Lauren Roscoe (roscoel@wou.edu) no later than Tuesday, April 24^th, 2007 at 5pm. No late proposals will be accepted.

Academic Excellence Showcase

Instructions to Presenters:

Academic excellence day is Thursday, May 31^st.
Students are encouraged to submit 301, 468 projects, honor thesis, independent research, or other projects. Each proposal needs to have a faculty sponsor.
Presentations will be either power point presentations or poster presentations. Power point presentations will be 15 minutes (12 minutes of talk with 3 minutes of questions) or 30 minutes (25 minutes of talking with 5 minutes for questions). Poster presentations will be at one of two sessions from 9 to 11am OR 2 to 4. Power point presentations will be scheduled in two sessions, 8:30 to 11:30 and 1 to 4. Please denote the type presentation format as well as time on the proposal form.
All submissions must be the electronic submission form with the included abstract. Proposals must be mailed to roscoel@wou.edu no later than Tuesday, April 24^th at 5pm. NO LATE SUBMISSIONS will be accepted.
Please note on your proposal if you are also submitting or are included on another proposal so we can schedule the two presentations at different times.

Electronic application forms are due to roscoel@wou.edu by Tuesday, April 24^th at 5pm. Psy 468 students: cc a copy of this form to strappc@wou.edu

Psychology Academic Excellence Proposal to Present Form

Your Name: Phone No.: Email:

Title of your Presentation:

Abstract (100 word limit):

Session Format:

Power Point Presentation OR Poster

Choose a length: 15 minutes Choose a session: 9 to 11 OR

30 minutes 2 to 4

Audio Visual Requests:

Your Faculty Sponsor:

For Publicity Use -

Major:

Current Academic Standing (FR, SO, JR, SR):

Home Town:

High School:

Note, you may be asked for your permission for WOU to use your name, image and work for promotional purposes.

This form including your abstract IS due via e-mail to Lauren Roscoe (roscoel@wou.edu) no later than Tuesday, April 24^th, 2007 at 5pm. No late proposals will be accepted.

Psychology 468 Oral Presentation

Reviewer’s Grade Sheet

Title of Paper:

Author:

Reviewer:

Introduction:

1. Did the author briefly summarize the most pertinent past research?

2. Did the author specify the hypothesis?

3. Does the hypothesis make sense given the prior research described?

Method

4. Who are the subjects? How will they be selected/sampled? Will the research exclude some subjects from participation?

5. What are the major variables of interest? Which variables will serve as independent variables? How will they be manipulated? Which variables will serve as dependent variables? How will they be measured?

6. Materials/apparatus: Has the author provided a copy of the measures to be used in the study? Do the materials look appropriate what the author hopes to achieve? (measuring the DV? Manipulating the IV?)

7. Is the researcher proposing a between, within or mixed design?

8. Will the methods described appropriately test the researcher’s hypothesis?

Ethical Considerations:

9. How will informed consent be obtained? Does the researcher have a prepared informed consent form for participants to sign?

10. Regarding informed consent, what will the participants know about the study before they agree to participate? Will the participants know enough to make a reasonable decision regarding participation?

11. Is it clear that participants can withdraw from the study at any time without penalty?

12. How will confidentiality and privacy be maintained?

13. Is deception used in the study? If so how will the researcher debrief and desensitize participants if necessary? Does the author have a copy of the debriefing form?

Statistical Considerations:

14. What has the researcher done to avoid making a type 1 error/False Alarm?

15. What has the researcher done to avoid making a type 2 error/Miss?

AS A REVIEWER, WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL RATING OF THIS ORAL PRESENTATION BASED ON THE ABOVE 15 POINTS?

Add up the number of items that the research presented and put the total number in the box below.

The research presented information regarding ________ of the above 15 points.

TURN IN THIS SHEET TO DR. STRAPP AT THE END OF CLASS

Psychology 468

Draft #2 Guidelines

Content:

Title Page: -Title (self-contained and not to exceed 15 words)

-Author’s Name

-Affiliation (Western Oregon University)

-Running Head (short enough to fit on each page)

Introduction: Remember your introduction section should resemble a funnel shape. It should start out broadly and end narrowly. It should include three main sections starting with the problem under investigation (general theories related to your topic), developing the background (describe specific research conducted in this area) and ending with a clear statement of the purpose and rationale of your study (your hypotheses/predictions). In the general theories section, be sure to describe how prior researchers have attempted to explain this topic (i.e., what theories exist on body image?). Additionally be sure to define your major variables here (but please do not say “body image is defined as….). In describing prior research, for each relevant study be sure to include information about why the researchers did the study, the hypothesis, how variables were operationally defined (but please don’t say body image is operationally defined as…) who participated, what the results were, and what the results mean about your topic (again please don’t say “these results relate to my topic in that….). Finally, when stating the purpose and rationale of your study, sum up and reference prior research before making a formal statement of your hypothesis. Be sure to consider the following questions in closing your introduction section:

-What variables do I plan to manipulate? to measure?

-What results do I expect and why do I expect them? (the logic and rationale for each hypothesis should be clear).

Method: Your method section should include the three main subsections: Participants, Apparatus, and Procedure. Each subsection should be include enough detail for your research to be replicated.

-Participants: Who will participate? How many? How will they be selected and assigned to groups? Report relevant demographic characteristics such as sex and age. If a subject characteristic (i.e., ethnic background, marital status, level of education) or health condition (i.e., not experiencing seasonal allergies, regular consumer of caffeine) is a variable of interest be sure to specify in as much detail as possible.

-Apparatus: Provide details on the apparatus or materials to be used in your study. How will you measure your variables? Identify/cite specialized equipment or questionnaires and provide sample questions. Each item used in your study should be described in a separate paragraph. For example if you are administering a standardized scale, you should describe the scale in a paragraph that includes the reference for the scale, number of questions, format of questions, sample item, how the scale is scored, and what the scale is supposed to assess. Remember that anything that you expose your participants to must be described in sufficient detail for replication (i.e., music played, video shown, story read, word list for recall).

-Procedure: Step by step what will happen for your participants from the moment they arrive until when they leave your study. What will they know about the study? Describe how groups will be formed and specific experimental manipulations. Describe randomization or counterbalancing procedure to be used. Summarize instructions to be given to participants. If deception will be used, how will you debrief your subjects? How will you ensure privacy and confidentiality? Additionally if prior to participating instructions are given to participants be sure to describe those as well (i.e., participants were asked to refrain from consuming caffeinated beverages for 2 hours prior to participation).

References: All references must be in APA (5th edition) format. Be sure to include everything that is cited in your paper. At this point, you should have at least 10 references.

Format:

See APA format & referencing guide from Psy 467.

Psychology 468

Draft #2 Grade Sheet

Title Page

Title

Author’s Name

Author’s Affiliation

Running Head

Problems

_____Title too long, not self-contained, not capitalized appropriately

_____Missing relevant information (as listed above)

_____Unimportant information included (i.e., Psy 467)

_____Running head not used appropriately

_____Other

Introduction

Title

Introduce the Problem (General Theories)

Develop the Background (Specific Research)

State Purpose & Rationale (Hypotheses)

Referencing APA style throughout

Problems

_____The word Introduction appears instead of paper’s title

_____Does not start out broadly and end narrowly

_____Lacks theoretical support

_____Insufficient Literature Review

_____Needs to describe more research in detail

_____Statement of problem/hypothesis too brief or lacking

_____Rationale for Hypotheses unclear from previous background

_____APA referencing & citations incomplete or missing

_____Don’t quote unless quote is unique and cannot be paraphrased

_____Don’t give personal opinions (unless critiquing previous research)

_____Other

Method

Titles

Participants

Apparatus

Procedure

Problems

_____Detail not sufficient to replicate this study

_____How will consent be obtained?

_____Insufficient information about participants

_____How will participants be selected/sampled?

_____How will participants be assigned to groups? Randomization/Counterbalancing?

_____What will participants be told about the research?

_____Materials need description and/or citations

_____How will participants be debriefed? What will they be told?

_____Operational definitions of variables unclear

how will IV(s) be manipulated?

how will DV(s) be measured?

_____How will privacy & confidentiality be maintained?

_____Ethical Considerations?

_____How will confounding/extraneous variables be controlled?

_____Design of study unclear: between, within, mixed

_____Unclear how study will test hypothesis

_____Other

References

Title

APA Style

Everything cited appears here

At least 10 scholarly references

Problems

_____APA Style not followed or used inconsistently

_____Not in alphabetical order

_____Not enough sources used

_____Does not match text

_____Too many secondary source cited

_____Other

Format

Margins (1 to 1½ inches) and Double Spacing

Indentation & Dark Type

Running Head & Pagination

Font 12 point

Content Length

Grammar

Spelling

Revisions from Draft #1

Problems

_____Don’t use bold

_____Don’t use all caps

_____Margins inconsistent

_____Double spacing not used

_____Running head & page numbers in the wrong place

_____Spell check not used

_____Fragmented sentences/grammatical problems

_____Don’t use I, we, us, our,

_____Use active rather than passive voice

_____ Length insufficient (needs to be 8-10 pages in content length: Introduction, Method)

_____Did not include draft #1/did not make revisions from draft #1

_____Other

Results

To test the hypothesis that the use of the warm color, orange, would stimulate and enhance memory in older adults compared to green an independent sample t-test was performed on the number of items recalled across the two conditions. Contrary to expectations, the subjects that viewed the pictures on a green poster recalled more items (M = 8.05, SD = 1.55) than the subjects that viewed the pictures on an orange poster (M = 6.75, SD = 1.81), independent samples t(33) = 2.30, p = .028, one-tail, r² = .14 (see Table 1 and Figure 1).

Psychology 468

Draft #3 Guidelines

Due June 8, 2007 by 5:00 pm to Todd 309 or Todd 325

Title Page: -Title (self-contained and not to exceed 15 words)

-Author’s Name

-Affiliation (Western Oregon University)

-Running Head (short enough to fit on each page)

Abstract: The abstract should be a brief summary of your research project. Like the title, it should be self contained. Your abstract must include the following information

· Problem under investigation in one sentence (hypotheses)

· Information about participants including number, gender, age (mean and standard deviation), and any demographic information relevant to your hypothesis (i.e., personality types, ethnicity)

· Information about materials used to conduct your study, including names & references of tests used.

· Results reported in APA style with significance levels and effect sizes. (This will be new information added since your initial abstract)

· Implications of your results

Your abstract must be a concise summary of your research. It should not exceed 120 words. Although concise, be sure to use complete sentences in your abstract. The title for this section is Abstract which should appear centered over this section. The abstract should be a single paragraph in block format (no indentations). The abstract should be double spaced.

-Which variables did I manipulate? Which variables did I measure?

-Did my hypotheses follow logically from information described in the introduction section?

-Did my methodology follow logically from prior research?

Method: Your method section should include the three main subsections: Participants, Apparatus, and Procedure. Each subsection should include enough detail for your research to be replicated. Be sure that this section has been updated to reflect the your actual vs. projected data.

-Participants: Who participated? How many? How were they sampled? Did they receive extra credit for participation? Report relevant demographic characteristics such as sex and age (mean and standard deviation). If a subject characteristic is a variable of interest (ethnic background, marital status, and level of education) be sure to specify in as much detail as possible.

-Apparatus: Provide details on the apparatus or materials used in your study. Describe each instrument used in the study and reference appropriately. Describe what each instrument is designed to assess, provide a sample question (italicize the sample question) and describe what scores are thought to indicate (i.e., high scores over 35 indicate higher levels of extraversion)

-Procedure: Step by step what you did including how you obtained informed consent, what participants know prior to consenting to participate, paraphrase instructions to participants, how groups were formed, and how your independent variable was manipulated, and how the dependent variable was measured. Describe randomization and or counterbalancing procedures. Be sure to describe how you ensured privacy, confidentiality, and how participants were debriefed at the end of the study.

Results: In this section you will report descriptive and inferential statistics run on your data and present appropriate tables or graphs. Specific statistics run are dependent on the type data collected (quantitative or qualitative), design of the study (between, within, mixed) and number of variables included. Inferential statistics must test your hypotheses. Be sure to report your results in APA style including significance levels, and effect sizes. Graphs and tables must be used to supplement information provided in your results section. Graphs and tables should be referred to within your text, but should appear at the end of your paper. Remember that you only report your results in this section. Save interpretation of your findings and implications for your Discussion section. The word Results should appear centered at the top of this section. You do not need to start this section on a new page.

Discussion: This section should be the mirror opposite of your introduction section. It should move from specific to general. Start out with your hypotheses, restate your results and describe what these results mean. Did you support your hypothesis or not and what does that mean? What are the implications of your results? At this point, it makes sense to critique your work. Describe any problems encountered in your research and why you believe that they may have influenced your findings. Be sure to describe why you believe something was a problem rather than simply listing weaknesses. After interpreting your findings, relate what you’ve found back to prior research described in the introduction section. Did you replicate prior work or not? How do your results fit with prior research? Be sure to briefly restate prior research described in the introduction to clarify similarities and differences with your own methodology and results. Finally, describe how the implications of your results fit with general theories in this area. Do your findings support or call into question a theory? Be sure that you reference all prior research appropriately as you did in the introduction section. As a general rule, this section should be no shorter than ½ the length of your introduction section (i.e., if your introduction section is 5 pages long, the discussion should be at least 2 ½ pages long). The word Discussion should be centered at the top of this section. This section begins immediately after your results section. You do not need to start a new page for this section.

References: All references must be in APA (5th edition) format. Be sure to include everything that is cited in your paper. Additionally, references should not appear on this page if they are not included in your paper. This draft must have at least 12 scholarly references. You should not include more than 3 secondary sources in your references section.

Appendices: Any special materials not previously published elsewhere should be included in an appendix.

Tables: Tables allow you to present data that would be cumbersome to report in your results section. For example, tables can show the mean and standard deviations for several groups participating more clearly than textual presentation in the results section. They should be referred to within the text, but should not duplicate information presented in the text. For example, “The mean scores on the Bem inventory for the four groups are presented in table 1”. Each table should have a title that clarifies the data presented in the table. Recall that tables will appear at the end of your paper, following the references and appendices, rather than within your text.

Table 1

Mean score and standard error on the Bem inventory as a function of age and gender

________________________________________________________________

Gender

Bem Male Female

________ ________

Scores

M SE M SE p <

________________________________________________________________

Old 6.20 1.02 8.28 .99 .016

Young 5.88 .72 7.40 .71 .001

________________________________________________________________

Figures Figures should be used to supplement data presented in the text. Figures include can include histograms, bar graphs, line graphs, and scatterplots. The figure you use depends upon your data (quantitative or qualitative), as well as the design of your study (within, between, mixed). Like tables, they should supplement information presented in your text, but not duplicate. Your text should refer the reader to data presented in a figure. Remember that like tables, figures appear at the end of your paper, following tables and not in your text. Figure captions (titles) appear on one page, while the actual figures appear on the following pages. For example,

Figure Captions

Figure 1. Mean group differences in temperature change.

Followed by the next page

Figure 1.

Draft #3 Grade Sheet

Title Page

Title

Author’s Name

Author’s Affiliation

Running Head

Problems

_____Title Problems: unclear variables or too long or not self-contained

_____Missing relevant information (as listed above)

_____Unimportant information included (i.e., Psy 468)

_____Running head not used appropriately

_____Other

Abstract

Title

Problem under investigation

Participants

Materials

Procedure

Results including significance levels & effect sizes

Implications

Problems

_____Abstract does not appeared centered

_____Hypotheses not clearly stated

_____Insufficient information about participants

_____Materials not listed or referenced appropriately

_____Procedure unclear

_____Results not reported in APA style, missing significance levels or effect sizes

_____Implication of results unclear

_____Not in block format

_____Exceeds 120 words

Introduction

Title

Introduce the Problem (General Theories)

Develop the Background (Specific Research)

State Purpose & Rationale (Hypotheses)

Referencing APA style throughout

Problems

_____The word Introduction appears instead of paper’s title

_____Does not start out broadly and end narrowly, insufficient theoretical support

_____Insufficient Literature Review (describe prior research & implications)

_____Statement of problem too brief or lacking

_____Rationale for Hypotheses unclear from previous background

_____APA referencing & citations incomplete or missing

_____ (As cited in….) used more than 3 times

_____Don’t quote unless quote is unique and cannot be paraphrased

_____ Other

Method

Titles

Participants

Apparatus

Procedure

Problems

_____Detail not sufficient to replicate this study

_____How was consent be obtained?

_____Insufficient information about participants

_____How were participants selected/sampled?

_____How were participants assigned to groups?

Randomization or counterbalancing

_____What were participants told about the research?

_____Materials need description and or citations

_____How were participants debriefed?

_____Operational definitions of variables unclear

how was IV manipulated?

how was DV measured?

_____How were privacy & confidentiality be maintained?

_____Additional Ethical Considerations?

_____How were confounding/extraneous variables controlled?

_____Design unclear: between, within, mixed

_____Unclear how design tested hypotheses

_____Other

Results

Descriptive Statistics

Inferential Statistics

Variables of Interest DV(s), IV(s)

Hypotheses Tested

Tables or Figures

Problems

_____The descriptive statistics are not appropriate (quantitative vs. qualitative)

_____The inferential statistics are not appropriate (quantitative or qualitative)

_____The inferential statistics are not appropriate for testing the hypotheses

_____Results are not reported in APA style

_____Significance levels not reported

_____Effect sizes not reported

_____Implications discussed here

_____No figures or tables presented to clarify results

_____Other problems

Discussion

Title

Interpretation of results and evaluation of hypotheses

Critique of work

Relate results to prior research

Relate results back to general theories

Referencing APA style throughout

Problems

_____Does not start out narrowly and end broadly

_____Interpretation of results & implications unclear

_____Simply lists problems rather than describing impact on study

_____Does not relate findings to major research described in introduction

_____Does not relate findings to general theories described in introduction

_____APA referencing & citations incomplete or missing

_____Don’t quote unless quote is unique and cannot be paraphrased

_____Transitions needed between paragraphs

_____Don’t give personal opinions (unless critiquing current and previous research)

_____Other

References

Title

APA Style

Everything cited appears here

At least 12 scholarly references

Problems

_____APA Style not followed or used inconsistently

_____Not in alphabetical order

_____Not enough sources used

_____Missing or incomplete references

_____Too many secondary source cited (don’t use more than 3)

_____Other

Appendices, Tables, Figures

Titles

APA style

Referred to within text

Makes sense without reference to text

Problems

______ Not referred to within text

_______Reproduces material presented in text

______ Unclear without reference to text

______ Table title unclear

______ Figure & Figure captions incorrect

______ Does not use tables and figures to supplement text

Format

Margins (1 to 1½ inches) and Double Spacing

Indentation & Dark Type

Running Head & Pagination

Font 12 point

13-15 pages in content length

Grammar

Spelling

Revisions from Draft#1 & 2

Problems

_____ Spell check not used

_____Fragmented Sentences

_____Transitions needed between paragraphs

_____Don’t use I, we, our, us

_____Use active rather than passive voice

_____Don’t give personal opinions (unless critiquing previous research)

_____Don’t use bold

_____Don’t use all caps

_____Margins inconsistent

_____Double spacing not used

_____Running head & page numbers in the wrong place

_____Length insufficient

_____Did not make recommended changes from Draft#1 & #2

Psychology 468

Poster Presentation at Academic Excellence Showcase

Presentations are held by at conferences of professional organizations, such as the American Psychological Association, to facilitate the exchange of research.

Poster sessions include both the person presenting the poster (researcher) and people viewing the poster (audience, the WOU community). As the final step in your research project, you will present a poster presentation of the research you conducted this term. Poster presentations will occur on Wednesday May 31^st between 9:00-11:00 am or 2:00-4:00 pm at a location to be announced later this term. The task of the presenter is to summarize the study in a well organized poster, stand next to the poster (never sit!), talk the viewer through the poster (“Would you like for me to tell you about my study?”) and answer questions about the research. Obviously, the presenter must be present for the poster session.

Your poster should contain the following:

1) Title of the project, your name and affiliation.

2) Updated abstract of your study, including results written in APA style with significance levels and effect sizes.

3) A brief outline of prior research in the area leading up to your hypotheses. References are required.

4) A clear statement of your hypothesis. What did you expect to find?

3) Outline of method including each subsection: Participants, Apparatus, Procedure. If you use any special measures or materials (questionnaires) include them with your poster or provide sample items.

4) Results of your study: include descriptive and inferential statistics. Report findings in APA style and include effect sizes. You must use tables or figure to show your results.

5) Implications of your results. What do your results mean? How do they relate to prior research?

6) References: anything that you cite in the poster, should be referenced at the end of your poster in APA style.

7) Your information should be mounted on poster board (3 feet by 4 feet).

General tips for constructing your poster:

-Remember you are using a visual mode of presentation. Your poster should be easy to read from about 5 feet away (smallest font should be 20 point) - Use bullets and lists for main points, rather than paragraphs of text.

- Organize your poster so that it is easy to follow the flow of information

- Provide examples of materials used

- Use pictures to demonstrate materials

-Tables & figures are required. If you use figures, be sure that they accurately reflect your results (you don’t want a bar graph to look like your groups differ, when in fact they do not)

-You can’t include everything presented in your paper. The worst posters are simply blown up papers

General tips for presenting your poster at the Academic Excellence Showcase:

-Start off welcoming viewers. Introduce yourself and offer to guide them through your poster “Would you like for me to tell you about my study?”

-PLEASE DO NOT START OFF WITH “WELL I DIDN’T SUPPORT MY HYPOTHESIS/OR I SUPPORTED MY HYPOTHESIS”. Guide the viewer to your results just like you do in your paper.

-Briefly summarize the prior research for the viewer and tell them about your hypothesis. Why did you think that your hypothesis was accurate before conducting your study?

-Tell them about your study, what you did, what you found, and what you think that your results mean. Why do you think that you found what you did? What do you think that your results mean?

-Point out interesting findings on your graphs

-Don’t simply read straight from the poster.

-Recognize that you may need to say things or describe things that do not appear on the poster (i.e., a graph may not show which statistic you used to test your hypothesis, but your results section should)

-Do your best to answer viewers’ questions. One safe reply is “That is a very interesting question. Further research in this area should definitely consider that idea”

Poster Presentation Grade Sheet (25 points)

Poster Overview: (2 points each, 14 points total possible)

1) Title of the project, your name and affiliation.

2) Updated abstract of your study including results in APA style, significance levels and effect sizes

3) Brief outline of prior research in the area leading up to your hypotheses. References are required.

4) Clear statement of hypotheses. What did you expect to find?

3) Outline of method including each subsection: Participants, Apparatus, Procedure. If you use any special measures or materials (questionnaires) include them with your poster.

4) Results of your study: include descriptive and inferential statistics. Report findings in APA style and include effect sizes. You must use tables or figures to show your results.

5) Implications of your results. What do your results mean? How do they relate to prior research?

6) References for cited research

7) Overall organization and attractiveness of the poster

Presentation Overview (11 points)

1) Researcher’s ability to clearly describe the study (6)

2) Researcher’s ability to answer questions (5)