1. Finishing up APA & Ethics Ethics Psych 231: Research Methods in Psychology

2. Announcements Exam 1: Coming up soon (Monday, Sept 17; that’s 1 week from today!) CITI ethics assignment is posted (see link on syllabus)link Not due until week 5, but since ethics is covered on Exam 1, I recommend checking it out sooner rather than later

3. Misconceptions about Scientific writing Writing the paper is the routine part of the research process Forces you to commit to your evidence and conclusions Just the facts The facts are just part of the argument that the author is making What you say is all that is important, how you say it isn’t important Good writing leads to higher chance of accomplishing your goals

4. Writing style Psychological writing tends to differ from other academic writings Not a creative writing exercise Presenting an argument based on data and logical reasoning Try to avoid using direct quotes, restate things in your own words. Avoid digression Footnotes are rare, they’re used to elaborate/clarify a point. Try to do so in the text. If long digressions, use the appendix

5. Why a structured format? To ease communication of what was done Forces a minimal amount of information Provides a logical framework (for argument) Provides consistent format within a discipline People know what to expect Where to find the information in the article Allows readers to cross-reference your sources easily

6. Major goal: Clarity Communicate with clarity

7. Major goal: Clarity Communicate with clarity

8. Major goal: Clarity Communicate with clarity Write for the reader Think about your audience, what do they already know, what don’t they know Avoid overstatements Be conservative in your claims Emphasize the positive Focus on how the data supports a theory not just on how it refutes another theory

9. Major goal: Clarity Communicate with clarity Avoid Jargon when possible Slang and colloquialisms Sexist and biased language Try to be concise Don’t use a whole paragraph when two sentences will do Longer papers don’t mean better papers Eliminate unnecessary redundancy Use simple words (sentences) rather than complicated words (sentences)

10. Major goal: Clarity Use concrete words and examples Check your work! Read it over, make sure that you say what you mean to say Use a consistent format (APA style) It helps your reader understand your arguments and the sources they’re built on. It also helps you keep track of your sources as you build arguments Communicate with clarity

11. APA style: Parts of a research report Title Page Adolescent Depression 1 Running Head: ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION Adolescent Depression and Attachment Ima G. Student and Soyam Eye Purdue University Abstract Adolescent Depression 2 We explored attachment in a family context by applying family systems principles to the investigation of multiple attachment relationships within families. This study focused on maternal adult attachment with respect to family of origin experiences. We examined associations between maternal adult attachment and three levels of family functioning including individual maternal depression symptoms, dyadic marital satisfaction and family unit functioning. We found that attachment security with respect to particular relationships was differentially associated with different levels of family functioning. Body References Authors Notes Footnotes Tables Figure Captions Figures Adolescent Depression 29 References Barnett, P. A., & Gotlib, I. H. (1988). Psychosocial functioning and depression: Distinguishing among antecedents, concomitants, and consequences. Psychological Bulletin, 104. Beck, A. T. (1978). Beck Depression Inventory. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation. Benoit, D., Vidovic, D., & Roman, J. (1991, April). Transmission of attachment across three generations. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. Benoit, D., Zeanah, C. H., & Barton, M. L. (1989). Maternal attachment disturbances in failure to thrive. Infant Mental Health Journal, 3, 185-202. Benoit, D., Zeanah, C. H., Boucher, C., & Minde, K. (1989). Sleep disorders in early childhood: Association with insecure maternal attachment. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 31, 86-93.

12. The anatomy of a research article The basic parts of a research article:  Title and authors - gives you a general idea of the topic and specifically who did it  Abstract - short summary of the article

13. Title Page Running Head: ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION 1 Adolescent Depression and Attachment Ima G. Student and Soyam Eye Topnotch University  Published title pages will look a bit different, but you’ll find these pieces of information. Typically the body of the article will begin as well. Title should be maximally informative while short (10 to 12 words recommended) Running head – will go on each page of published article, no more than 50 characters Affiliation – where the bulk of the research was done Order of Authorship sometimes carries meaning

14. Abstract Abstract: Short summary of entire paper 150-250 words The problem/issue The method The results The major conclusions Recommendation: write this after you’ve finished the rest of the paper  Good first contact, but remember that it is short on detail  Shows up in PsycInfo  Gets skimmed before reading the article

15. Body Hourglass shape Background Literature Review Start broad

16. Body Hourglass shape Statement of purpose Specific hypotheses (at least at conceptual level) Narrow focus

17. Body Hourglass shape - Methods - Results Most focused

18. Body Hourglass shape Discussion Conclusions Implications Broaden

19. Body Introduction - gives you the background that you need  Issue and Background What is it? Why is it interesting/important?  Literature Review What has been done? What theories are out there?  Statement of purpose What are you going to do and why?  Specific hypotheses (at least at conceptual level) What do you predict will happen in your research?

20. Body Introduction - gives you the background that you need Writing checklist Be cohesive Be relevant (why are the reviewed studies relevant?) Work on the transitions (make the flow logical)  Reading checklist 1) What is the author's goal? 2) What are the hypotheses? 3) If you had designed the study, how would YOU have done it?

21.  Method - tells the reader exactly what was done  Enough detail that the reader could actually replicate the study.  Subsections:  Participants - who were the data collected from  How many, where they were selected from, any special selection requirements, details about those who didn’t complete the experiment  Apparatus/ Materials - what was used to conduct the study  Design  Suggested if you have a complex experimental design, often combined with Materials section  Procedure  What did each participant do? Other details, including the operational levels of your IV(s) and DV(s), counterbalancing, etc. The basic parts of a research article : Body

22.  Method - tells the reader exactly what was done  Reading checklist 1 a) Is your method better than theirs? b) Does the authors method actually test the hypotheses? c) What are the independent, dependent, and control variables? 2) Based on what the authors did, what results do YOU expect? Writing checklist Is it clear why the procedures were selected? Are any assumptions explicit and defended? Is the level of detail sufficient for replication? The basic parts of a research article : Body

23. Results (state the results but don’t interpret them here) Verbal statement of results Tables and figures These get referred to in the text, but actually get put into their own sections at the end of the manuscript Statistical Outcomes Means, standard deviations, t-tests, ANOVAs, correlations, etc.

24. Body Results (state the results but don’t interpret them here)  Reading checklist 1) Did the author get unexpected results? 2 a) How does the author interpret the results? b) How would YOU interpret the results? c) What implications would YOU draw from these results? Writing checklist Is it clear how the hypotheses are tested by the analyses? Would a graph or table help clarify the results? What questions might the reader still have, and how could I answer them in this section?

25. Body Discussion (interpret the results) Relationship between purpose and results Theoretical (or methodological) contribution Implications Future directions (optional)  Reading checklist 1 a) Does YOUR interpretation or the authors' interpretation best represent the data? b) Do you or the author draw the most sensible implications and conclusions? Writing checklist Have you stated your most convincing argument? Do the conclusions follow straightforwardly from the results?

26. The rest References Author’s name Year Title of work Publication information Journal Issue Pages Adolescent Depression 29 References Barnett, P. A., & Gotlib, I. H. (1988). Psychosocial functioning and depression: Distinguishing among antecedents, concomitants, and consequences. Psychological Bulletin, 104. Beck, A. T. (1978). Beck Depression Inventory. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation. Benoit, D., Vidovic, D., & Roman, J. (1991, April). Transmission of attachment across three generations. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. Benoit, D., Zeanah, C. H., & Barton, M. L. (1989). Maternal attachment disturbances in failure to thrive. Infant Mental Health Journal, 3, 185-202. Benoit, D., Zeanah, C. H., Boucher, C., & Minde, K. (1989). Sleep disorders in early childhood: Association with insecure maternal attachment. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 31, 86-93. When something odd comes up, don’t guess. Look it up!

27. The rest References Authors Notes (new guidelines put these on title page) Footnotes Tables Figures and figure captions

28. Figures and tables These are used to supplement the text. To make a point clearer for the reader. Typically used for: The design Examples of stimuli Patterns of results

29. Ethics Ethics – people should be treated as ends not means

30. Ethical Responsibilities in Research Two basic categories of ethical concerns: Need to consider the rights of our participants in our research Need to behave ethically as scientists and practitioners

31. Consider ethics at each step What measurement techniques will be used? How are participants selected? What methods may be used on the participant population? What design is appropriate? How are the data analyzed? How are the results reported? Ethical Responsibilities in Research

32. Using humans in research For the most part the researcher has the power You know what is going to be done to the participants Participants may feel like they have to do it

33. Institutional Review Board IRB Criteria Minimize risk Benefits > Risks Equal opportunity sampling Informed consent Documentation of consent Data monitoring Privacy & Confidentiality Monitoring of ethics

34. Respect for persons Basic courtesy Informed consent Debriefing Avoid deception Beneficence Protection from harm Cost/Benefits analysis Confidentiality Justice Freedom from coercion APA’s code of ethics www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html

35. Informed consent Information to allow a person to decide if they want to participate Basic purpose of the study Participation is voluntary Risks involved Benefits involved Rights to refuse or terminate participation Assent - guardians if participants are not competent e.g., children, developmentally disabled people

36. Using deception in research Passive deception Withholding information about the study Active deception Deliberately misleading participants

37. Using deception in research Avoid it when possible Alternatives to deception Role-playing When not possible to avoid Make sure that you are up front with all possible risks Potential results must be worth it Must debrief participants as soon as possible (either right after participation or as soon as project is over)

38. Costs/Benefits analysis Costs: all potential risks to the participants Physical harm Psychological harm Loss of confidentiality Benefits: the “good” outcomes Direct benefits to participants Benefits to knowledge base Benefits to world at large

39. Scientific Integrity Fraud prevention Replication – repeat a research study to validate results Peer Review – critical analysis of research by peers in the same area Plagiarism – taking credit for another’s work or ideas Avoided by citing the ideas or words of others

40. Ethical responsibility to science Dirty tricks (this will get you thrown out) Questionable tricks (these are a little fuzzier, but be wary) Neat tricks (accepted as okay, and sometimes necessary) Ethics in Science Quiz

41. Ethical responsibility to science Fabrication of results Little or no attempt to minimize demand biases Reformulating your theory as you go Falsifying credentials Plagiarism Little or no attempt to minimize confounds Deliberately hiding (significant) errors in published work Little or no attempt to minimize demand characteristics DT QT DT QT NT Dirty tricks Questionable tricks Neat tricks Ethics in Science Quiz

42. Ethical responsibility to science Throwing out data Reorganizing order of report of experiments Violations of underlying statistical assumptions Strategic graphing of the data Duplicate publications (presented as new) Selective reporting of the results Leaving out some bad experiments (not bad results) QT or DT QT NT DT Dirty tricks Questionable tricks Neat tricks depends reason for throwing out Ethics in Science Quiz