1. Psych 231: Research Methods in Psychology
APA style cont.
Psych 231: Research Methods in Psychology

2. Announcements Exam 1: Coming up soon (Tues, Feb 9)
Chapters 1,2,3,4,8
Syllabus has a link to terms for review
CITI ethics training
Not due until week 5, but since ethics is covered on Exam 1, I recommend checking it out sooner rather than later
This week’s labs:
Download AND read the Assefi & Garry (2003) article before labs
Bring the article to labs
Announcements

3. APA style: Parts of a research report
The basic parts of a research article:
Abstract
Body
Introduction
Methods
Participants
Materials/Apparatus
Design
Procedure
Results
Discussion
References
The rest
Authors Notes, Footnotes, Tables, Figures & Captions
APA style: Parts of a research report

4. 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
The anatomy of a research article

5. Title Page Running head – will go on each page of published article,
no more than 50 characters
Running Head: ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION
Adolescent Depression and Attachment
Ima G. Student and Soyam Eye
Topnotch University
Title should be maximally
informative while short
(10 to 12 words recommended)
Order of Authorship sometimes
carries meaning
Affiliation – where the bulk of
the research was done
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 Page

6. Abstract Abstract: Short summary of entire paper
150 to 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
Abstract

7. Body Hourglass shape Introduction Methods Results Discussion
Background
Literature Review
Start broad
Statement of purpose
Specific hypotheses
Narrow focus
Methods
Results
Most focused
Discussion
Conclusions
Implications
Broaden
Body

8. Body Introduction - gives you the background that you need
Issue and Background
What is it? Why is it interesting/important?
Literature Review (video | video | video | video)
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?
Body

9. Body Introduction - gives you the background that you need
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?
Writing checklist
Be cohesive
Be relevant (why are the reviewed studies relevant?)
Work on the transitions (make the flow logical)
Body

10. Body The basic parts of a research article :
Method - tells the reader exactly what was done
Enough detail that the reader could actually replicate the study. (video | video)
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.
Body

11. Body The basic parts of a research article :
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?
Body

12. Results (state the results but don’t interpret them here) (video | video)
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.
Body

13. 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?
Body

14. 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?
Body

15. The rest When something odd comes up, don’t guess. Look it up!
References (video | video)
Author’s name
Year
Title of work
Publication information
Journal
Issue
Pages
Footnotes
Tables
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, Boston.
Benoit, D., Zeanah, C. H., & Barton, M. L. (1989).
Maternal attachment disturbances in failure to thrive.
Infant Mental Health Journal, 3,
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,
When something odd comes up, don’t guess. Look it up!
The rest

16. 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
Figures and tables

17. Checklist - things to watch for
Clarity
Acknowledge the work of others (avoid plagiarism)
Active vs. passive voice
Active: Summers and Jordan (2009) hypothesized that speakers use to much passive voice
Passive: It was hypothesized by Summers and Jordan (2009) that speakers use to much passive voice
Checklist - things to watch for

18. Checklist - things to watch for
Avoid biased language
APA guidelines:
Accurate descriptions of individuals (e.g., Asian vs. Korean)
Be sensitive to labels (e.g., “Oriental”)
Appropriate use of headings
Correct citing and references
Good grammar
APA style checklist
Checklist - things to watch for

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

20. 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
Ethical Responsibilities in Research

21. 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
Ethical Responsibilities in Research

22. 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
Consider the Milgram (1963) study
demonstrated how far people may go to obey authorities
This study itself exemplifies the need for strict rules of ethics
Using humans in research

23. Ethical Responsibilities in Research
Consider ethics at each step
Does the topic/idea for the research have some ethical issues surrounding it?
How are participants selected?
What methods may be used on the participant population?
What measurement techniques will be used?
What design is appropriate?
How are the data analyzed?
How are the results reported?
Ethical Responsibilities in Research

24. APA’s code of ethics

25. APA’s code of ethics 5 General Principles (& many ethical standards)
Beneficence & Non-maleficence
Protection from harm, Cost/Benefits analysis, Confidentiality
Fidelity & Responsibility
Uphold professional and scientific standards of contact
Integrity
Honesty and accuracy in science
Justice
Freedom from coercion
Respect for people’s rights and dignity
Basic courtesy, Informed consent, Debriefing, Avoid deception
APA’s code of ethics

26. 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
Informed consent

27. Using deception in research
Types
Passive deception
Withholding information about the study
Active deception
Deliberately misleading participants
Avoid it when possible
Consider 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)
Using deception in research

28. 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
Costs/Benefits analysis

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

30. Scientific Integrity 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 (Integrity, Fidelity & Responsibility)
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
Scientific Integrity

31. 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
Ethical responsibility to science

32. Ethical responsibility to science
Dirty tricks
Questionable tricks
Neat tricks
Ethics in Science Quiz DT
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 QT NT DT DT QT DT QT
Ethical responsibility to science

33. Ethical responsibility to science
Dirty tricks
Questionable tricks
Neat tricks
Ethics in Science Quiz
QT or DT
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)
depends reason for throwing out NT QT QT DT QT NT
Ethical responsibility to science