EMSA Practical Report - Psychology Report - Introduction PDF

EMSA Practical Report  A psychology report is a standard way in which the findings of psychological studies are communicated It should provide a comprehensive account of: 1 2...

EMSA Practical Report  A psychology report is a standard way in which the findings of psychological studies are communicated It should provide a comprehensive account of: 1 2 3 4 What is the rationale How the study is What the findings What the findings behind the study conducted were mean  ❑ Title ❑ Abstract 1 ❑ Introduction ❑ Methods 2 4 subsections: design, participants, materials, and procedure 3 ❑ Results 4 ❑ Discussion ❑ References ❑ Appendices (analysis table) ❑ Almost ALL students that failed the assessment previous year did not use the template ❑ Download the report writing template from the assessment area of the EMSA Brightspace ❑ It is set to the correct font, size, spacings etc. (APA format) ❑ Includes the required sections ❑ Includes examples of figures, tables, graphs, and referencing ❑ Note that you don’t write the sections in order… ❑ We will start with some sections this week and outline other sections next week ❑ What makes a good title? ❑ Your title ought to summarize the main idea of your report ❑ It should be precise: ▪ It should not vaguely or opaquely mention your study ▪ Key elements of the design should be included (i.e., the independent variable (IV) and dependent variable (DV)) ❑ It should be concise: Aim for under 10-12 words ❑ Avoid redundant phrases such as “an investigation into …” ❑ What makes a good title? ❑ Your title ought to summarize the main idea of your report ❑ It should be precise: ▪ It should not vaguely or opaquely mention your study ▪ Key elements of the design should be included (i.e., the independent variable (IV) and dependent variable (DV)) ❑ It should be concise: Aim for under 10-12 words ❑ “Anxiety levels before and after COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom” ❑ “Impact of face masks on face recognition ability” ❑ The abstract is a brief, self-contained summary of your report ❑ The simplest way to think about an abstract is that it should include a summary of each of the four main sections of the report What to include in the abstract? ❑ (1) What you know from the current literature. ❑ (2) What you don’t know from the current literature. ❑ (3) What you did in the current study to address (2). ❑ (4) What the findings of the current study are. ❑ (5) What the implications of the current findings are. ❑ You might want to write the abstract when you are done with the other the main sections ❑ This section is included in your word count for your EMSA lab report! So, keep it concise. ❑ Aim for 150-200 words (and never more) ❑ Should not contain any citations or references. Provides a background on the topic, it should be structured like an ‘inverted triangle’ 1 Beginning 2 Middle 3 End How does the author introduce How are these ideas developed How do the ideas conclude at the the idea? further through the body of the end of the text? Introduce the problem in a text? Explain what we know Identify what we still need to general sense. about it. know about it, and how do we do Consider the use of narrative this. Make your predictions. elements in literature or evidence provided in informational texts. Is there a final stance taken or is it left open ended? Provides a background on the topic, it should be structured like an ‘inverted triangle’ 1 Beginning 2 Middle 3 End For your Practical Report, you will NOT need to write the Introduction section. Since this is a research method and statistical analysis unit, as well as your first lab report, the introduction has been written for you. Provides a background on the topic, it should be structured like an ‘inverted triangle’ 1 Beginning 2 Middle 3 End Provides a background on the topic, it should be structured like an ‘inverted triangle’ 1 Beginning 2 Middle 3 End Your main goal is to complete the Abstract, Methods, Results and Discussion. Remember to remove the entire introduction before submission to reduce similarity percentage.  The introduction should be written as an argument with other researchers/writers, where it usually follows a “template”: 1. First, summarise what others have said (They say). 2. Then, pose your own argument in response to what others say (I say).  The following 4-point template – which builds on the ‘they say/I say’ structure – helps you to map and structure arguments as well as considering counter-arguments, which is an important process in critical evaluation: 1. They say __________. 2. I say __________, because __________. 3. One might object that __________. 4. I reply that __________.  The following 4-point template – which builds on the ‘they say/I say’ structure – helps you to map and structure arguments as well as considering counter-arguments, which is an important process in critical evaluation: 1. They say we shouldn’t smoke on campus, since smoking is bad for you. 2. I say that we should be free to smoke, because even though smoking is bad, it’s worse to restrict our freedom. 3. One might object that restricting our freedom is necessary in the name of public health. 4. I reply that freedom carries more weight than public health. For with no freedom, public health would be meaningless.  Now, in actual reports, you don’t actually use the word “They say/I say”. Instead, you should use verbs that capture authorial action: Author X acknowledges / argues / believes/ denies / does not deny / claims / complains / concedes / demonstrates / emphasizes / insists / observes / reminds us / suggests that / indicated / proposes… These are just examples of verbs that are often used. There are many others. And you should see if it fits the context of your write-up before using them!  As mentioned, it is important to emphasize on the rationale of the research (i.e., why you want to examine this research question). For that, you will need to introduce gaps in the existing research Studies of X have indicated _________. It is not clear, however, that this conclusion applies to _________. __________ often take for granted that __________. Few have investigated this assumption, however. X’s work tells us a great deal about _________. Can this work be generalized to _________?  As mentioned, it is important to emphasize on the rationale of the research (i.e., why you want to examine this research question). For that, you will need to introduce gaps in the existing research Studies of X have indicated certain trends & findings. It is not clear, however, that this conclusion applies to all situation or contexts. Researchers often take for granted that perception is universal. Few have investigated this assumption, however. X’s work tells us a great deal about linguistic. Can this work be generalized to other languages?  As mentioned, it is important to emphasize on the rationale of the research (i.e., why you want to examine this research question). Or describe why your research is important X matters / is important because _____. These finding have important consequences for the broader domain of _______. These conclusions / This discovery will have significant applications in _______ as well as _______.  As mentioned, it is important to emphasize on the rationale of the research (i.e., why you want to examine this research question). Or describe why your research is important X matters / is important because plays an important role in understanding depression in adults. These finding have important consequences for the broader domain of visual processing. These conclusions / This discovery will have significant applications in children’s development as well as mental wellbeing.  It is also important that your sentences/paragraphs transition well into the following sentences/paragraphs Let’s take “They say/I say” for an example: They say we shouldn’t smoke on campus, since smoking is bad for you. I say that we should be free to smoke. They say we shouldn’t smoke on campus, since smoking is bad for you. However, I say that we should be free to smoke.  It is also important that your sentences/paragraphs transition well into the following sentences/paragraphs o Cause and effect: Accordingly, As a result, Consequently, Therefore, Thus o Conclusion: As a result, Consequently, Hence, In conclusion, Therefore o Comparison: Likewise, Similarly, Along the same lines, Like the same way o Contrast: By contrast, Conversely, On the contrary, Nevertheless, However, Despite that o Addition: Also, Furthermore, In addition, Moreover, In fact, Indeed o Concession: Admittedly, Of course, Naturally, To be sure o Example: For instance, For example, Specifically, Consider, After all o Elaboration: In other words, Actually, By extension, To put it another way  It is also important that your sentences/paragraphs transition well into the following sentences/paragraphs o Cause and effect: Accordingly, As a result, Consequently, Therefore, Thus o Conclusion: As a result, Consequently, Hence, In conclusion, Therefore These are just examples of transitions that o Comparison: Likewise, Similarly, Along the same lines, Like the same way are often used. There are many others. And o Contrast: you By contrast, Conversely, On the contrary, Nevertheless, However, Despite that should see if it fits the context of your o Addition: Also, Furthermore, write-up In addition, beforeMoreover, using Inthem! fact, Indeed o Concession: Admittedly, Of course, Naturally, To be sure o Example: For instance, For example, Specifically, Consider, After all o Elaboration: In other words, Actually, By extension, To put it another way  Back up your claims with references In the Reading List section of the EMSA Brightspace you have several papers, but you also need to find your own…  The BU academic search engine is mySearch Can access journal articles (and other sources) In many cases bypasses the paywall Click on ‘Advanced Search’ for more functionality The BU academic search engine is mySearch Try using different words/synonyms The BU academic search engine is mySearch And you can add more specific words to narrow down your search (e.g., face processing) The BU academic search engine is mySearch Narrow down the search to only ‘Full text’ The BU academic search engine is mySearch By reading the title, this paper seems relevant and interesting The BU academic search engine is mySearch By reading the title, this paper seems relevant and interesting Click on ‘Show More’ to read the abstract The BU academic search engine is mySearch If you want to read the paper, click on view full text You should search for some relevant papers you could include in your assignment. Try different search terms. Save any papers that you think sound particularly useful. Or you can use other alternative sources – Google Scholar In your browser, just search up: https://scholar.google.com/ Similarly, use key words to identify relevant studies. Read the abstract, if it’s relevant, you can choose to read the full paper. Note that some papers may NOT be fully accessible. For your Practical Report… We have provided you some relevant studies that should be helpful for your write-up. Note that this is only a guideline and its not a definitive list. There are no ‘right papers’ to use. IT IS UP TO YOU what paper to use based on how you structure your write-up! When using academic sources (someone else’s work), we must acknowledge them! We reference both in the main text and in the reference section at the end: When using academic sources (someone else’s work), we must acknowledge them! We reference both in the main text and in the reference section at the end: In-text citation Reference section i.e., in the introduction, method, of which is not included in your results, and discussion report word count ❑ Adds ‘weight’ to your work ▪ Arguments are more convincing if it has arisen from a ‘respected’ source ❑ Transparency ▪ Clear you are not taking credit for someone else's ideas ▪ Avoids accusations of plagiarism ❑ Facilitates academia ▪ The reader can find the source of your information In-text citation Reference section  The American Psychological Association (APA) prescribes a certain style of formatting for reports, articles, reviews, etc. In-text citation written by all psychologists This provides a guide to how academic work should be structured, written, and referenced There is a publication manual that describes all of this in detail. ▪ https://apastyle.apa.org/ You should also download the ‘APA 7th Referencing Guide’ from the Assessment tab of the EMSA Brightspace Reference section  Describing a study Jones et al. (2003) examined the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on attractiveness rating of faces. Describing an argument Previous studies have argued that increased perceptions of facial attractiveness following alcohol consumption might result in an increase in risky sexual behaviours (Jones et al., 2003). Quoting Jones et al. (2003) suggest “a new possible link between risky sex and alcohol consumption” (p.67).  Describing two or more studies Jones et al. (2003) and Rich et al. (2000) examined the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on attractiveness rating of faces. Describing an argument from two or more studies Previous studies have argued that increased perceptions of facial attractiveness following alcohol consumption might result in an increase in risky sexual behaviours (Jones et al., 2003; Rich et al., 2000).  In your reading or in lectures you may have noticed ‘et al.’ following the author’s name e.g., “Estudillo et al. (2022) failed to find anything of interest to the academic community” “ Et al.,” simply means ‘and others’ But … there are specific rules in terms of when we can use ‘et al’ If there is one author, you would always report that author e.g., “Smith (2006) found that...” If there are two authors, you always report both authors e.g., “Squire and Tinkle (2002) argued that...” If there are three or more authors, you only state the first author and ‘et al.’ e.g., “Yamamoto et al. (2000) found that...” If you open the Zhao et al. paper. By quickly reading the abstract of the paper and the first sentence of the introduction. I was able to complete the first sentence provided in the practical report template. “The Other-race effect (ORE) is a well- documented phenomenon showing that people’s performances during face recognition and identification is influenced by the race of the faces (Zhao et al., 2014).”  At the end of the report/essay, we report all the sources to which you have referred The reference section is not included in the word count Be aware of the distinction between the reference section and a bibliography In a bibliography you would report everything you have used (even if you have not referred to them) In the reference section you would report all the sources that you referred to/mentioned in the main text We want a reference section! (So don’t add a study into the reference list if you did not include it in the main text)  Note the unique formatting features Ordering of information Indentation Specific use of italics End of essay/report there will be a reference section that entails all the sources cited Books Williams, R., Price, J. P., & Beddows, E. (2006). The Psychology of Alcohol (3rd ed). Psychology Press. Author, initials, year, title of book (in italics), publisher Journals Swami, V., & Tovee, M. J. (2006). Does hunger influence judgments of female attractiveness? British Journal of Psychology, 97(3), 353-363. https://doi.org/10.1348/000712605X80713 Author, year, title of article, title of journal (in italics), volume (in italics), issue, page numbers, doi number/hyperlink End of essay/report there will be a reference section that entails all the sources cited You should see that the APA reference formatting has already been done for you in the template. All you need to do is paste your citations here. Remember to remove references that are not in your write-up! MySearch generates the citation for you automatically in APA format: Zhao, M., Hayward, W. G., & Bülthoff, I. (2014). Holistic processing, contact, and the other-race effect in face recognition. Vision Research, 105, 61–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2014.09.006 Google Scholar also does the same: Zhao, M., Hayward, W. G., & Bülthoff, I. (2014). Holistic processing, contact, and the other-race effect in face recognition. Vision Research, 105, 61–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2014.09.006  First, the author had a broad explanation of the main idea (e.g., other-race effect) in the first paragraph.  After that, the author 1) Clearly explains the factors affecting the main idea (in our case, it was contact/exposure). 2) Introduces studies, explain what they found, how they do it. 3) The author then supported this claim with studies from another source, while briefly explaining what they did as well. 4) Finally, the author concluded and explained what these studies suggested (e.g., implication).  However, there are also opposing views on this matter, as mentioned by the author. In other words, other study that have not shown contrary findings. This should be in the next paragraph. Similarly, you need to describe one or two studies here.  Overall, we have a clear overview (in an argumentative they say/I say format) of the topic we are examining. ORE reduced with higher contact in some studies, while other studies did not support such findings.  Author presents the current study, with a rationale on how it can help answer the questions before this (e.g., clarify the mixed findings). Research question Lastly, the author provides a clear hypothesis on what he/she expect to find (i.e., often a predictive answer towards the research question).  The author did not need to write a whole lot to provide a good introduction. There were also adequate references to support the author’s point in each argument. Being concise and informative at the same time is key! Keep the argument straightforward, while avoiding use of colloquial words.  Note that these suggestions does not apply to only lab reports, but rather an important aspect of academic writing (e.g., critical evaluations)! Things to avoid: Repetition of similar information Missing citations Incorrect information Over-paraphrasing face recognition – facial recollection Colloquial words Slangs Informal language