PSY4011:

Research Methods and

Statistics I
WEEK 3: PRACTICAL 1 - INTRODUCTION AND
METHOD
Outline
A. Practical 1 – General Information

B. Practical 1 - Introduction

C. Practical 1 - Method

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General Information

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 Assessments
PSY4011
(100%)

Portfolio of Practical
Workbook (40%)
reports (60%)

Practical 1
WB1 (30%)
(45%)
Tuesday 3rd November, 3pm Wednesday 28th October, 9am
Submissions – Practical Report Submissions – Workbook Assessments

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 Practical 1 Report
• Word Count: 1500 words
• Recommended minimum number of sources (e.g. journal articles): 10
• Deadline: Tuesday 3rd November 2020, 3pm

• UPLOADS – ‘Submissions – Practical Reports’ Section

1. Turn-it-in LINK – Main content (Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion,
Reference List) to be uploaded here
2. Appendices LINK – (upload .zip / compressed file/folder)
(a) Any data collection document
(b) Annotated SPSS output to be uploaded here (Refer to How to… guide)

If you are experiencing any difficulties with uploads near submission deadline, please
email all documents to Marcelle BEFORE 3pm (the deadline). Anything after 3pm will be a
fail!
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 Timeline for Practical 1
Work consistently week-by-week. Due in 3 weeks!

Week Date Lecture Seminar Workshop

2 7th Oct Practical 1 - Data collection 
Practical 1 – Background
3 14th Oct Practical 1 – Introduction & APA figures and
Method tables
4 21st Oct Practical 1 – Results & Practical 1 – Data
Discussion analysis (LA)
5 28th Oct Practical 1 – Drop-in
sessions (L31

6 3rd Nov Practical 1 Submission – 3pm (2 electronic uploads)

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Read… and check your work…
(Section 7. Moodle - Writing Guides & Sample Reports)

1. Formatting and Content in a Practical Report

2. Reporting Statistics in Psychology
3. APA Referencing Booklet (CTESS version)
4. Psychology Academic Writing Guide
◦ Word count (1500 words) - “You can exclude the following from your word count:
the references section, the title(s), the abstract (if the work has one), any
appendices. Everything else counts.”
◦ APA Referencing
5. Psychology Programme Handbook (Psychology Hons Moodle
Page)
◦ Assignment formatting checklist
◦ General Marking Criteria

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 PRACTICAL 1 – DATA COLLECTION
IMPORTANT:
Do not discuss with or show your
estimates to other participants

https://stmarys.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/psy4011-202021

IQ scores

• M=100
• SD=15
• 68% between 85-115
• 95.6 % between 70-130

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Practical Report 1
• TOPIC: Sex differences in self-estimates of general I.Q.

Data collected:
Estimates of your own IQ

◦ Outcome Variable = Estimate of IQ

◦ Predictor Variable = Sex (Males vs. Females)

◦ RQ: Will self-estimates of overall I.Q. be different for males and females?

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 Practical 1:
Introduction
HARRIS (2008) CHAPTERS 1 & 2
FIELD & HOLE (2003) – CHAPTER 11

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Empirical Report Structure
1. Title 4. Results
2. Abstract 5. Discussion
3. Introduction 6. References
4. Method 7. Appendices
◦ Participants
◦ Design
◦ Materials
◦ Procedure

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Title
• APA Level 1 Heading – Bold, Centred, Title case (capitalise main words)

• It should be informative

• It should be a concise statement of no more than 10-15 words

• It should convey some meaning of what the study entailed… the easiest way
to do this is to include IVs/predictors and DVs/outcome variables.

• Good example:
• Sex Differences in Empathetic Detection of Emotions in Facial Photographs

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 Abstract
• 150-200 words. Easiest to write this LAST (after the whole report is finished)

• Positioned immediately below the title (Do not indent first sentence)

• It should include purpose of study, method, results (and conclusions!)

• Cover the most important points (a sentence each):

1. Relevant background evidence
2. Study aim(s) and literature-based prediction(s)
3. Design and procedure of the study
4. Main finding(s) of the study
5. Interpretation of findings, conclusions, applications and or limitations

• No numbers or technical details unless essential

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 Introduction: The ‘Why?’
1. Introduces the problem – Why is your study worth doing?
• State purpose and rationale of study

2. Presents the past research – What has been done in the area before?
• Cite pertinent works (NOT works of tangential or general significance)
• Avoid nonessential details - Focus on pertinent findings, relevant methodology,
major conclusions

3. Your approach to solving the problem

• State study aims and outline your experiment briefly
• Informal summary of what you expect to find

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Introduction: how long?
For a 1500 word report, aim for around 500-600 words
introduction

• Funnel shaped

• Start off broad and end with your specific hypothesis

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 Introduction: Structure
First paragraph
1. Introduce the problem Start off broad - Introduce/ define intelligence → general
• Purpose and rationale IQ → estimates of IQ
What will be studied and why it is important to study?

2. Present past research
• Review and be selective! Include material that is
directly relevant to current research question
• Organise into paragraphs - Include summary/
linking sentences (Make a mini plan)
Following paragraphs
Start narrowing down - Include evidence
of sex differences in self-estimates of IQ →
any explanation for pattern of results.
Lead onto specific research hypothesis

Final paragraph
Review study aim and
briefly describe general
3. Your approach to solving the procedure used.
problem Clearly state the prediction
(should be supported by
• The introduction should ‘lead’ the reader to the
evidence reviewed)
hypothesis - It should not be a surprise!

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Introduction: Hypothesis
Last Paragraph:
• Restate your study aim
• Briefly describe general method
• State hypothesis

Hypothesis
• You need to write a specific hypothesis at the end of your introduction
• Do not put this separately or in italics
• Based on previous evidence, decide on a one- or two-tailed hypothesis
• State it clearly and concisely. E.g. The current study aimed to test the hypothesis
that adult females will demonstrate higher levels of empathy than adult males

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 Further Reading
• Beloff, H. (1992). Mother, father and me. The Psychologist, 5, 309-311.
• Furnham, A. (2001). Self-estimates of intelligence: culture and gender difference in self
and other estimates of both general (g) and multiple intelligences. Personality and
Individual Differences, 31, 1381-1405. doi: 10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00232-4. 
• Furnham, A., Kosari, A. & Swami, V. (2012). Estimates of Self, Parental and Partner Multiple
Intelligences in Iran: A replication and extension. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry, 7(2), 66-73.
• Hogan, W. (1978). IQ self-estimates of males and females. Journal of Social Psychology,
106, 137-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1978.9924160
• Petrides, K.V. & Furnham, A. (2004). Parental estimates of five types of intelligence.
Australian Journal of Psychology, 56(1), 10-17. DOI: 10.3200/SOCP.144.2.149-162
• von Stumm, S., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Furnham, A. (2009). Decomposing self-estimates
of intelligence: Structure and sex differences across 12 nations. British Journal of
Psychology, 100, 429-442. doi:10.1348/000712608X357876

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Practical 1: Method
HARRIS (2008) CHAPTER 3
FIELD & HOLE (2003) – CHAPTER 12

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 Method: The ‘How?’
1. Design

2. Participants

3. Materials

4. Procedure

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 Method: Design
1. Design
• The type of study and design (e.g. independent, dependent design)
• The predictor/independent variable(s) (IV) including the conditions you
selected to represent different levels of the IV. E.g., sex (male and
female)
• The outcome/dependent variable(s) (DV) including details of the units of
measurement. E.g., milliseconds.

Spend 5 minutes writing out these sections now

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 Method: Participants
2. Participants
• State total number of participants with descriptive statistics (e.g. sex, age
range, M, SD, etc.), who they were, how they were selected and any other
important characteristics (e.g. inclusion / exclusion criteria)

Week 4 Workshop Materials:

The SPSS datafile with the raw data – you will need to calculate the
required descriptive information from this
(refer to Week 4 worksheet and video)

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 Method: Materials
3. Materials
• Include hardware, scales (items, rating scales, score calculation, min &
max, meaning of values, example), software, type of stimuli, number of
stimuli, font, etc.
 Have you stated what was needed to run the study and record the
data?
 Have you described these in sufficient detail to allow replication?
 Have you described the stimuli, questionnaires etc. and given
examples in an Appendix?
 Have you described any technical apparatus?

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 Method: Procedure
4. Procedure
• Describe individual testing chronologically, experimenter, instructions,
tasks, responses, etc.
 Have you explained in sequence exactly what the researcher did and
what each participant experienced?
 Have you reported in full any important instructions given to
participants? (with copies in the Appendix if applicable)
 Have you given a clear impression of the layout and arrangement of
events?
 Have you stated whether ethical protocol was adhered to?

Do not repeat the same information in material and procedure sections.

Keep it concise!

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Before next week…
Practical 1 – ‘To-Do’ list for this week

• Topic : Sex differences in self-estimates of IQ

1. Start/Continue reviewing relevant literature to include in your

introduction.
2. Make a plan for the structure of your introduction (This should lead to your
research question and your own hypothesis). Try to write a draft if possible!
3. Write up the ‘Method’ section

◦ Book a tutorial if you have any questions

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Next week: Seminar

On-Campus (Room K217)

Practical 1:
Results and Discussion

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