OUTCOME 3:

RESEARCH INVESTIGATION
 Choosing a topic
 You get to design your own experiment to investigate concepts studied in Area of Study 2. You will then
conduct the experiment, collect and analyse data and write up a scientific report.

 We recommend that you conduct your experiment on perceptual set for either visual or taste perception
as these are relatively straight forward experiments.

 Once you have an idea of what you want to do, run the idea by your teacher before you get started.
Consider the following:

• What is your IV: What are you manipulating?

• What is you DV: What are you measuring and how are you going to measure it?
• What investigation methodology will you use and how?
• Is deception required?

Remember: Keep it simple. There are no extra marks for trying to make your experiment overly complicated.
 Title:
 Must be concise and tell the reader what your study was investigating.
 Needs to be written as a research question

 DO NOT forget to add a title – Every Mark Counts!

Title Title is irrelevant, lacks detail,

Title is relevant, detailed and
and/or is not written as a Not Shown
(2 marks) written as a research question
research question.
 Introduction
Theory
 Provide a summary of the relevant psychological concepts, theories, and/or models related to your practical
investigation.
- Do not just list one definition after another. Write a concise flowing paragraph that details for the reader.
- Only discuss the concepts that are relevant to your experiment.

Before you begin conducting your experiment brainstorm all relevant concepts for your investigation. This will also help
you understand how you need to run your investigation!

- There is no ‘rule’ on how many concepts need to be discussed here as it will vary depending on what
your topic is but only include what is essential for understanding your topic.

A paragraph which explains

the theory relating to the
Theory practical investigation in detail
including all relevant concepts
(4 marks)
specific to the practical
investigation and definitions of
key terms.
A paragraph which explains
2-3 sentences which explains 1-2 sentences which explains
the theory relating to the
the theory relating to the some of the theory relating to
practical investigation
practical investigation. Some the practical investigation with Not shown
including concepts specific to
mistakes may exist/ this may some mistakes and may be
the practical investigation and
be incomplete. incomplete.
definitions of key terms.
 Introduction
Aim:
 Should be one sentence and include: The aim of the study was to investigate
the effect of IV on DV

DO NOT write as a sub-heading instead embed this into your writing.

Aim An appropriate and An aim is stated but it

Not
(2 detailed aim is is inaccurate and/or
Shown
marks) included. lacking detail.
 Introduction
Variables:
 Identify both the independent and dependent variable.

• What is your IV: What are you manipulating?

• What is you DV: What are you measuring?
DO NOT write as a sub-heading instead embed this into your writing.

Correct identification of
Variables Correct identification of
one of the dependant Not
both the independent
(2 marks) and independent Shown
and dependent variable.
variable.
 Introduction
Hypothesis:
 A prediction about the effect of each level of the IV on the DV.

Be sure to include a directional prediction about the relationship.

DO NOT write as a sub-heading instead embed this into your writing.

Hypothesis includes an
Hypothesis includes a A hypothesis is included, but
appropriate directional
Hypothesis directional prediction about information relating to the
prediction about the
the relationship between the direction, independent and/or Not Shown
(3 marks) relationship between the
independent and dependent dependent variable may be
independent and dependent
variable. missing or inaccurate.
variable.
 Introduction checklist
Make sure you have included:

Summarised relevant psychological concepts specific to your investigation

Aim
Identified IV and DV
Research hypothesis – including a directional prediction
 Method: Participants
 Include the following information in a couple of sentences.
- the number of participants (and any other relevant characteristics to your study such as gender,
year level etc).
- who the participants were (e.g., Year 11 Psychology students)
- how the participants were sampled (sampling technique)

Note: Sampling participants: The population is entirely your choice as is the sampling method. You must
sample a minimum of 10 participants (20 recommended).

An accurate and detailed

A description of the
Participants description of the A detailed description of
participants is included but
participants and the the participants is Not Shown
(3 marks) may be inaccurate and/or
sampling technique is included.
lacking detail.
outlined.
 Method: Materials
 Include a comprehensive list of all materials used to carry out the experiment and their
quantities.
 If materials such as surveys, images etc are used then they get attached as an appendix
at the end of the report.
Note: the participants are not a material

A comprehensive list of
A comprehensive list of A list of materials in dot
Materials materials is included.
materials is included. point is included. Some
Applicable materials are Not Shown
(3 marks) Applicable materials are materials are missing
not attached in the
attached in the appendix and/or are inaccurate.
appendix.
 Method: Procedure
 List the procedure for the practical investigation in steps.
 It must be written in detail so that someone could read it and be able to replicate it
without having to ask you questions about it.

List the procedure for the List the procedure of the

Procedure practical investigation in
steps. Procedure is detailed
(3 marks)
and comprehensive to enable
replication.
List the procedure of the
practical investigation in
practical investigation in
steps. Steps may be missing Not Shown
steps. Some steps are not
or not explained and not
explained comprehensively.
explained comprehensively.
 Method: Investigation
Methodology
 Identify the investigation methodology and experimental design that was
used.

Investigation Identification of the

Identification of the
Methodology appropriate investigation
appropriate investigation Not Shown
methodology and
(2 marks) methodology.
experimental design.
 Method: Ethical Considerations
 Identify and explain ethical concepts and/or guidelines that were considered or adhered to in your
experiment.
 You must conduct your study ethically.
 Informed consent: You have been provided with an informed consent form that you can modify to suit
your study.
 1 copy of your informed consent form must be included as an appendix and submitted at the same
time as your method section (you do not need to bring all of your signed forms, but you do need to
retain them for the remainder of the year in case any concerns are raised by your participants)

Ethical Identification and explanation of at

Consideratio least 3 ethical concepts and/or Identification and explanation of at Identification of at least 3 ethical Identification of 1 – 2 ethical
ns guidelines for consideration. least 3 ethical concepts and/or concepts and/or guidelines for concepts and/or ethical guidelines Not Shown
Informed consent form is attached guidelines for consideration. consideration. for consideration.
(4 marks) as an appendix.
 Method Checklist
Make sure you have included:

 Italicised subheadings for each section – Participants, Materials, Procedure,

Investigation Methodology and Ethical Considerations.
 Participants – description and sampling technique
 Materials – list and applicable materials attached in the appendix
 Procedure – list of steps
 Investigation Methodology (and experimental design)
 Ethical considerations
 Results
Summarising Data:
 You must summarise the data using descriptive statistics.
 Do not present the raw data.
 Descriptive statistics organise data and gives information about the nature of the
data set
 Examples – Mean, Median, Mode, Percetanges.
 Calculations and working out, including formulas, should be included in the
appendix.
The data is summarised using
The data is summarised
descriptive statistics and without An attempt to summarise the data is
using descriptive statistics.
Summarising inference. The descriptive statistics The data is summarised using made using descriptive statistics. The
The descriptive statistics
Data calculated are accurate. descriptive statistics and without calculations of descriptive statistics
used are accurate and use Not Shown
Calculations and working out, inference. The descriptive statistics may be inaccurate and/or missing
(4 marks) appropriate units. There
including formulas where calculated are accurate. appropriate units, and inference is
may be inferences made
applicable, is included in the made.
about the data
appendix.
 Results
Displaying Data
 You need to display your data in either a group OR a table.
(It’s not usually effective to present both a graph and table as they tend to show the same data, in different ways. You
need to consider which is the most appropriate for the data that you have)

 Ensure you include an appropriate title. Titles for both tables and graphs go above.
- E.g. Table 1: Mean self-reported stress ratings before and after meditation treatment
- E.g. Figure 1: Mean self-reported stress ratings before and after meditation treatment

 If doing a graph, ensure your axes are labelled appropriately.

- x axis (IV). Title the x axis plus each condition. Do not just write condition 1/condition 2 (include what they
are)
- y axis (DV) be specific
Tables are neatly ruled with units and
Tables are neatly ruled with units and
appropriate titles. It follows a logical Tables are neatly ruled with units and Tables are neatly ruled with units. It
appropriate titles. It may not follow a
sequence and is accurate. Table has appropriate titles. It may not follow a may not follow a logical sequence and
logical sequence and some mistakes
Displaying an appropriate table number and logical sequence, but it is accurate. some mistakes exist.
exist.
title.
Data
(4 marks) Graph has an appropriate scale and Graph has an appropriate scale but is Graph has an inappropriate scale and is
Graph has an inappropriate scale or is
includes a title, axis labels with units. missing one piece of information missing one piece of information from
missing the following information: a
Graphs have an appropriate figure from the following: a title or axis the following: a title or axis labels with
title and axis labels with units.
number and title. labels with units units.
 Discussion
Evaluation of Results:
 Restate the hypothesis and indicate whether it was supported/not supported/partially
supported.
Note: you don’t lose marks if your hypothesis is not supported but you have to
ensure your judgement is consistent with what the results say
Note: do not say ‘proved’, ‘disproved’, ‘correct’, ‘incorrect’

 Refer to the specific results/data that provide the evidence for your judgement about
whether hypothesis is supported or not.
Appropriately accepts
Appropriately accepts or
Evaluation or rejects the
rejects the hypothesis. In
of Results hypothesis. In doing Appropriately accepts or rejects
doing so, clearly restates the Not Shown
so, clearly restates the the hypothesis.
(3 marks) hypothesis and references the
hypothesis or
results.
references the results.
 Discussion
Relating the pattern and trend to theory:
 You need to use the relevant psychological concepts to explain your findings. (why are
the results the way they are).
 To get top marks for this section you will need to show depth of understanding and
include specific detail.
 You should be explaining the results of each condition

The relevant
Relating psychological The findings of the study are
The relevant psychological
the theories, models, stated. However, there is no
theories, models, and
pattern and concepts are or minimal attempt to use the
concepts is used to explain
and trend used to explain the relevant psychological Not Shown
the findings accurately and
to theory findings. There may theories, models, and
succinctly, with no key
be some inaccuracies concepts are used to explain
(3 marks) aspects missing.
or key aspects may the findings.
be missing.
 Discussion
Limitations:
 Identify specific sources of error and outline the potential impact it may have had on
the results with reference to precision, accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility and
validity.
Personal error: Experimenter effect
Random error: Variations in results - EV
Systematic error: CV
 Must do 2!!!!

Sources of error / uncertainty

are identified and their effect
Limitations on the results is explained
with reference to precision,
(4 marks) accuracy, repeatability,
reproducibility, and validity
where applicable.
Sources of error / uncertainty
are identified accurately, and
Sources of error /
Sources of error/ uncertainty are
uncertainty are Not Shown
their effect on the results is identified but may be inaccurate.
identified accurately.
explained.
 Discussion
Improvements:

For each identified limitation, suggest a way it could be controlled for

or improved in future research.
When discussing improvements identify and explain the improvement
with reference to precision, accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility and
validity where applicable.

Improvements are identified and

Improvement explained based on limitations Improvements are identified and Improvements are Some Improvements are identified
s with reference to precision,
for each of the limitations and identified accurately, but based on limitations but are not Not Shown
accuracy, repeatability,
(4 marks) clearly explained. not adequately explained. feasible or logical.
reproducibility, and validity where
applicable.
 Discussion
Conclusion:
 Must be a statement that refers to the relationship between the IV and the DV with direct reference to the
sample studied. This links to the aim of the study.
 You can refer to results being/not being consistent with your hypothesis to support your concluding
statement
 Implications – how can the findings of this study be applied to real life situations? Discuss the implications
of the current study to the population of interest.
 Generalisations – can the results of your research be applied to the population of research interest?
State whether they can or cannot be and provide a justification of your decision based on limitations you
identified.
 You will need to consider the following to make your decision – validity of the study, sample size,
representativeness of the sample.

A concise and clear conclusion

has been written. Implications of
Conclusion
the findings to the population of
interest has been made.
(4 marks)
Generalisability of the findings to
the population of interest has
been justified based on identified
limitations.
A concise and clear conclusion has
A concise and clear
been written. Implications of the
conclusion has been
findings to the population of
written. Generalisability of
interest has been made. A conclusion has been attempted. Not Shown
the findings to the
Generalisability of the findings to
population of interest has
the population of interest has been
been outlined.
outlined.
 References
• Make sure your reference list is in alphabetical order​
• Below is an example of a reference list with one, three and more than three authors.​
• For more than three authors you only need to write the first author et. al. ​
• Refer to the reference guide in the next slides.
Derwing, T. M., Rossiter, M. J., & Munro, M. J. (2002). Teaching native speakers to listen to foreign-
accented speech. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 23(4), 245-259.​
Mandl, H., et al. (2016). Learning and instruction: European research in an international context, 10(2), 420-255​
Neuro-skills - https://www.neuroskills.com/education/definition-of-brain-injury.php (date accessed 2/4/2019)​
Thomas, H. K. (2004). Training strategies for improving listeners' comprehension of foreign-accented
speech (Doctoral dissertation). University of Colorado, Colorado

A reference list is included.

A comprehensive reference
References References may be missing A reference list is included.
list is included. The
or there may be References are missing and there Not Shown
(3 marks) reference list is
inaccuracies with is inaccuracy with formatting.
appropriately formatted.
formatting.
 Scientific Report Writing
 Do not use personalised language such as ‘I’ and ‘we’. Instead of ‘My aim…’ write ‘The aim’

 Scientific reports are written in the past tense as they are written after the experiment has taken place. .
E.g. ‘The aim was to”

 The Introduction section does not have a heading ‘Introduction’. You write your title and then begin your
introduction. There are no subheadings within an introduction section. Use paragraphs!

 The Method section has a heading ‘Method’ and subheadings for each section that are italicised.
(Participants, Materials, Research Design, Procedure, Ethics)

Scientific Mostly accurate use

Consistent and accurate use
Language and
of appropriate scientific
Conventions
language, conventions, and
(3 marks) representations.
Some accurate use of
of appropriate
appropriate scientific
scientific language, Not Shown
language, conventions, and
conventions, and
representations.
representations.