PSYCHOLOGY COURSEWORK

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PSYCHOLOGY COURSEWORK
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Presentation of reports

• There is no need for a separated sheet of paper
  before each section
• Font size gt12 should be used
• Inclusion of more than one example of a
  questionnaire is penalized in 5b

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Introduction (18)
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1a Background research (10)

• Describe studies in terms of method and results
• Refer to studies that are directly relevant
• Studies that are too general are usually not
  relevant
• The introduction should focus on studies that
  address the same research question as your own
  study

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1a Background research (10)

• E.g. If gender is an IV there should be some
  research on gender differences
• E.g. If the topic is categorization of
  information, the introduction should not be about
  levels of processing. There is no need to
  describe several theories of memory

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1b Rationale (4)

• Many studies are justified as being replications
  of being studies described in the introduction
  this gains one mark.
• You must explain WHY the study is being carried
  out
• To do this you can explain differences in design,
  procedure, sampling

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1b Rationale (4)

• You must also include the effect it is thought
  these differences will have on results
• To see if memory has changed in 40 years is not a
  good rationale
• E.g. a Powerpoint presentation was used to time
  the words instead of a tachistoscope

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1c Aims (2)

• Should agree with the rationale and hypothesis
• Well stated and snappy

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1d Hypotheses (2)

• Write one clear hypothesis
• Do not attempt to test several IVs in one
  hypothesis
• The hypothesis should be reflected in the IV and
  the DV
• Include a null hypothesis

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Method (14)
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2a Method and Design (2)

• Naming method and design only gets one mark
• Justify in relation to your study to get two
  marks
• A controlled investigation carried out in
  laboratory conditions in school is a laboratory
  experiment not a field experiment

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2b Variables (2)

• To gain two marks IV and DV need to be fully
  operationalised and identified
• E.g. Interference or organization needs to be
  explained and described

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2c Sampling (2)

• State accurate number of participants
• For two marks the sampling method must be
  justified

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2c Sampling (2)

• E.g. How did you opportunity sample?
• E.g. It is not enough to state opportunity
  sampling was used as it was easy
• Nor is it enough to say there is not enough time
  for another method, insufficient time to gather
  data is an unacceptable justification which
  gains no credit

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2d Apparatus (2)

• List of apparatus gains one only mark
• Explain why you have chosen your materials
• Eg. Why that number of questions, why those
  words, why that time .

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2d Apparatus (2)

• Failure to include a copy of a questionnaire, or
  how it was scored, a tally chart, or to identify
  a film clip or music used, limits the reliability
  of a study and impacts on 2e marks as well as
  gaining no marks for 2d
• You need to mention how you intend to score the
  results.

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2e Procedure (4)

• Failure to identify where, when or how the
  procedure was carried out stopped many candidates
  gaining full marks
• You must indicate how participants are allocated
  to conditions, and whether they were tested as a
  group or individually
• All details must be included for full marks
• Maximum 1 mark if materials for replication were
  not included in 2d or appendices

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2e Procedure (4)

• Maximum 2 marks if co-workers details do not
  appear (give candidate number not name)

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2f Controls (2)

• You must identify extraneous variables
• Do not include participants names anywhere,
  including appendices

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Results (11)
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3a Summary Table (2)

• You must give units of measurement and explain
  conditions A or B
• Include raw data in appendices
• Calculations should be accurate to gain credit
• Appropriate measure of central tendency/dispersion
  should be used where appropriate

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3b Summary table commentary (2)

• Trends means explaining the table
• E.g. what it means if the means/median are very
  different

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3c Additional graphical descriptions of results
(2)

• Graphs have to be fully labeled and titled as
  well as clear and neat
• Computer generated graphs need to be
  appropriately scaled and easy to read
• Data shown graphically should not normally be raw
  data except where nominal data has been collected

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3c Additional graphical descriptions of results
(2)

• The use of pie charts is discouraged by the board
  as they feel many students do not understand how
  to create them or comment on them
• The analysis of variables other than those which
  are stated in the aim/hypotheses gains no credit
  i.e. primacy/recency effects or gender
  differences were often displayed with no link to
  the topic under investigation

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3d Descriptive statistics commentary (2)

• Some students choose to comment on aspects of
  their findings which had nothing to do with their
  aim/hypothesis (often gender differences) this
  gains no credit

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3e Relationship of results to hypothesis (3)

• Acceptance/rejection of hypothesis gains one mark
• To gain the other marks you should refer to the
  level of support using the results obtained

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Discussion (24)
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4a Validity (4)

• Explanation of what is meant by validity gains no
  marks and leads to overlong reports
• You must mention operationalisation of variables
• Ecological validity tends to gain marks
• Stronger candidates focus on internal validity
  i.e. the actual measure used eg no. of words

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4a Validity (4)

• E.g. questionnaire to measure average number of
  hours spent sleeping nightly is this an sensible
  measure when looking at the hypothesis on effects
  of age on sleep? this relates to the IV being
  valid
• Or - How good is counting the number of words
  remembered a measure of categorisation and memory
  this relates to the DV being valid
• Do your findings match up with those of previous
  experiments but perhaps done in different ways
  e.g. if looking at eyewitness testimony do your
  answers relate to Allports regarding witness
  factors?

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4b Improving validity (4)

• To suggest a field study could be carried out is
  not sufficient to gain marks, particularly when
  the study is on memory
• Better candidates suggested 2 changes and how
  these changes impacted on their results
• To get three or more marks you must predict the
  effect on results

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4c Reliability (4)

• No need to define reliability
• Some students commented in their method section
  on how they controlled variables only to deny
  this in the discussion, this is unlikely to gain
  marks
• Loads to talk about sampling, word lists,
  videos, extraneous variables, ( minimum 3)

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4d Improving reliability (4)

• You can consider the design, the method and the
  how the materials were used to see what could be
  changed to improve reliability dont say new
  participants in a memory test would give
  different results
• Suggestions should also include predications of
  how these will affect participants scores

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4d Improving reliability (4)

• E.g. Would the change lead to a smaller or larger
  difference between the experimental and control
  group and why?

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4e Implications (4)

• Weak answers made brief links i.e. the results
  supported those of Bower
• State the similarities and differences between
  your findings and those in the Introduction ( in
  terms of )
• Give possible reasons for why there may be
  differences
• Stronger answers were able to link their findings
  and conclusions to the findings of the all the
  research in their introduction

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4f Generalisation of findings (2)

• Not well answered
• What is your target population?
• Many students stated that their results cannot be
  generalized as their sample consisted of
  international students, this is not enough
• You need to show a greater understanding of what
  generalisation means

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4f Generalisation of findings (2)

• E.g. being aware that memory is a universal
  cognitive function and even though you have a
  small sample it is possible to generalise
• Think about how you can relate to sampling
  methods from your target population

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4g Application of study (2)What do I now know
and how does that relate?

• Some topics are easier to apply than others
  think where your IV is already being used and
  what effect it is having on society.
• Saying that the results could help revision is
  not going to get a mark unless some explanation
  of how this will work is given
• Telling police about questioning techniques is
  too simplistic ( dont you think they might
  already know ?)
• Be creative but not ridiculous think
  technology, work-place, education, media

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References (5)
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5a References and appendices

• References must be full, alphabetically organized
• References means for each and every psychologist
  you have mentioned there must be an entry in
  this section for the research they did

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• Correct web referencing is also required
• Referencing gains two marks
• Full set of appendices gains another mark

Date which the article published in brackets
Psychologists name surname first, initials
follow
Name of publisher in italics
Title of the article
Graham, J.
(2005)
Writing up a report.
KGV Press
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References

• If you cannot find the reference state in which
  book the study you are referring to was found
• Write the books name CORRECTLY too

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Bibliography

• There must be a bibliography which is the
  books, web sites you have used
• In the same way as you wrote the references
  write each and every book you used ( got
  something from )
• All web sites need to be mentioned too

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5b Presentation

• You must stick to the word length to gain full
  marks here

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Finally.
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• Use treasury tag to ensure your pages stay in
  order
• Only include one copy of your questionnaire
• Do not use red pen (it confuses the examiners)
• Co-workers must be identified on the front sheet
  by candidate number
• Co-workers contributions must be identified in
  the Procedure section