What Do I Need to Include Under Each Section of My IA Report for IB Psychology_2011_2012

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    What do I need to include under each section of my IA report

    for IB Psychology?

    Title page

    The hypothesis will determine how the title is constructed. For example, if the

    operationalized research hypothesis is The mean number of words correctlyrecalled by a group using a list with category headings will be greater than the

    mean number of words correctly recalled by a group not using category headings,

    then an appropriate title could be An experiment to investigate the effect of

    category headings on the recall of a list of words. A title such as An experiment

    on memory is not specific and is, therefore, insufficient.

    The title page must include:

    y titley the method used (experiment)y the topic under investigation (for example, recall)y the variables (for example, category headings and their impact on word

    recall)

    y student name and numbery subject and level (SL or HL)y

    date, month and year of submissiony number of words.

    Abstract

    The abstract gives the reader a chance to find out the bare essentials of the

    experiment without going any further. The style should be brief, but should not

    use note form. The abstract should include the following.

    y A one-sentence summary, giving the topic(s) to be studiedThis may include the aim or hypotheses and the area studied.

    y A description of the participants and setting for the experimenty A description of the experiment conducted by the student, including the

    design, independent and dependent variables, and a basic outline of the

    procedure

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    y A statement of the findings related to the aim (SL) including a mention ofthe statistics used, the significance levels (HL), and one sentence summing

    up the outcome (SL and HL)

    y A short summary of the conclusionThe abstract should be no longer than 200 words. The word count for the abstract

    should be included on the abstract page.

    Introduction

    The purpose of the introduction is to introduce the theoretical framework and the

    background research and/or theories that should lead to the aim (SL) or

    hypotheses (HL).

    The introduction should follow the order below.

    y A general introduction to the psychological subject area under investigationy A summary of the key theories and research studies

    The introduction must include proper references, for example, (Zajonc

    1965). Students at SL must cite one reference, and at least three are

    recommended for HL.

    y A rationale and justification for the studyy The aim (SL and HL) and hypotheses (HL only)

    See below for further information about the aim and hypotheses.

    The details of a piece of research should not be spelled out unless it is one the

    student is replicating.

    Aim

    The aim of the study is a clear statement about what is being investigated and

    what is expected.

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    Hypotheses (HL)

    Research hypothesisH1

    The research hypothesis must be a clear, concise prediction of what is expected to

    be demonstrated in the experiment. This must be operationalized: it must be

    evident how the variables will be quantified, and may be either one- or two-tailed

    (directional or non-directional).

    NullhypothesisH0

    The null hypothesis states that no significant difference is expected to be found

    between the groups on the measure of the dependent variable, and that any

    difference found is due to chance

    Problem areas

    y Background studies not relevant or only marginally relevant to thehypothesis.

    y Studies described but not made relevant to the hypothesis.y Research hypothesis not operationalized and does not predict a difference

    between two groups or conditions.

    Method

    This is typically divided into several sub-sections.

    Design

    A description of design decisions should be included, for example:

    y experimental and control conditionsy the type of experimental design chosen by the student and justification for

    their choice (independent groups, repeated measures, or matched pairs)

    y identification of variables (independent and dependent variables),operationally defined

    y ethical considerations and reference to documentation (informed consent,debriefing) in the appendices.

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    Problem areas

    y Variables are not identified properly and a mark of zero must be awarded.y No mention of ethical issues, therefore a zero must be awarded.y Informed consent not obtained - or 'consent' obtained rather than

    'informed consent'.

    y Justifying the use of the experimental method rather than justifying the useof a particular experimental design. The method does not need to be

    justified as all students are required to do an experiment.

    Participants

    Details of the participants involved in the research should be included, for

    example:

    y the researchers involved in conducting the researchy the target population, described in terms such as age, sex, education, or

    reference to any other relevant variables

    y the sampling method and justification of why it was usedy the size of the sample (a participant sample of 20 is recommended), and

    how the participants were selected and assigned to experimental

    conditions.

    Problem areas

    y Misunderstanding of the term random and ensuring their selectionprocedure is truly random. If not random, then the use of an opportunity or

    structured sampling procedure should be explained.

    y Target population too broadly defined.Materials

    A clear outline of materials or apparatus should be used. The exact details and

    examples should be placed in the appendices.

    Procedure

    This sub-section should include a statement of where the research was

    undertaken, the instructions given to participants, details of debriefing, and any

    other relevant details that would be necessary for replication of the experiment.

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    Further evidence should be included regarding design decisions, such as

    counterbalancing, random allocation of participants to groups, single- or double-

    blind, control of extraneous variables, standardized procedures and steps taken to

    avoid any possible bias in sampling or in the experimental procedures.

    Details of informed consent, briefing and debriefing of participants should also be

    included.

    Problem areas

    y There is insufficient information to replicate the study.y Procedure does not mention ethical considerationsy The procedure is not in order

    Results

    The results should include the following.

    y Statement of the measure(s) of central tendency, as appropriatey Statement of the measure(s) of dispersion, as appropriatey Justification of choice of descriptive statisticy Appropriate use of fully explained graphs and tables (may be computer

    generated)

    The student should give a narrative presentation of the results related to the aim

    and hypotheses of the experiment.

    All raw data should be included in an appendix. It should be presented in a

    readable form with all headings clearly explained.

    Personal details, such as the names of participants, should not be included. Such

    information should be regarded as confidential.

    All the actual answer sheets need not be included; one example in the report will

    suffice. Students should keep the answer sheets.

    Descriptive statistics (SL and HL)

    Appropriate numerical statistics should be included, for example, measure(s) of

    central tendency (mean, median, mode) and measure(s) of dispersion (range,

    standard deviation).

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    Appropriate graphical statistics illustrating summary data should be provided, for

    example, tables, bar charts, histograms and pie charts.

    Special care should be taken to ensure that all graphs and tables have clear titles,

    all graphical axes are clearly labelled, and all graphs are drawn on graph paper if

    hand drawn.

    Raw data should not be included in the results section, but can be placed in the

    appendices.

    Graphs detailing individual scores should not be included.

    Problem areas

    y Tests of central tendency may not be the most relevant - e.g., the median issometimes better to report than the mean

    y Graphing of raw data instead of descriptive statisticsy Graph labellingy Results compare data that is irrelevant to the hypothesis - for example,

    analyzing results by gender

    y Graphing irrelevant thingsy Including all measures of central tendency instead of just the most

    appropriate.

    y Not justifying the chosen measurey Results not presented in graph and tabular form

    Inferential statistics (HL)

    Inferential statistics enable us to draw conclusions about the likelihood of the

    hypotheses being retained. The following details should be included.

    y A statement of the test(s) used and the level of measurement of the data(nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio)

    y Justification of the choice of statistical test, with reference to the designand the nature of the actual data collected

    y A statement of the observed and critical values of the test, degrees offreedom, significance level and whether the test was one- or two-tailed

    y A statement of the conclusion in terms of the experimental hypothesisy A statement as to whether the experimental or null hypothesis was

    accepted

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    Presentation of the experimental calculations should be provided in an appendix.

    If a computer or calculator program have been used a printout should be

    presented.

    Choosing the right statistical test

    Type of

    design

    Type of data/level of measurement

    Nominal Ordinal Interval/ratio

    (parametric)

    Independent Chi-

    squared

    Mann

    Whitney

    U test

    Unrelated t-

    test

    Repeated Sign test Wilcoxon Related t-test

    Matched Sign test Wilcoxon Related t-test

    In order to use a t-test, data must meet the requirements of a t-test.

    y The level of measurement should be at least interval.y The data samples should have been drawn from a normally distributed

    population.

    The samples should have similar variances.

    Which test to use?

    There is debate among the teaching community about which inferential tests

    should be used for the DPPsychology simple experiment. Psychologists try to use

    the most appropriate and most powerful test they can to analyse their results.

    The world of inferential statistics and probability reaches far beyond the scope of

    the DPPsychology course.

    The learning outcome from our course that gives us direction reads:

    Apply an appropriately chosen statistical test (for example, Wilcoxon matched-

    pairs signed-ranks test, Mann-Whitney U test, sign test, chi-squared test) in order

    to determine the level of significance of data (HL only).

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    This only says an "appropriately chosen" test. The parenthetical examples are not

    required. They are just examples of what is acceptable. Other tests would be

    acceptable to use if they were 'appropriately chosen'. Each inferential statistical

    test has a set of conditions of use, i.e., what the experiment has to be like in order

    to use the test appropriately.

    Experienced teachers and examiners recommend keeping the choice of statisticaltest limited to the most basic, appropriate ones. The four tests mentioned in the

    guide are adequate for the vast majority of IB psychology simple experiments.

    Design and sample size will also play a role.

    In all cases, the assessment criteria focus on the selection and application of an

    appropriate and justified test.

    Problem areas

    y No inferential analysis includedy The test used is far too complex for the IB psychology levely Misunderstanding of concept of significance and the relationship between

    the null hypothesis and the research hypothesis

    Discussion

    There are four divisions.

    1. Explanation of findings

    The word explain means to give a detailed account including reasons or causes.

    Explanation may include reference to descriptive statistics. Students should have

    stated the results of their experiment in statistical terms in the results section of

    their report.

    2. Relationship to background research

    This is the students opportunity to explain their results in relation to their initial

    aim and hypotheses, as well as to their background research.

    No new research should be included here, but duplication of material from the

    introduction should be avoided.

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    3. Limitations, modifications and suggestions for further research

    Even a well-designed study will have flaws. The design and procedure should be

    considered and suitable modifications should be suggested. Limitations include,

    but are not restricted to:

    y experimental flaws and problems that may have affected the results, suchas lack of sampling controls and problems with the procedure

    y materialsy design.Modifications need to be clearly stated and could include other ways of

    investigating the aim.

    Students should refer to any ideas they may have for further or follow-up

    research.

    4. Conclusion

    Students should finish with a concluding statement of their findings (SL) and a

    brief, focused summing-up of findings relating back to the aim and hypotheses

    (HL).

    Problem areas

    y No discussion of descriptive statistics, especially differences in standarddeviation or range.

    y Background studies or theories are simply restated and not discussed -remember the definitions of the command terms.

    y Limitations are superficial and not necessarily the most relevant.References

    This section should be a list of all the material the students have referred to. If the

    student does not have the original source material, all the necessary details can

    be found in the references section at the back of the book that referred to the

    source.

    All references stated in the introduction and discussion sections of the students

    report should be included in the references section.

    References should follow a recognized format and be consistent throughout.

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    The recommended style for a textbook reference is:

    Flanagan, C (1997) An introduction to Psychology. London, UK. Thomas & Co.

    (That is, in the order: surname, initial (date) title. Place of publication. Publisher.)

    References for textbooks written by multiple authors should be presented as

    follows:

    Crane, J & Hannibal, J (2009) IB Diploma Programme: Psychology Course

    Companion. Oxford, UK. OUP.

    (That is, in the order: surname, initial & surname, initial (date) title. Place of

    publication. Publisher.)

    Please note that page references should be included.

    Websites must be fully referenced with "http://www. followed by the address so

    they can be located.

    Any statistical packages used must also be included in the references section.

    Problem areas:

    y Inconsistent formatting which could very easily be rectified with an eye fordetaily Not all citations from the body of the report are included in the references

    section

    y Secondary sources are not cited appropriately. They can be used but shouldbe cited as such.

    Appendices

    In this section, students must include blank copies of any supplementaryinformation, a list of the materials used, such as standardized instructions,

    debriefing notes and a blank copy of an informed consent statement. This section

    provides all the materials necessary to allow the experiment to be replicated.

    Tables of raw data and calculations must be included. However, it is not necessary

    to include all participant responses: one blank copy or a sample is sufficient.

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    Materials should be clearly labelled and organized.

    A checklist for each section can be found in the Appendices.

    It is recommended that these checklists are distributed to students to track their

    progress.

    Participant informed consent

    Informed consent is an integral and required part of the internal assessment

    process. All students must ensure all participants who are 16 years or older sign

    an informed consent statement. For experiments with participants under the age

    of 16, parental consent must be obtained.

    Students must include one blank copy of their informed consent statement as an

    appendix. A sample consent form that could be modified by students can be

    found in the "Appendices" section.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is a simple experiment?

    A simple experiment is an experimental research method that has one

    independent variable and one dependent variable. The independent variable is

    the variable that is manipulated by the researcher. The dependent variable is the

    variable that is measured by the researcher, and changes as a result ofmanipulation of the independent variable.

    A simple experiment should also have two conditions. Condition 1 is the

    experimental condition, where the independent variable is changed. Condition 2

    is the control condition, where the independent variable remains unchanged.

    Multiple variables and conditions should be avoided as this does not constitute a

    simple experiment.

    Other research methods, such as interviews, surveys, case studies, questionnaires,observations, correlations or quasi-experiments, should be avoided as these are

    non-experimental.

    Students will receive no marks if they produce non-experimental work.

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    Can students work as part of a group?

    Yes. Group work may be undertaken by groups of up to four students. Each group

    must collect its own data but each student must write up his or her own

    individual report.

    Can students use software packages for calculating statistics?

    Yes. These are permitted provided students interpret the results obtained and

    check the significance of the data. A printout of the calculated data should be

    included in the appendices of the students report.

    How can I ensure that my students work is ethical?

    Make sure your students follow the guidance given in the Ethical guidelines

    section. Teachers can use the proposal form provided (see the Forms section) to

    check and approve student research proposals before students start to collect anydata. Teachers are also encouraged to arrange a review board to check that all

    students work is ethical before they start collecting data.

    Can a t-test be used?

    Yes. A t-test can be used if the students data meets the requirements of the test

    outlined in the Report section.