Methods and Considerations
In PSY-452: Experimental Psychology, you completed the Research Report assignment. In this course you will revise components from the PSY-452 assignment and use those revised components to create a research proposal at the end of this course. You should treat this assignment as a potential portfolio piece or writing sample for future graduate school applications or job interviews.
For this assignment, you will develop your methods and ethical considerations section from the methods section of your Research Report in PSY-452. You are required to keep the following sections: participants, materials/instruments/apparatuses, procedures, and design. You are required to add an ethical consideration section. Review the following for each section's requirements.
- Introduction: Write a brief introduction to your methods section. In this section, briefly introduce your topic, variables, and research question(s). For each research question, you must include a null and alternative hypothesis. This section of your paper should be four to six sentences.
- Participants: Write a paragraph describing your participants. This section should include the number of participants, the required characteristics of the participants, and a clear plan on how you will recruit the participants for your study. This section should be one to two paragraphs.
- Materials: Write a paragraph describing the materials (surveys, classrooms, tests) you need to accomplish your study. This section needs to address each of your variables. It is recommended that you write one paragraph per variable in your study. Each paragraph will describe how the variable is operationalized and materials needed to measure it in your study. You must be specific. If you are using a survey, you must list the name of the survey and cite it. If you are creating groups, you must describe your exact method for accomplishing this. Reliability and validity information must be included for each measure (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha, interrater reliability, test-retest reliability). Reminder: You cannot create your own surveys/questionnaires in this assignment. You must use a valid and reliable measure and cite it.
- Procedure: Write a paragraph describing the step-by-step process one must follow to collect data for your study. If you are assigning groups, you must detail that process. If you are administering surveys, you must describe how/where participants are receiving the surveys. This section must also describe how and when participants will give their informed consent in the process. This section will vary based on study complexity, but it should range between one to three paragraphs.
- Design Section: This part has three sections: (1) Identify your study's methodology and design (e.g., This is a quantitative correlation study.); (2) Describe the appropriate statistical test to address your research question (e.g., a two-tailed Pearson r analysis will be conducted to test the research question.) Note: You will have one statistical test per research question. Identify the appropriate alpha level/confidence interval; and (3) After you identify the appropriate design and analysis, write a brief description of why this calculation was chosen (e.g., This calculation will demonstrate three things: if there is a relationship between the two variables, the magnitude of that relationship, and the strength of that relationship).
- Ethical Considerations: Address ethical considerations associated with your research. At a minimum, discuss informed consent, privacy, and any potential risks to participants. Your study may require additional ethical considerations depending upon the nature of your proposed research.
- Consider Christian Worldview principles such as respect for human dignity, honesty, compassion, and integrity. Explain how these principles can support ethical practices within your study, including ethical treatment of participants, the responsible reporting of results, and the overall conduct of your research.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Benchmark Information
This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competency:
BS Psychology
3.1: Apply ethical values and standards central to the field of psychology.