How to Write About A Study in A Psychology Paper

NOTE:

These are general guidelines. All such guidelines can always be violated. However, just like Picasso first learned how to draw realistic pictures before he branched off into Cubism and other abstract forms, it would be wise for you to learn how to follow this basic format before you start putting eyes on the noses in your paintings. Also, bear in mind that the avant garde (such as Picasso) is often not accepted by the critical establishment of the time. Your professors are probably much more like the establishment than they would like to believe. And they are the ones who give you your grades!

You also may find the Brief Summary of APA Style useful.

Here are seven steps to describing a study in a psychology essay:

1. Discuss the theoretical background of the study. What inspired the researchers to do this particular study? Also, make it clear why this is relevant to the things you are discussing in your essay. That is, why are you telling the reader about this study?

2. Discuss the hypotheses of this study in conceptual terms. Be sure to make it clear why this hypothesis is predicted by the theory discussed in 1.

• * Sometimes, a study will be run to compare 2 (or more) theoretical viewpoints. If that is the case, then you should describe what outcome would be expected if the first theory is right, and what would be expected if the second is right, etc.
• * Sometimes, a study will be exploratory, without a specific outcome predicted. However, there are almost always at least some tentative ideas about various things that might occur. Discuss these here.

3. Describe the methods used to test the hypothesis.

4. Discuss the hypotheses in terms of the operationalized variables. How are the things being measured and/or manipulated related to the conceptual constructs you talked about in 2., and what should happen in the study if the hypothesis is correct.

5. Report the findings of the study, with an emphasis on whether or not the hypotheses of the study were confirmed.

6. Discuss what implications these findings have for the theoretical ideas [1.], and, if appropriate, for the broader area of research that this study is addressing.

7. Discuss what the findings in this study say about the point you are trying to make in your essay.

General Notes:

• - Depending on factors such as the importance of the study to your main thesis, the specific point you are trying to make with this study, and many other things, the amount of detail that you provide in each of these sections can vary from one sentence to several pages.


• - In some instances, any of the above sections can be omitted. The most common omissions will be 3. & 4.; this is especially common when you are discussing the study in a general literature review. The least common omissions are 1., 5., and 6. I cannot think of any situation where 7., would be omitted.

Original document prepared by Steve Scher.