Various databases are available for the psychology literature. One of the most useful is PsycINFO. Review articles, books, chapters in books, edited volumes, and chapters in edited volumes are also found in the research databases. Peer-reviewed journals are the best sources of original research. Searching the literature for relevant research will be more successful if appropriate search terms are used.
Original research journal articles generally include an abstract, an introduction, a method section, a results section, and a discussion section. The purpose of the abstract is to summarize the article. There should be enough information in the abstract for the reader to decide if he or she should read the entire research article. In the introduction, there will be a description of the relevant research and a description of the specific research hypotheses of the authors. The IV and DVs are often described in the introduction as well.
The method section is typically divided into subsections such as Participants or Subjects, Materials, and Apparatus. The method section always contains a subsection called Procedure. Enough details of the procedure must be included so that researchers elsewhere could replicate the research.
In the results section, the statistical data are presented. Both descriptive and inferential statistics will be reported. Descriptive measures of central tendency, variability, and the strength of the relationship between variables will be reported. Typically, the inferential statistics follow the descriptive statistics. A lot of psychology research involves testing hypotheses. Any tests of significance that were used to assess the research hypotheses will be reported in the results section. Basic tests of significance include t tests, F tests, chi-square tests, correlation and regression tests, and so on. The authors will indicate whether or not the hypotheses they put forth in the introduction were supported by the statistical analyses.
More complex analyses that are common in the research literature include multiple regression, partial correlation, semipartial correlation, logistic regression, factor analysis, cluster analysis, structural equation modeling, and discriminant function analysis.
Although hypothesis testing is more common in psychology research, confidence interval estimation is also used. A confidence interval is a range of values with a known probability of containing a parameter.
The discussion section of a research article contains the authors’ interpretation of the statistical findings and suggestions about future research directions.
Chapter Resources
Answers to Conceptual Exercises
Conceptual Exercise 2A
1a. IV is amount of practice; DV is reaction time.
1b. IV is amount of exercise; DV is ratings of depression.
Conceptual Exercise 2B
1 Because there are two groups, a t test might be appropriate.
2 There are five groups, and so an F test might be appropriate.
3 A chi-square goodness-of-fit test would answer this question.
FAQ
Q1: What’s a DV dependent on?
A1: We hope it is dependent on our manipulation (the IV).
Q2: I have taken an intro stats course, and I can’t make heads or tails out of the research I am reading.
A2: We understand. The statistics used by most researchers today go well beyond what you learned in your intro stats course. You will need a graduate-level course under your belt to understand a lot of the statistics you will read about, but we hope you will be able to understand on a conceptual level a lot of what you read.
Q3: I just read a research article, and they talked about a bunch of correlation stuff and validity and reliability. I have no clue.
A3: Read Chapters 4 and 5.
Q4: I just read a paper that talked about stratified sampling.
A4: Go to Chapter 6.
Q5: My prof tells me to use APA style in my report, but the articles I have read don’t look anything like the APA manual.
A5: Yes, each specific journal uses its own style. Go to Chapter 14.
Chapter Exercises
1 Identify the IV and DV for each of the following questions. Indicate any participant variables being examined.Does the use of imagery enhance athletic performance?Are teens more concerned about their bodies than older adults?Does repetition in advertising improve sales?Does straight alley training improve the speed of rats in a maze?Is there a difference in leadership style between men and women?
2 Why are peer-reviewed journals preferable? What does the term blind review mean?
3 List two things found in the introduction of a research article.
4 List and describe what is found in typical subsections of the method section of a research article.
5 List two kinds of statistics always found in the results section of a research article.
6 What is the purpose of the discussion section of a research article?
7 Describe the difference between a mediating and a moderating variable.
8 What is the general purpose of a significance test?
9 What is the general purpose of confidence interval estimation?
Chapter Projects
1 Locate three research articles from peer-reviewed journals. Briefly summarize each article, and describe the IV (or participant/subject variables), DV, control procedures employed (and why they were needed), and descriptive statistics used. Discuss other ways in which the variables could have been operationalized.
2 Using search terms of your choice, find an article that interests you. In no more than one paragraph summarize the article as you would in the introduction of a research article. Begin with an introductory sentence of the main point, followed by what they did and to whom, how they did the study, what they found, and why it’s important.
Ancillaries
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