Student Manual 2016.pdf

8/17/2019 Student Manual 2016.pdf

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Social Psychology

PSYC3017

Student Manual

2016

Co-ordinator: Dr. Ilan Dar-Nimrod


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PSYC3017 – Social PsychologyUnit of Study outline

Coordinator: Dr. Ilan Dar-Nimrod

Office: Room 420 Brennan MacCallum Building

Phone: 9351 2908

Email: [email protected]

Other Lecturing Staff: Dr. Karen Gonsalkorale


Phone: 9351 8930

E-mail: [email protected]

Prof. Fiona White


Phone: 9351 3246


Mr. Stefano Verrelli

Office: Room 468 Griffith Taylor Building

Phone: 9351 3716Email: [email protected]

Teaching Fellow: Ms. Nicola Black

Office: Room 310 Griffith Taylor Building

Phone: 9351 7479


Format of Unit: 2 x 1 hour lectures/week x 13 weeks

1 x 2 hour tutorial/week x 10 weeks

Credit Point Value: 6 Credit Points

Prerequisites: Intermediate Psychology units including

PSYC (2013 or 2113) plus one other Intermediate Psychology Unit fromPSYC (2011 or 2111), PSYC (2012 or 2112), PSYC (2014 or 2114).

Lecture attendance: Required. 80% recommended to pass unit. Audio recordings made of most lecture content

and most slides posted online.

Tutorial attendance: Required. 80% recommended to pass unit. Attend your timetabled tutorial. Attendance

recorded. Attendance at presentation (Week 13) is mandatory.

Assessment: Classwork*: 40% of total mark of the Unit: Practical Report (Group Work project).

Group mark (20% of report mark):

• Method Section (10% of report mark): due Week 6.

• Results (10% of report mark): due Week 9.

Individual mark (80% of report mark):• Introduction (40% of report mark) & Discussion (40% of report mark): due Friday

May 20th

(Week 11).

Class Presentation*: 10% of total mark of the Unit: Presentation of Research Group Work

(20 mins) in Week 13 Tutorials

Final Examination*: Original final exam- 50% of total mark of the Unit: 2hr exam

(multiple-choice 60% and written-answer questions 40%). We reserve the option of

radically changing any replacement exam’s format.

*Completion of these assessments is compulsory to pass this unit. Students who fail to complete any of these

components will receive an Absent Fail, regardless of their marks in other assessments.

NB It is very important that you read the general administrative guidelines for the School of Psychology, availableon the Current Students page within the School’s website:

http://sydney.edu.au/science/psychology/current_students/psyc2_3/index.shtml

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with, and adhere, to the guidelines- both the School’s one (at

mailto:[email protected]://sydney.edu.au/science/psychology/current_students/psyc2_3/index.shtmlhttp://sydney.edu.au/science/psychology/current_students/psyc2_3/index.shtmlhttp://sydney.edu.au/science/psychology/current_students/psyc2_3/index.shtmlmailto:[email protected]


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the link above), and the course one (to be uploaded on the course’s eLearning website).

Note that students who apply for and are granted either special arrangements or special consideration for

examinations in units offered by the Faculty of Science will be expected to sit any replacement assessments in the two

weeks immediately following the end of the formal examination period. Later dates for replacement assessments may

be considered where the application is supported by appropriate documentation and provided that adequate

resources are available to accommodate any later date.

Unit of Study General Description:

PSYC3017 continues the coverage of topics in Social Psychology begun in PSYC1001 and PSYC2013. The unit is divided

into topic areas, where the emphasis is on evaluating theories and the relevant evidence. Topics areas include: the

self, self-conscious emotions, stigma; anti-social behaviours and strategies for their reduction – aggression, racial

discrimination, sex discrimination and age discrimination; Existential Psychology—philosophical underpinning, Terror

Management Theory, Meaning Maintenance Model; genes and the psychosocial environment—interaction between

genes and psychosocial variables, genetic essentialism; evolutionary approach to social psychology; cross cultural and

cultural psychology. Tutorials provide first-hand experience of research by involving students in a range of research

projects, to be conducted by small groups, on the topics covered in the lectures.

This syllabus provides a short overview of the course. Students will receive a complete course manual in the first week

to guide them through all the ins and outs of the course.

Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Outcomes for Social Psychology:

This course is structured around the graduate attributes associated with the scientist-practitioner model, the basis for

the training of psychologists in Australia and internationally.

Graduate Attributes are the generic skills, abilities and qualities that students should acquire during their university

experience and the School of Psychology is committed to providing an environment to promote these skills. In

addition, this unit of study will provide students with generalised and transferable skills that will also be useful in

careers outside psychology.

The following graduate attributes and student learning outcomes will be developed through lectures, tutorial andassessment activities in particular. They will be assessed primarily in the laboratory report, presentation, and in the

final examination.

1: Core Knowledge and Understanding of Social Psychology

During the lecture stream, students will be informed of the core knowledge pertaining to each of the Social

Psychology topics outlined in the ‘Unit of Study General Description’, as well as recent trends and developments in

these areas, in order to facilitate students’ understanding of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical

findings, and historical trends in Social Psychology.

Specific Attributes & how they will be addressed in the course:

• Acquire an understanding of core topics in the discipline (Social Psychology):

o How it will be assessed in the course: Research Report, Presentation; Final Exam (multiple choiceand short-answers).

Student learning outcomes:

(i) To stimulate an interest in the contribution of social psychologists to the understanding of changes in socialisation

and group processes (both inter- and intra- group);

(ii) Ability to describe, explain and evaluate research studies examining a core area of social psychology.

(iii) Ability to chart the progression of theories in major areas in Social Psychology.

2: Research Methods in Social Psychology

In the tutorial program, students will complete a group research experiment that will form the basis of their research

report and their group presentation. During the course of conducting and writing up this experiment, students will

apply and evaluate basic research methods in Social Psychology, including research design, data analysis and

interpretation, and the appropriate use of technologies.


• Describe the basic characteristics of the science of psychology


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o How it will be assessed in the course: Not formally assessed in this course.

• Describe, apply and evaluate the different research methods used by psychologists


• Demonstrate practical skills in laboratory-based and other psychological research

o How it will be assessed in the course: Research Report.

• Design and conduct basic studies to address psychological questions: frame research questions;

undertake literature searches; critically analyse theoretical and empirical studies; formulate testable

hypotheses; operationalise variables; choose an appropriate methodology; make valid and reliable

measurements; analyse data and interpret results; and write research reports



(i) To develop a critical understanding of the major methods of research in this area.

(ii) To critically assess the major theories and research findings in these areas.

(iii) To interpret statistical analyses.

(iv) Use basic web-search, word-processing, database, email, spread sheet, and data analysis programs.

(v) Design and conduct basic studies to address psychological questions: frame research questions; undertake

literature searches; critically analyse theoretical and empirical studies; formulate testable hypotheses; operationalise

variables; choose an appropriate methodology; make valid and reliable measurements; analyse data and interpret

results; and write research reports.

3: Critical Thinking Skills in Social Psychology

During the tutorial program, students will be taught to respect and use critical and creative thinking, sceptical inquiry,

and to apply knowledge of the scientific method in thinking about problems related to behaviour and mental

processes. Critical thinking skills in Social Psychology will be assessed in the Research Report; specifically, in the

Introduction, where students will be required to evaluate their research question and critique the literature in the

field to date; and in the Discussion, where students will be required to critique their experiment (i.e., discuss the

strengths and weakness of the experiment and how it could be improved through future research).


• Apply knowledge of the scientific method in thinking about problems related to behaviour and mental

processes


• Question claims that arise from myth, stereotype, pseudoscience or untested assumptions


• Recognise and defend against the major fallacies of human thinking



(i) Demonstrate an attitude of critical thinking that includes persistence, open-mindedness, and intellectual

engagement.

(ii) Evaluate the quality of information, including differentiating empirical evidence from speculation.

(iii) Evaluate issues and behaviour using different theoretical and methodological approaches.

(iv) Use reasoning and evidence to recognise, develop, defend, and criticise arguments and persuasive appeals.

4: Values in Social Psychology

In the tutorial program, students will be given a series of mini-lectures that detail: the value of empirical evidence; the

importance of acting ethically and professionally in accordance with the ‘APA Code of Ethics’ when conducting

research; and conducting research that addresses the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.


• Evaluate psychologists’ behaviour in psychological research and other professional contexts in relation to

the Australian Psychological Society “Code of Ethics” and the complementary “Ethical Guidelines”, as

well as the Australian “National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce”


• Use information in an ethical manner (e.g., acknowledge and respect work and intellectual property

rights of others through appropriate citations in oral and written communication)o How it will be assessed in the course: Not formally assessed in this course.



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(i) Recognise and respect social, cultural, linguistic, spiritual and gender diversity.

(ii) Use information in an ethical manner (e.g., acknowledge and respect the work and intellectual property rights of

others through appropriate citations in oral and written communication)

(iii) Be able to recognise and promote ethical practice in research.

(v) Promote evidence-based approaches to understanding behaviour.

5: Communication Skills in Social Psychology

In the tutorial program, students will be given a series of mini-lectures that aim to inform students about how to

communicate effectively in different contexts, with an emphasis on written communication (i.e., research reports

using APA formatting) and oral communications (i.e., a group presentation).


• Write a standard research report using American Psychological Association (APA) structure and

formatting conventions


• Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in various formats (e.g., debate, group discussion,

presentation) and for various purposes

o How it will be assessed in the course: Class Presentation.


(i) Write a standard research report using American Psychological Association (APA) structure and formatting

conventions.

(ii) Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in various formats (e.g., group presentation) and for various

purposes.

(iv) Collaborate effectively, demonstrating an ability to: work with groups to complete projects within reasonable

timeframes; manage conflicts appropriately and ethically.

6: Learning and the Application of Social Psychology

During the lecture stream, students will be taught how to: apply knowledge of Social Psychology to society, and

(where appropriate) to specific contexts, such as the workplace (e.g., affirmative action, and workplace bullying); and

to apply Social Psychological knowledge of legislative frameworks (i.e. in the context of age, race, and sex

discrimination legislation).


• Apply knowledge of legislative frameworks (including privacy, human rights)

o How it will be assessed in the course: Final Exam (multiple choice and short-answers).

• Apply knowledge of consumer and carer participation in psychological care


• Apply knowledge of psychology, society and the workplace/influencing systems

o How it will be assessed in the course: Final Exam (multiple choice and short-answers).

• Describe major areas of applied psychology (e.g., clinical, organisational)


• Demonstrate a capacity for independent learning to sustain personal and professional development in

the changing world of the science and practice of psychology



(i) To develop an awareness of the applications of the theories and research findings in Social Psychology.

(ii) Apply psychological concepts, theories, and research findings to solve problems in everyday life and in society.

(iii) Understand major areas of applied Social Psychology

Evidence of learning:

Assessment will take the form of: (1) an examination which will cover the full range of teaching outcomes (the

examination will consist of multiple-choice and short answer or short essay questions); (2) a research report which

will focus on the skills of designing, conducting, analysing data, and reporting results in a standard journal paper

format; (3) an oral presentation of research by the research group, which will assess the ability to communicate

background, research design and results in a 15 minute talk (+ 5 minutes of questions).


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2016 Lecture Timetable

Week Date L Lecturer TOPIC

1 March 1 1 Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod Introduction

March 2 2 Prof Fiona White Anti-social behaviours: Aggression and violence

2 March 8 3 Prof Fiona White Aggression/Violence Reduction strategies March 9 4 Prof Fiona White Antisocial behaviours: Sexual discrimination

Antisocial behaviours: Age discrimination and its

reduction

3 March 15 5 Prof Fiona White Sexual discrimination reduction strategies

March 16 6 Prof Fiona White Anti-social behaviours - Racial discrimination

4 March 22 7 Prof Fiona White Racial discrimination reduction strategies

March 23 8 Prof Fiona White Anti-social behaviours – Age discrimination andreduction strategies

MID-SEMESTER BREAK

5 April 5 9 Mr Stefano Verrelli Antisocial behaviours: Sexual Minority

Discrimination and Reduction Strategies April 6 10 Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod Existential Approach to Social Psychology

6 April 12 11 Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod Psychology of Religion I

April 13 12 Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod Psychology of Religion II

7 April 19 13 Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology I

April 20 14 Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology II

8 April 26 15 Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod Evolutionary approaches to Social Psychology

April 27 16 Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod Genes and the Psychosocial Environment I

9 May 3 17 Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod Genes and the Psychosocial Environment II

May 4 18 Dr Karen Gosalkorale What is the Self?

10 May 10 19 Dr Karen Gosalkorale Self Knowledge

May 11 20 Dr Karen Gosalkorale Self enhancement I

11 May 17 21 Dr Karen Gosalkorale Self enhancement II

May 18 22 Dr Karen Gosalkorale Self verification

12 May 24 23 Dr Karen Gosalkorale Self esteem I

May 25 24 Dr Karen Gosalkorale Self esteem II

13 May 31 25 Dr Karen Gosalkorale The Self and stigma

June 1 26 Dr Karen Gosalkorale Self conscious emotions

June 6 STUVAC No classes

June 13 EXAM PERIOD No classes

June 20 EXAM PERIOD No classes

*Please note: These lecture topics are subject to change.

Lectures are held on Tuesday 10am and Wednesday 12pm in Bosch Lecture Theatre 4

RECOMENDED READINGS

There is no textbook for this course. At a third year level, we would prefer you to read articles as opposed to

secondary texts. Moreover, many of the topics presented in lectures will be discussed in far more detail than

presented textbooks—you would not be able to pass the course by reading the textbook alone. The lecturers will

inform you if there are any required readings for the course—these will be placed in the library.

Out of class prescribedstudent workload:

Library research for the report; weekly group meetings to complete assessmentcomponents (including: writing the Method & Results; devising hypotheses for

data analysis; devising and practicing the presentation, etc); preparation/readings

for tutorials and lectures.


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Late penalties

You will receive a penalty of 2% of the maximum value of the Research Report assignment (e.g. 2

marks / 100) for each day (or part thereof) it is late, up to the closing date of the assignment, afterwhich no more submissions will be accepted.

Assuring the Academic Integrity of PSYC3017

All written assignments will be submitted to Turnitin similarity detecting software in this unit (the

Method & Results will be evaluated on Turnitin as part of the final report submission). If we suspect

your assignment has been written by someone else, we reserve the right to ask you to explain and

defend the work you have submitted as your own, in person.

PSYC3017 Assessment Summary

What? When? Closing date / feedback returned%

Assessment

Classwork: Practical

Report

Compulsory

Group mark:

Method Section (10% of report mark)

Due: Week 6, BEFORE your tutorial

Assignment to be emailed to your tutor

Marks returned in the tutorial in Week 7

40%

Group mark:

Results Section (10% of report mark)

Due: Week 9, BEFORE your tutorialAssignment to be emailed to your tutor

Marks returned in the tutorial in Week

10

Individual mark:

Introduction (40% of report mark)

Discussion (40% of report mark)

Online Friday 20th

May

Closing date: Tuesday, June 7th

*

*NB – this is the last possible date for

submission of the assignment with or

without extensions

Marks will be returned after this date

Class Presentation

Compulsory

Week 13 (30th

of May – 3rd

of June) in

tutorials – you must attend your

allocated tutorial

Marks returned June 5th

10%

Exam

Compulsory

During exam period

at the end of semesterUniversity Final Results Release Date 50%

Total 100%


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Assessments The aim of PSYC3017 is to give all students a ‘glimpse’ into what it is like to be a Social Psychologyexperimental researcher. During the tutorial program, you will conduct a research experiment, and performthe same processes and steps that experimental researchers must take when conducting a study—that is,applying for ethics, gathering materials, conducting the experiment, analysing the data, writing up the

findings, and then presenting the findings at a ‘conference’ (a presentation to the class). Given how difficultand time-consuming it would be to conduct a project by yourself in this limited timeframe, you will be working in a group.

Benefits of Group Work

i) Group work has a number of benefits such as:

• Providing a collaborative learning environment.

• Encouraging self-reliance.

• Enhancing a student centred approach.

• Using peers as a resource.

• Facilitating active learning by the need to provide feedback and explanations to peers and throughparticipation.

• Establishing a supportive network for students via the group processes.

ii) Group work encourages the development of generic skills such as:

• Oral and written communication.

• Time management skills.

• Team work/interpersonal skills.

How will the group assessment process work?

The group assessment should encourage participation in group work. Research suggests that the process ofencouraging evaluation of your peer’s work with reflection on your own work is instrumental in activelearning.

The group assessment model adopted here is one which involves peer evaluation. Here, if the majority ofpeers in your group believe you did not contribute equally to the group process, they can note this on theirPeer Evaluation Form (which is submitted at the final report submission); the tutor will then take this intoconsideration when allocating your mark for the group component section of the report. Note that groupmembers who do not contribute sufficiently to the group project can be penalised by up to 50% of theirgroup component mark.

Therefore the management of group process is very important!

Group Management

• Each group member is bound to have different skills and abilities. It is in the best interest of the group toensure that the skills of each member are utilised during the project, so be sure to assign tasks accordingto each members’ strength(s). For instance, if one group member claims to be particularly skilled atstatistics yet terrible at writing, it would make sense to ensure that he/she is responsible for the statisticalanalysis of the data rather than writing the first draft of the ‘Method’.

• When allocating a set of tasks for each group member, ensure that task allocation is equal—groupmembers will quickly become resentful and unco-operative if they perceive that their share ofresponsibilities is larger than those of the other group members. Do not rely on any one group member to write an entire section of the report; if something happens to that group member (i.e. they become ill,

drop-out of the course, or do not show up to tutorials for mysterious reasons), the group will struggle tocomplete the assignment. Instead, give out smaller assignments as it is more likely that they will becompleted promptly (e.g., rather than ask a group member to write a complete draft of the ‘Method’


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section, split the task up amongst the group so that one member writes the ‘Participants’ section, anothermember writes the ‘Materials’ section, etc).

• Each group should meet up once a week outside of class to review their progress and/or complete anytasks prior to the tutorial. It is vital that each group member attends, and participates in, these meetingsand the tutorials. At each tutorial, groups will be asked to evaluate the role of each group member; if anygroup member does not play an active role in helping their group to: a) conduct the study, b) complete the

report, and c) write and perform the presentation, they will be penalised (i.e. marks will be deducted fromtheir report and/or presentation).

• Be aware that successful group projects involve a high degree of consideration for the others in yourgroup. Behaviours that tend to lead to effective group work include: respect, trust, professionalism, willingness to provide support, and a willingness to listen. Behaviours that tend to disrupt effective group work include: dominance, unsubstantiated criticism, unreliability, and poor time keeping. Group membersneed to have realistic expectations of each other. Be encouraging rather than dismissive of each member’sefforts.

• When working in a group, time management is particularly important. Keep in mind other deadlines whenallocating tasks to each group member (i.e. due dates for assignments for other courses); it makes no sense

to ask a group member to write a draft of the Results section in the same week that he/she has a majorassignment due.

Peer Evaluation form What ultimately separates a ‘good’ group work experience from a ‘bad’ group work experience is whether or notthe group works together as a team to create a project that each member can be proud of. When group membersdo not pull their weight—whether by missing meetings or not completing tasks—the group, and the project,suffers. To ensure that each member is pulling their weight, the contribution of each member will bedocumented and assessed at each tutorial. Moreover, at the end of the semester, each group member will fill outa ‘Peer Evaluation Form’. If any member is consistently rated by their group as having not contributed, they willbe penalised (i.e. marks will be removed from their report and/or presentation scores). To avoid being penalised,

and to ensure the smooth running of the group, group members should see the tutor as soon as possible todiscuss any problems that they may be having with the group process. Ultimately, it is your responsibility—andthat of your group—to ensure that your tutor is informed of any problems within the group so that a solutioncan be arranged; it is not useful, to anyone, to keep these matters to yourself until the last week of the course when nothing can be done about them. Please seek assistance early.

Submitting your assessments:

There are two components of the report: the group sections and the individual sections.

The Group Sections

• The group sections of your report (i.e. the Method & Results) are to besubmitted via email to your tutor (in Week 6 for the Method section—pleasesubmit before your tutorial time; in Week 9 for the Results section beforeyour tutorial time). The sections will be submitted by the group liaisonofficer (to be announced in class).

The Individual Sections

• The Individual sections of your report (i.e. the Introduction & Discussion)are to be submitted online. It will be marked online, and returned to you with comments online.

• This means it is critical that you submit online correctly. It is yourresponsibility to ensure you submit online on time and in the correct

manner. The due time is 4PM on Friday May 20th

. The submission time isrecorded electronically, and even one second past the due time isrecorded as being late.


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o If you do not have access to a reliable DESKTOP computer andinternet connection, have a backup plan; come into University to aComputer lab to submit, submit from the tutorial room with yourtutor’s help, or have a friend whose computer you will use (though, donot give them access to your assignment).

o ALLOW EXTRA TIME even if you have a normally perfect computerand internet connection. We strongly suggest you begin attempting to

submit the night before the due date at the latest. If you have any issues,you can always come into university and use a computer here.o If you are being sensible and allow extra time (at least a day) to submit,

you will have no difficulties submitting your report, even if there are anycongestion or network issues.

o Ensure that you put your tutor’s name in the submission title field when submitting your assignment. This will allow your tutor to find theassignment (more information about the submission procedure will bepresented in tutorials closer to the time of submission).

• The online assignment submission link will be available a full week beforethe due date and you can practice submitting as much as you want until thedue time. Note that each submission will overwrite and replace the previous

one, so ensure that you have checked that your final correct submission isonline the evening before the cut-off.

• Follow all instructions (which will be posted on eLearning) relating to thesubmission of your assignment.

• Part of this assessment is the requirement that you submit your assignmentonline. Do not email your assignment to anyone (especially your tutor) andask them to submit it online for you.

• Ensure you submit the correct file. The submission process shows you acomplete preview of your entire submission, and the digital receipt showsthe entire first page of the submission.

Pena lties applyin g to the subm ission of the Group Sections of the Re port (i .e . M ethod Re sults).

• Late submission of the Method or Results will result in a mark of zero for this section. Given that these aregroup assignments, there is no excuse for submitting these sections late. Special consideration will not begranted for late submission of the Method or Results as these sections are written by the group (rather thana single individual who could be subject to illness or misadventure). It is the group’s responsibility to ensure that nosingle individual writes an entire section and hence no single individual is responsible for completing the section and handing itin.

Pena lties applying to the sub mis sion of the Individua l Sections of the Rep ort (i .e . Introduction

Discuss ion) .

• Late submission of the Intro/Discussion will result in 2 marks being deducted from the raw mark per

calendar day of lateness. Since submission is electronic, weekends and public holidays count as days.• A penalty of up to 5% of the total assignment mark will apply for failing to use APA style referencing.

• Penalties will also apply on the total assignment mark for exceeding the word limit in any section.

FINAL EXAMINATION

If you are ill close to the final examination, consider whether you will sit it. If you choose to sit it while ill, youcan still apply for special consideration within 5 working days of the examination, and you may be offered asupplementary exam at a later date. If you choose not to sit the exam, then apply for special consideration within5 working days and you may be offered a supplementary exam at a later date. We will give you information aboutthe time and location of any supplementary exam via email. Please ensure that you are available to sit the

supplementary exam (i.e. please factor this date into any travel plans).


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The Research Report About the Report

The Research Report is a paper written on the research conducted by your tutorial group. The model for thereport is a standard research paper as it might appear in any established research journal.

In order to experience what it is like to submit a paper to a Social Psychology journal, such as the Journal of

Experimental Social Psychology or Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , your report will be modelled on a real- world journal submission. That is, your submission will include an appropriate title page, acknowledgementsection (if necessary), and a ‘Cover letter to the Editor’ (which can be found in the ‘Group Manual’).

Structure of the Report

The Research Report will follow the standard format: Title AbstractIntroductionMethodResults

DiscussionReferences

Abstract, tables, figures, diagrams, and references do not count towards the word limit. In-text referencing doescount toward the word limit.

Who writes the report?

You will work on the research project in small groups (usually groups of five). The report consists of sections written by the group and a section written individually. The group works together to:

a) Collect, code, and analyse the data; andb) Write the Abstract, Method, and Results sections.

Each member of the group will write their own Introduction and Discussion section independently of the group. Thus, a group of five students will submit a common Abstract, Method, and Results but five differentIntroduction and Discussion sections.

Word limits The word limit for the report is as follows:

• Introduction: 800 words

• Method: 200-500 words

• Results: 200-500 words

• Discussion: 1000 words.

As you may have noticed, this adds up to more than 2500 words. The reason there is a word limit 'range' for theMethod and Results is that some group projects include a lot of measures whereas some have only a few. To givea set word limit (e.g., 200 words) would have disadvantaged some of the groups. Although there is the option of writing a 500 word Method section, it doesn't mean you should: if you only have three measures in your study,your tutor will be very vexed with you if you write 600 words (200 on each!!!). Similarly, if you have lots ofmeasures in your study, your tutor will be very vexed with you if you only write a 200 word Method. Your tutor will advise you on the appropriate word limit for your project.

Similarly, you may be thinking: "Excellent! We can have a 500 word Result section!” Think about this rationally;the more hypotheses you test, the more you will have to write about in your Discussion. Do you really want to waste 1000 words simply discussing your hypotheses and leaving no room to discuss future research or ways in which the study could be improved (hence losing marks in those sections)? It would be better to test only two or

three hypotheses and then spend the time examining them thoroughly in the Results and Discussion. Again, yourtutor will advise you on the appropriate word limit for your project.

Your tutor will be marking each section on how well you communicate your point. Be concise and accurate.


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Submitting the Report

Your report will be submitted in three parts.1) Method section

• The Method section is to be written by the group.

• It is to be submitted in Week 6 before your tutorial. To submit, email a softcopy of the Methodto your tutor. This should be emailed by your group’s liaison officer (to be appointed in the firsttutorial). If, for any reason, the liaison cannot email the Method on time, they are to appointanother person to do so as soon as possible so that the Method can be submitted on time.

• Late submission of the Method will result in a mark of zero for this section. Given that this is agroup assignment, there is no excuse for submitting your section in late. Special consideration will not be granted for late submission of this section as this section is written by the group (nota single individual who could be subject to illness or misadventure). It is the group’sresponsibility to ensure that no single individual writes an entire section and hence no singleindividual is responsible for completing the section and handing it in.

2) Results section

• The Results section is to be written by the group.

•

It is to be submitted in Week 9 before your tutorial. To submit, email a softcopy of the Resultsto your tutor. This should be emailed by your group’s liaison officer (to be appointed in the firsttutorial). If, for any reason, the liaison cannot email the Results on time, they are to appointanother person to do so as soon as possible so that the Results can be submitted on time.

• Late submission of the Results will lead to a mark of zero for this section. Given that this is agroup assignment, there is no excuse for submitting your section in late. Special consideration will not be granted for late submission of this section as this section is written by the group (nota single individual who could be subject to illness or misadventure). It is the group’sresponsibility to ensure that no single individual writes an entire section and hence no singleindividual is responsible for completing the section and handing it in.

• Moreover, a penalty of 5% for this section will be given to any group who does not hand intheir data by the appointed date (as specified by your tutor).

3) Final submission (Introduction & Discussion marked)

• The Introduction and Discussion are written independently/individually by each groupmember.

• The due date for the final submission is Week 11, Friday 20th May at 4pm.

• More information about the submission of these sections will be provided by your tutor.

Marks allocation

The Research Report makes up 40% of the marks allocation for PSYC3017. The group segment (Method & Results) contributes 20% of the Report mark (10% each). The individually written Introduction and Discussion segments contribute 80% of the Report mark (40% each).

Please note, however, that there are potential opportunities to be penalised throughout the group-work process. For instance, group members who do not adequately contribute to the project will be penalised up to50% of the group section of their report. Similarly, groups who do not hand in their data on time for collation will be penalised 5% of their Results section mark. Groups who do not submit their Method or Results beforetheir tutorial to their tutor will receive a mark of zero for that section. Special consideration will not be acceptedfor late/missing Method and Results submissions unless each of the members demonstrates incapacity.

Marking guide

The marking guide that your Tutor will use in assessing the report is shown on the following page (also see theCoversheets for the relevant section). Further information about the marking procedures for each section is

provided below. For further information about the grading process, please see the Faculty of Science Assessmentpolicies and procedures ( http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/science/rules/faculty_policies.shtml )

http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/science/rules/faculty_policies.shtmlhttp://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/science/rules/faculty_policies.shtmlhttp://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/science/rules/faculty_policies.shtmlhttp://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/science/rules/faculty_policies.shtml


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Grades for each section of the PSYC3017 Research Report are awarded at levels of HD (High Distinction), DI(Distinction), CR (Credit), PS (Pass) and FA (Fail) as defined by the Academic Board Assessment Policy. Theseachievement levels are described below.

Th e Introduction Discu ssion sections

The Introduction and Discussion sections are each weighted at 40% of the report. Both sections are writtenindividually (i.e. they are not group work-based). Below is a marking guideline for each grade.

High Distinction (HD) At HD level, an individual demonstrates a flair for the project’s subject matter and comprehensive knowledgeand understanding of how to transmit this knowledge to others. At an HD level, students are able todemonstrate that they can apply the information presented in the mini-lectures on ‘How to write an Introductionsection’ and ‘How to write a Discussion section’ with considerable skill.

A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement. It is awarded to an individual who writes an Introductionsection that demonstrates to the reader that they: a) have a strong understanding of the theoretical underpinningsof their project; b) have a strong understanding of the novelty of the project and how it contributes to thecurrent body of knowledge; and b) have the ability to clearly and comprehensively convey this information in written form.

A ‘High Distinction’ is awarded to an individual who writes a Discussion section that demonstrates to the readerthat they: a) have a strong understanding of the findings of the study and the way in which the findings informthe current body of research; b) are able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the study and devise futureresearch that can expand upon the findings of the study; c) can clearly outline possible implications orapplications of their research to real-world contexts (or to the field); and d) have the ability to clearly andcomprehensively convey this information in written form.

An Introduction/Discussion that earns a HD could, with minimal/ no changes, be published in a top-tierjournal. The writing style is clear and concise (i.e. it is neither too brief nor excessively detailed) and the section is APA formatted.

The Introduction should have a strong underlying framework that provides a clear rationale for the study. Theliterature review should be thorough and presented in a clear, concise manner. Key terms should be defined andexplained. Each study discussed in the Introduction should be both accurately described and relevant to thecurrent study. The aims and hypotheses should be clearly elucidated and should clearly flow from the researchpresented in previous paragraphs. The Introduction should highlight the novelty of the study and how it expandsupon previous research (or fills a ‘gap’ in the current research).

The Discussion should restate the hypotheses and inform the reader whether these have been supported or not. The findings should be accurately interpreted and then discussed in terms of previous research. Critical thinkingshould be demonstrated by objectively discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the study, with the weaknesses‘rectified’ by discussing the possibilities for future research. When discussing flaws, these should not simply beabout the sample (e.g., having too many females and not enough males) or the way in which the study was

actually conducted; the flaws outlined should be theoretically driven. The implications of the research findings,as well as possible real-world applications, should be discussed (when appropriate).

Distinction (DI) At DI level, an individual demonstrates an aptitude for the project’s subject matter and a solid knowledge andunderstanding of the way in which the Introduction/Discussion section should be written. A ‘Distinction’reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to an individual who demonstrates an ability to apply theinformation presented in the mini-lectures on ‘How to write an Introduction section’ and ‘How to write aDiscussion section’.

A Discussion that earns a DI would require small changes before publication in a top-tier journal. TheIntroduction should contain a solid literature review, a strong framework and clearly outlined aims and

hypotheses. The Discussion should contain an accurate interpretation of the findings, a clear discussion of howthese findings relate to the literature, a coherent account of the flaws/merits of the project and how futureresearch could build upon these flaws/merits, and the recognition of the implications and applications of thesefindings in a real-world context (where relevant).


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However, small errors (e.g., in the: writing style, structure, thoroughness of literature review, interpretation orapplication of findings, recognition of the novelty of the project or the implications of the findings, statement ofaims) will ensure that the Introduction/Discussion is not given a higher grade.

Credit (CR) At CR level, the individual demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the project’s subject matter and

what is expected of an Introduction/Discussion, yet shows a limited capacity to communicate this knowledge toa reader. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to an individual who has a broad understanding ofthe project but has not fully developed the ability to translate these areas into a well-writtenIntroduction/Discussion section.

An Introduction/Discussion that earns a Credit would require considerable editing before publication in a top-tier journal. There may be errors (e.g., in the: writing style, structure, thoroughness of literature review,interpretation or application of findings, recognition of the novelty of the project or the implications of thefindings, statement of aims), which ensure that the Introduction/Discussion is not given a higher grade.

Pass (PS) At PS level, the individual demonstrates proficiency in the project’s subject matter. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory

achievement and is awarded to an individual who has threshold knowledge of their project and adequatelycommunicates this knowledge to the reader, though not as eloquently or as error-free as demonstrated by thoseachieving higher grades.

An Introduction/Discussion that earns a Pass would require extensive editing before publication in a top-tierjournal. It may also require considerable changes to: a) the structure of the section (if the section lacks a strongcentral argument and a poor structure); b) the content of the sections (e.g., if key references are missing orinadequately explained, or if the findings are interpreted in a superficial manner or if the information presented isflawed); and/or c) the writing style (if there are grammatical, spelling, or APA-formatting errors).

Fail (FA)

It is possible to fail these sections of the report, even if they are completed and handed in. At FA level, theindividual shows a lack of understanding or limited understanding of their group project and an inability tofollow the information provided in the ‘How to write an Introduction section’ and ‘How to write a Discussionsection’ mini-lectures. An FA Introduction/Discussion would contain (some of) the following: inaccurateinformation, inadequate theoretical background, incorrect or missing hypotheses, and missing sections (e.g., lackof discussion of the flaws/merits of the study or of future research). The inaccurate, missing or inadequateinformation may also be paired with poor writing style and/or a failure to adhere to the APA formattingguidelines.

Common Errors (that will affect the overall Introduction and Discussion grade). Please note: This list is not exhaustive!

• Grammatical or spelling errors

• APA formatting errors

• A lack of clarity in the way in which sections are written or items are described

• Key terms are not defined or explained in the Introduction

• The Introduction and Discussion lack a strong framework. Without a strong framework, these sections

may be incoherent, contain information that is not relevant to the project, or may be difficult to read

• The Introduction contains an incomplete literature review or there are errors in the way in which studies

are reported

• The aims and hypotheses are incorrect

• The Discussion does not restate the hypotheses or fails to interpret the findings according to these

hypotheses

• The Discussion contains the wrong findings or incorrectly interprets the findings

• The Discussion fails to include a future research section

• The Discussion fails to include a section on the strengths and weaknesses of the project

• The Discussion does not examine the possible implications and real-world applications of the project


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• In this assignment, the report is supposed to be written as if the group conducted the entire project by

themselves (i.e. devised the project, run the project, analysed the project)—they are not to refer to ‘other

groups’ conducting the same project in any section of the report. Similarly, in the Discussion section,

students cannot bring up any possible flaws that may result from other groups conducting the project

(e.g., they cannot state that a weakness of the study was that groups in other classes ran the project

differently and hence there may be errors in the data arising from different data collection methods).

The M ethod section

The Method section is weighted at 10% of the report mark and is written by the group. Below is a markingguideline for each grade.

High Distinction (HD) At HD level, a group demonstrates a flair for the project’s subject matter and comprehensive knowledge andunderstanding of how to transmit this knowledge to others. At a HD level, a group demonstrates that they areable to apply the information presented in the mini-lecture on ‘How to write a Method Section’ withconsiderable skill. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a group who writes aMethod section that demonstrates to the reader that: a) they have a strong understanding of the way in whichtheir project is designed and conducted; and b) the ability to clearly and comprehensively convey this

information in written form.

A Method that earns a HD could, with minimal/ no changes, be published in a top-tier journal. The writing styleis clear and concise (i.e. it is neither too brief nor excessively detailed) and the section is APA formatted.

• Each section (Participants, Design, Materials, & Procedure) is present (i.e. there are no missing sections)and contains accurate information. The sections also appear in the correct order.

o Participants: The correct number of participants (total participants; total males and females) areidentified, and the total mean age and standard deviation is presented. Extra informationpertinent to the project (e.g., ethnicity, relationship status etc) is also present and correctlyreported. Random allocation of participants is mentioned (if appropriate).

o Design: The correct design is identified and presented in the correct manner. For instance: 2(gender: males vs. females) x 3 (situation: threat vs. fortification).

o Materials: All of the questionnaires/paradigms/materials used in the study are presented (i.e.there are no missing materials). Each one is well described and referenced correctly.

o Procedure: The entire procedure is detailed, step-by-step in chronological order, such that anyresearcher could read this section and replicate the experiment. There are no missing ‘steps’.

Distinction (DI) At DI level, a group demonstrates an aptitude for the project’s subject matter and a solid knowledge andunderstanding of the way in which a Method section should be written. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellentachievement and is awarded to a group who demonstrates an ability to apply the information presented in themini-lecture on ‘How to write a Method Section’.

A Method that earns a DI would require small changes before publication in a top-tier journal. Each section

(Participants, Design, Materials, & Procedure) is present (i.e. there are no missing sections) and the sectionsappear in the correct order.

However, small errors (e.g., in writing style or in the presentation of the section[s]) ensure that the Method is notgiven a higher grade.

Credit (CR) At CR level, the group demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the project’s subject matter and what isexpected of a Method section, yet shows a limited capacity to communicate this knowledge to a reader. A‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad understanding of the project buthas not fully developed the ability to translate these areas into a well-written Method section.

A Method that earns a Credit would require considerable editing before publication in a top-tier journal. Although each section may be in evidence, there may be errors (e.g., in the writing style or the presentation ofthe section[s]), which ensure that the Method is not given a higher grade.


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Pass (PS) At P level, the group demonstrates proficiency in the project’s subject matter. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactoryachievement and is awarded to a group who has threshold knowledge of their project and adequatelycommunicates this knowledge to the reader, though not as eloquently or as error-free as demonstrated by thoseachieving higher grades.

A Method that earns a Pass would require extensive editing before publication in a top-tier journal. It may also

require considerable changes to: the structure or content of the sections (if sections are not described insufficient detail, or if the information presented is flawed); and/or c) the writing style (if there are grammatical,spelling, or APA-formatting errors).

Fail (FA)It is possible to fail this section of the report, even if it is completed and submitted correctly. At FA level, thegroup shows a lack of understanding of their group project and an inability to follow the information providedin the ‘How to Write a Method Section’ mini-lecture. A FA Method will contain inaccurate information, and/ormissing sections (e.g., missing questionnaires/paradigms, missing sections such as the Procedure or Participantssections), and/or errors to the structure of the sections (i.e. where the sections are presented incorrectly, or inthe wrong order). The inaccurate or missing information may also be paired with poor writing style and/or afailure to adhere to the APA formatting guidelines. A FA grade (and a mark of ‘0’) will also be given to groups

who do not hand in the Method to their tutor by the due date.

Common Errors (that will affect the overall Method grade). Please note: This list is not exhaustive!


• APA formatting errors

• A lack of clarity in the way in which sections are written or items are described

• Incorrect presentation of the number, gender-composition, and/or age (mean and standard deviation)

of participants

• Additional demographic information vital to the project is not supplied (e.g., ethnicity)

• Superfluous demographic information (i.e. information not essential to the project) is supplied (e.g.,

presenting information about relationship status in the Participants section when relationship status has

no bearing on the hypotheses of the study).

• Design section is missing or incorrectly presented

• Materials are discussed too briefly (e.g., scale information is not provided; questionnaires are not

appropriately referenced; measures are not described)

• Materials are described in too much detail (e.g., every item of the scale is stated; too much information

about the validation of scales is provided that is not of direct relevance to the study; the history of the

scale is given rather than simply describing the scale)

• Key questionnaires or paradigms used in the study are missing from the Materials section (i.e. not stated

or described)

• The Procedure is missing key experimental steps or the steps are not presented in chronological order.

Please remember: the Procedure should be able to ‘stand alone’ (that is, an experimenter should be able

to read the Procedure and be able to replicate the study).

• In this assignment, the report is to be written as if the group has conducted the entire project by

themselves (i.e. devised the project, run the project, analysed the project)—they are not to refer to ‘other

groups’ conducting the same project in any section of the report, including the Method.

The Resu lts Section

The Results section is weighted at 10% of the report mark and is written by the group. Below is a markingguideline for each grade.

High Distinction (HD) At HD level, a group demonstrates a flair for the project’s subject matter and comprehensive knowledge andunderstanding of how to transmit this knowledge to others. At a HD level, a group demonstrates that they areable to apply the information presented in the mini-lecture on ‘How to write a Results Section’ (or the


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information in the Statistics Helpsheets) with considerable skill. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptionalachievement and is awarded to a group who writes a Results section that demonstrates to the reader that: a) theyhave a strong understanding of the underlying aims and subsequent hypotheses of their project; b) they haveconducted the appropriate analyses to address to these hypotheses; and c) have the ability to clearly andcomprehensively convey this information in written form.

A Results that earns a HD could, with minimal/ no changes, be published in a top-tier journal. The writing style

is clear and concise (i.e. it is neither too brief nor excessively detailed) and the section is APA formatted.• Each dependent variable outlined in the Method section is analysed. There are no missing variables.

Typically, the variables should be analysed in the same order as they appear in the Method section.

• It is clear to the reviewer how each variable has been calculated (if appropriate to the analysis). Forinstance, do not discuss a ‘total primary needs score’ without addressing how this score was calculated.

• Each variable is appropriately analysed and the analyses are clearly identified; for instance, a2(inclusionary status: ostracism vs. inclusion) x 2 (sex: male vs. female) between subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted on the total primary needs score.

• Means and standard deviations for each effect (e.g., main effects) are presented either in-text or in a Table/Figure

• If tables and figures are used, they should be APA formatted and used appropriately. For instance, datashould only be presented once: if the means are presented in-text, they should not also be presented in a

table or figure. Similarly, if the means are presented in a figure, they should not also appear in a table orin-text.

Distinction (DI) At DI level, a group demonstrates an aptitude for the project’s subject matter and a solid knowledge andunderstanding of the way in which a Results section should be written. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellentachievement and is awarded to a group who demonstrates an ability to apply the information presented in themini-lecture on ‘How to write a Results section’ and the Statistics Helpsheets.

A Results section that earns a DI would require small changes before publication in a top-tier journal. Each variable is present and analysed appropriately in accordance with the aims and hypotheses of the study.

However, small errors (e.g., in writing style or in the presentation of the section[s]) ensure that the Results is notgiven a higher grade.

Credit (CR) At CR level, the group demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the project’s subject matter and what isexpected of a Results section, yet shows a limited capacity to communicate this knowledge to a reader. A ‘Credit’reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad understanding of the project but has notfully developed the ability to translate these areas into a well-written Results section.

A Results section that earns a Credit would require considerable editing before publication in a top-tier journal. Although each variable may be analysed, there may be errors (e.g., in the writing style or the presentation of theinformation or there may be a discrepancy in between the hypotheses and the analyses) which ensure that the

Results is not given a higher grade.

Pass (PS) At PA level, the group demonstrates proficiency in the project’s subject matter. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactoryachievement and is awarded to a group who has threshold knowledge of their project and adequatelycommunicates this knowledge to the reader, though not as eloquently or as error-free as demonstrated by thoseachieving higher grades. A Results section that earns a Pass would require extensive editing before publication in a top-tier journal. It mayalso require considerable changes to: a) the content of the sections (if there is insufficient information in thesections, such as missing information about the way in which a hypothesis was tested); and/or c) the writing style(if there are grammatical, spelling, or APA-formatting errors, particularly when presenting the results, or if the writing style is difficult to read or does not clearly convey the information to the reader).

Fail (FA)It is possible to fail this section of the report even if it is completed and submitted correctly. At FA level, thegroup shows a lack of understanding of their group project and an inability to follow the information provided


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in the ‘How to write a Results section’ mini-lecture. A FA Results section will contain inaccurate information(e.g., incorrect hypotheses, incorrect statistical analyses, or an incorrect interpretation of that analyses—that is,saying that the finding is “as predicted” when the opposite is true) and/or missing information (e.g., a failure totest hypotheses, missing analyses, missing information when reporting statistical tests). The inaccurate or missinginformation may also be paired with poor writing style and/or a failure to adhere to the APA formattingguidelines. A FA grade (and a mark of ‘0’) will also be given to groups who do not hand in the Results section totheir tutor by the due date.

Common Errors (that will affect the overall Results grade). Please note: This list is not exhaustive!


• APA formatting errors, particularly when presenting figures and tables

• A lack of clarity in the way in which analyses are written or the results are described

• Incorrect presentation of statistical tests

• Missing statistical analyses or missing results (e.g., missing means or standard deviations)

• Inaccurate description of the tests conducted on the data (e.g., claiming that a correlation was conducted

when it was actually a t-test)

• Misinterpreting the finding (e.g., presenting a finding as significant when it is not or vice versa)

•

Excessive interpretation which would be better placed in the Discussion section. For instance, stating“As predicted...” and then reporting the statistics is fine; however, stating “In accordance with the

findings of Brown et. al., (1998) and opposed to the findings of Drummond (1996), the significant

interaction suggests that gender isn’t a moderating factor for...etc” is way too much information for the

Results section).

• Presenting analyses that have nothing to do with the hypotheses

• Failing to present information that is vital to the hypotheses

NOTE: There is no excuse for incorrectly formatting your tables and figures. The ‘How to write a Resultssection’ mini-lecture, the Referencing mini-lecture and class exercise, and the other resources provided by yourtutor, explain how to correctly format your tables/figures in excruciating detail. You have also received several

examples of correctly-referenced manuscripts that are available on eLearning and there are plenty of online APA6th edition referencing resources at your disposal that can be found by running a Google search. Similarly, thereis no excuse for incorrectly presenting your stats results: the ‘Statistics Helpsheets’ (in this handbook) explainhow to present your findings in APA format.


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GROUP:

TOPIC:

TUTORIAL:

TUTOR:

METHOD ASSESSMENT COVERSHEET

CONDUCTING THE EXPERIMENT

Correct running of experiment

EXCELLENT GOOD SATISF POOR WRONG ABSENT N/A

PARTICIPANTS

Section overall


• TOTAL: Was the total number in the sampleprovided CORRECTLY?


• SEX: Were the total number of males/females

provided CORRECTLY?EXCELLENT GOOD SATISF POOR WRONG ABSENT N/A

• AGE: Were means and standard deviations for age

provided for sample CORRECTLY?EXCELLENT GOOD SATISF POOR WRONG ABSENT N/A

• OTHER FACTORS: If applicable, were otherimportant demographic factors presented (e.g.,

ethnic composition, marital status etc.)?


DESIGN

Design present and correctly identified?


MATERIALS

Section overall


• Each questionnaire/apparatus identified

CORRECTLTY (i.e. are all of the materials used in

the study correctly mentioned in the section?)EXCELLENT GOOD SATISF POOR WRONG ABSENT N/A

• Each questionnaire/apparatus accurately explained

including (where appropriate): ranges of scores

(‘total scores ranged from 1-5’), scales (e.g., 1 =

extremely to 5 = not at all), item numbers, etc.


PROCEDURE

Section overall (describes procedure fully & accurately &

presents the events in the order in which the experiment

occurred).


APA FORMATTING?YES NO

APA is sometimes

used

eLearning?The best Method sections will appear (unidentified) on

eLearning.

YES NO

OVERALL MARK: /100

GRADE:This accounts for 10% of your report mark. If

it is not received by your tutor on the due

date, you will get zero. No special

consideration or extensions will be granted.


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GROUP:

TOPIC:

TUTORIAL:

TUTOR:

RESULTS ASSESSMENT COVERSHEET

RESULTS

Section Overall

Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/A

• Writing Style Overall (clear, concise, easy to read)Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/A

• Results are related to the hypotheses (is eachhypothesis tested?)

Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/A

• Each variable is analysed appropriatelyExcellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/A

• The analyses used are clearly identified Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/A

• All means and standard deviations for effects are

presented in-text or in a Table/Figure Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/A

• Appropriate use of Tables/Figures (e.g., data is not

presented twice)Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/A

• (if Applicable): Tables are presented according to

APA formatting guidelinesExcellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/A

• (if Applicable): Figures are presented according to

APA formatting guidelines Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/A

APA FORMATTING OVERALL?

YES NOAPA is sometimes

used

eLearning?

The best Results sections will appear

(unidentified) on eLearning

YES NO

OVERALL MARK: /100

GRADE:This accounts for 10% of your report mark. If

it is not received by your tutor on the due

date, you will get zero. No special

consideration or extensions will be granted.


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PSYC3017 Introduction & Discussion Feedback Sheet

Student’s name: ________________________________ Tutorial: _________________________

Introduction: /100 x 40(%) = _______ Discussion: /100 x 40(%) = ________

Method: /100 x 10(%) = _______ Results: /100 x 10(%) = _______

Penalties? ____________________________________ Total Mark (/100):_______

Note: The feedback provided on this form is intended to help you improve your report-writing skills. Your final mark cannot

be mathematically derived from the indicators used by the marker to provide feedback about sections of the report.

Markers may not provide feedback about every component for every report, and different markers may use the form

differently. Look for comments and corrections throughout your report.

1. TITLE: Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/AConcise and relevant

2. ABSTRACT: Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/AConcise (must not exceed 150 words)

Briefly summarises context, issues

States hypotheses and whether they were supported

Summarises methods and resultsSummarises implications and conclusions

3. INTRODUCTION: Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/AReviews relevant theory

Defines key terms where necessary

Reviews relevant empirical literature (research studies)

Develops rationale for study

States aim and hypotheses

Justifies each hypothesis based on previous

theory/research

3. DISCUSSION: Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/ADescribes and interprets results appropriately

Evaluates hypotheses in light of findings

Discusses implications for issues raised in Introduction;

demonstrates critical thinking & insight

Critically evaluates experiment (strengths and

limitations)

Proposes future research based on findings

4. APA REFERENCING & FORMAT: Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/ACitations in body of report in APA format

Reference List in APA format

Overall format consistent with APA format

5. OVERALL: Excellent Good Satis. Poor Wrong Absent N/AConciseness / Clarity of expression

Spelling / Grammar/ Vocabulary

Student’s own writing: Quotations and close paraphrase

used sparingly

Arguments and facts referenced accurately

Word length

• IntroductionOn or under word limit Over by more than 5%

• DiscussionOn or under word limit Over by more than 5%


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This page is intentionally blank so that you can fill out and remove the ‘Peer and Self evaluation

Group Research Report’ sheet to give to your tutor.


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PSYC3017: Peer and Self evaluation

Group Research Report

Please use the following scale to rate the overall contribution of your peers and yourself to the

PSYC3017 group work research project and report.

0 1 2 3

No contribution Less than equal

contribution

Equal

contribution

More than equal

contribution

Tutorial Group (e.g., MON 10 am): ________________

Tutor’s Name: ___________________________

Group Work Topic: ___________________________

1. Your name __________________________________ Self-rating _______

2. Group member’s name_________________________ Peer-rating______





If you provided a rating of 0 or 1 for any member of your group, please explain the reason for this

rating below (e.g., did not show up for meetings, did not complete their allotted tasks, etc). Keep

your explanation brief. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Does this group member deserve to be penalised? YES NO

Please discuss your contribution to the group project. List any jobs/tasks you performed that

related to conducting the study and/or writing the report.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________


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This page is intentionally blank so that you can fill out and remove the ‘Peer and Self evaluation

Group Research Report’ sheet to give to your tutor.


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Group Presentation

The primary aim of the oral presentation is to develop skills pertaining to critical reasoning and effectivecommunication. Therefore, the oral presentations will be evaluated on: (i) style of presentation; (ii) contentand critical evaluation evident in the presentation—that is, the ability to discuss the study conducted andcritically evaluate the findings; and (iv) the ability to stimulate discussion and answer questions (seeEvaluation Criteria attached for weighting of these criteria). You will also have the opportunity to evaluate

your group members on their contribution to the presentation (see Peer and Self Evaluation—GroupPresentation form).

Style of presentation:

i) Clarity of expression and delivery:

- A clear structure; the material presented should be well-organised. Provide an outline of theaims/overview of your presentation, summarise the main points and provide closure to your statedaims.

- Effective use of support material: Make the presentation as interesting as possible by considering thetype of visual aids (overheads, Powerpoint presentations etc.) and/or handouts to be used. Notes canbe used but try to avoid reading your written paper.

- Maintain contact with the audience (i.e., maintain good eye contact, avoid reading notes)- Maintain audience interest: ensure that the presentation is both factual and entertaining- Effective use of time allocation: Time the presentation carefully: allow sufficient time for class

discussion

Content and Critical Evaluation:

i) Summarise the background research and give a strong justification for the study

- what is the overall aim of the study?- what is the rationale for the hypotheses?

ii) Summarise the research design

- how have you tested your hypothesis?- what are the IVs. and DVs.?- how were the IVs. and DVs. operationalised?

iii) Summarise the results

- what did you find?- were the hypotheses supported?

iv) Discussion

- compare/contrast your research to other research and findings in the field- discuss any problems (conceptual/theoretical or empirical/methodological) you find with your study

(e.g. are the ways of operationalising the IVs. and DVs. reliable and/or valid?) - if you were conducting the study again, what specific improvements would you make to the study?

What other ideas do you have for future research? - Note: Students who have not handed in their reports by the day of the presentation will not be

allowed to listen to the Discussion section of the presentation as it constitutes an unfair advantage. They should also not be involved in writing this section.

Abil ity to s t imulate discuss ion a nd a nswer qu est ions :

i) Each groups’ presentation will be approximately 15 mins in duration, followed by a 5-minute “question-time” period. During this period, you will be required to answer any questions from the class/convenorsregarding your presentation.

ii) If the audience does not ask any questions, you will need to stimulate class discussion. You should thusprepare a few questions to ask the audience, just in case (e.g. “What do you think about the theoryregarding…?” or “Can the results of this study be applied to other areas of research?”). Make these questionsas interesting as possible!


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The group assessment model adopted for the presentation is also one that involves peer evaluation. Here, ifthe majority of peers in your group believe you did not contribute equally to the group process, they can notethis on their peer evaluation form; the tutor will then take this into consideration when allocating your markfor the group component section of the report. Note that group members who do not contribute sufficientlyto the group presentation will be penalised. The nature of this penalty will be further outlined in class.

If you are ill on the days leading up to the presentation, please email your group, your tutor, and Dr. Dar-Nimrod immediately. You will be expected to assist your group as much as possible so that the presentationdoes not suffer because of your absence.


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PSYC3017: Evaluation Criteria of Group Presentation

Topic: _________________________ Mark (/10):_______________

The following areas of the presenters’ contributions are taken into account:

Presentation Style ( /4)

This component includes factors such as:

- Clarity of expression and delivery

- The use of a clear structure; the material presented should be well-organised

- Effective use of support material (Powerpoint, handouts etc.)

- Maintaining contact with the audience (i.e. good eye contact, minimal note use)

- Maintaining audience interest

- Effective use of time allocation

Content and Critical Evaluation ( /4)

This component includes factors such as:

- Showing an understanding of the study and the implications of the findings

- Presentation and discussion of aspects of the study (i.e. Introduction/ literature review,

hypotheses, Method, Results, Discussion)

- Critical evaluation of the findings of the study

- Ability to integrate the findings with other relevant research

- Critical evaluation of the possible strengths/weaknesses of the study

- Ability to determine possible avenues for future research

Question-time ( /2)

This component includes:

- Ability to understand and respond to questions

- Ability to stimulate class discussion


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PSYC3017 Tutorial Program

NOTE: Because the tutorials consist of group work, you will NOT be able to attend another tutorial ifyou miss one of your own. You must attend all tutorials—if you miss more than two tutorials (i.e. donot attend at least 80% of the tutorial program), you may not meet the requirements to passPSYC3017. If you miss a tutorial due to illness, you must provide a medical certificate to ensure that

you will not be penalised.

Your tutor’s name is _______________________________

Your tutor’s email address is _______________________________

Your tutor’s consultation time is _______________________________

Your Group

Topic: ______________________

Name Role in the Group Contact Information


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PSYC3017 Tutorial Plan 2016 Week Action

1. Feb 29 NO TUTORIALS

2. Mar 7 M ini Lecture Topics : Introduction & Ethics

Allocation to groups and group projects assigned

Activity: Complete ethics application

3. Mar 14 M ini Lecture Topic : How to Run an Experiment

M ini Lecture Topic : Scoring and Data Entry

Group Project: Begin to assemble materials for data collection.

4. Mar 21 Group Project: Data collection. Score questionnaires and enter data into excel sheets provided

by tutor. Discussion of hypotheses and exploration of how these might be tested statistically

MID SEMSTER BREAK (NO TUTORIALS )

5. April 4 M ini Lecture Topic : How to Write a Method Section Activity: ‘You be the Reviewer’—Marking Method sections

Group Project: Begin writing up Method ; start literature review for the Introduction

6. April 11 M ini Lecture T opic : Reminder of How to Ru n Different Analyses in SPSS

Group Project: Data analysed by students, with the tutor present for assistance. Groups to

discuss the findings and how they relate to the hypotheses & previous research.

METHOD DUE

7. April 18 M ini Lecture Topic : How to Write a Results Section

Activity: ‘You Be The Reviewer’—Marking Results sections Group Project: Discussion of the results of the analyses; Write up Results section

METHOD RETURNED

8. April 25 NO TUTORIALS

9. May 2 M ini Lecture Topic : How to Write an Introduction & Discussion

Activity: ‘You be the Reviewer’—Marking Introduction and Discussion sections

Group Project: Discuss the methodology of the study—how the study could be improved,

other measures that could have been used, other areas for questions?; Individual members should

begin writing up their Introduction.RESULTS DUE

10. May 9 M ini Lecture Topic : How to Write an Abstract & Reference Section

Activity: ‘You be the Reviewer’—Marking References sections.

Group Project: Write up remainder of the report; Complete conference submission form

RESULTS RETURNED

11. May 16 NO TUTORIAL: INTRODUCTION & DISCUSSION due FRI 20th MAY 4PM

12. May 23 M ini Lecture Topic : How to Present a Paper

Group Project: Prepare presentation in groups 13. May 30 GROUP PRESENTATION/CONFERENCE


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Group Work Action Plan

This worksheet must be completed at the end of each tutorial. This will ensure that all group membersknow which tasks they must complete and the completion deadlines.

Wk What needs to be done by the group? What do you need to do? By when?

2.

3.

4.

M i d - S e m e s t e r B r e a k

N o T u t o r i a l s

5.

6. METHOD DUE


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Wk What needs to be done by the group? What do you need to do? By when?

7.

8 . N o T u t o r i a l s

9. RESULTS DUE

10.

1 1 . N o t u t o r i a l s

REPORT DUE

12.

13.PRESENTATIONS/CONFERENCE


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Tutorial Materials

Below you will find most of the materials that you will need for each tutorial. Additional materials willbe in your Group Manual, provided by your tutor and/or uploaded onto eLearning. Please be sure toregularly check eLearning announcements for information about tutorial content.

TUTORIAL 1 (WK2)

List of Tasks To Be Performed By The Group

Here is a list of tasks that need to be performed to complete the research report and presentation. Go

through the tasks with your group and decide which person will be responsible for each task.

TASK PERSON RESPONSIBLE

1. Preparation of the Experimenta. Change the consent form so that it is appropriate for the study.

b. Photocopy the materials (i.e. questionnaires, consent forms).

c. Gather any other materials you may need to conduct the experiment (e.g.,stopwatches).

d. Determine how participants will be assigned to the experimental

conditions.

e. Ensure that each questionnaire booklet is labelled with a participant

number.

f. Write the experimenter script. The script sets out what the experimenter(s)

will say during the study and includes a cover story and debrief.

2. Conducting the Experimenta. Give the materials to participants.

b. Explain the procedure to participants.

c. Collect the materials once the participants have finished.d. Debrief participants (think about giving out a lolly/treat so they feel

better).

3. Data Analysisa. Code the data.

b. Enter the data into the spread sheet.

c. Plan the statistical tests necessary to test the hypotheses.

d. Analyse the data (with some basic assistance from the tutor).

e. Interpret the data.

4. Writing the Report

a. Write a draft of the Method (to be read and amended by all members ofthe group).

b. Write a draft of the Results (to be read and amended by all members thegroup)

NOTE: Each section of the report should be written by several people (e.g., one group member writes the

‘Participants’ section, another writes the ‘Procedure’; another drafts the hypotheses, etc.). Never allow a single

group membe

Documents

Student Manual 2016.pdf