Writing Results Sections in APA Style
BRIEFLY remind the reader of the hypothesis while you tell the reader what statistical test you used to test that hypothesis. This should be done separately if you are using different tests. Tell the reader that α = .05 and two-tailed tests were conducted (when indeed two-tailed tests are an appropriate description).
Give your results in APA style. When writing results of inferential statistics, use APA format:
The correlation between self-esteem and depression was statistically significant, r(10) = .34, p = .02.
Results suggest that the difference between male and female responding was not statistically significant, t(15) = 4.31, p = .08, d= .15
The effect of color on reaction time was not statistically significant, F(3, 15) = 2.21, p = .44, h2p = .03.
Where appropriate (and when they are not in your Tables), give means and standard deviations of conditions:
e.g., Results suggest that the difference between male (M = 2.4, SD= 1.4) and female (M = 2.3, SD = 1.3) responding was not statistically significant, t(15) = 4.31, p = .08, d = .36.
Don’t just throw the statistics at the reader, describe the analysis results in words (but do not discuss or interpret it yet).
You need to include a measure of effect size with the inferential statistics. For a correlation, r is sufficient (while r2 is the measure of effect size, not r, r is sufficient in this case). For a t-test, calculate and include d. For an ANOVA, I recommend calculating and including R2for those in PSY 299 and can use R2 or use SPSS to get h2p for those in PSY 498.
As a class requirement, everyone will need at least one table or figure(and your table(s)/figure(s) should be turned in with the draft of your results section). See attached sample for how to do this. The table(s) and/or figure needs to be in APA style! Be sure to refer the reader to the table in the text of your results section.
If you have a table of correlations, for example, you only need to discuss significant ones in the text. Then you can refer the reader to the table and say that the rest of the correlations were not statistically significant. (Both the statistically significant and the non-statistically significant correlations should be reported in the table.)
Note that Tables go on their own page, after the Reference section. (If you have more than one table, each table goes on its own page.
Also when you turn in your results section graded draft (or ungraded draft):
•Be sure to include the SPSS output of ALL tests of inferential statistics you conducted with your
paper.
•Also, be sure to put your SPSS data set on Canvas so the instructorcan check it.
Writing Discussion Sections in APA Style
Summarize results and relate to your hypotheses. Were your hypotheses supported? Interpret what your results mean. If you had a pattern of results that is different among subscales of the same variable, be sure to discuss why you think some subscales showed the pattern and some did not.
Relate your results to what past research has found. Do NOT simply restate past research… that is what you did in the introduction. Here you should be discussing the extent to which your results are similar to the results of previous studies. If your results are different, discuss plausible reasons for why they are different.
Discuss strengths and limitations of your study
Discuss internal, external, and possibly construct validity of your study as part of what you discuss for strengths and/or weaknesses (in addition to other strengths & weaknesses). You should have AT LEAST two well-developed paragraphs for weaknesses and at least one for strengths. (Note: good discussion sections will discuss more than the sample characteristics. I’m looking for good critical thinking about your study that covers a wide range of topics we have discussed over the last two semesters.
Discuss the implications of your findings. What do your findings mean for the real world? How can your findings be used? If you did not find any statistically significant results, you may discuss the implications of the general research area (because your results do not have any implications…).
DISCUSS future research (as related to the specific topic of your study and/or the results of your study). This should be developed in at least 2 paragraphs. Good future research will discuss more than (only) external validity issues. For example, if you only discuss various sample characteristics that you think future research will have, this will not get full credit (as it is not showing enough critical thinking about your study and the topic).
Writing Abstracts
An abstract should be no more than 250 words (and typically no fewer than 150 words).
Include
What was the purpose of the study?
Summarize the main points from the method section.
Summarize the main results.
What can be concluded from these findings? What are the implications or applications of the findings and/or directions for future researchand/or strengths/weaknesses of the study.?
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