Don S. Christensen Shoreline Community College
Psyc 209 Psychology
Homework #4: Journal Article Analysis (25 Points)
DUE DATES
Part A: Article Selection, DUE Thursday 11/17 (You may hand in your article selection before this date if you would like to receive it back sooner.)
Part B: Article Analysis, DUE Monday 11/28 (in class)
Purpose: For this assignment you are asked to find one research article that has not been covered in class, your textbook, or workbook, and analyze the research design of the experiment presented in that article. This assignment gives you the opportunity to apply concepts on experimental design covered in this course. It also provides you with experience in searching for and reading an original psychology journal article on a topic of interest to you personally. A central criterion of this assignment is that the article you select must have at least one truly manipulated independent variable.
PART A: SELECTING YOUR ARTICLE (5 points)
In the library assignment, you gained experience using the library databases to conduct a computerized search of the psychological literature. For Homework #3 the best way to select an article that is of interest to you and that is a true experiment is to use these databases. Another approach is to pick your article by going to the library and selecting a journal. Begin with the most recent issues and look over the table of contents. Get a feeling for the topics that are covered in the journal. If you see an article that might interest you, look it up and read the abstract to get a better feel for what the study is about. If the topic of the article still looks good, carefully examine the methods section to make sure it has at least one truly manipulated IV (see Guidelines below). If nothing strikes your interest in that issue, work your way back through earlier issues of the journal.
A. Your Article Must Have at Least One Truly Manipulated IV
The study you choose must contain at least one variable that truly is manipulated by the experimenter. If you choose a study that has only one independent variable, then it must be a manipulated variable. If your study has 2 or more independent variables, then at least one of them must be a manipulated variable; the others can be "individual difference" (i.e., selected) variables or additional manipulated variables. In addition, your study should involve a high degree of control (random assignment or use of a within-subjects design).
CAUTION: Some researchers may use the word "experiment" rather loosely. For example, they may be conducting a simple natural groups design (i.e., no manipulated independent variable) but in their article may call it an "experiment." You are responsible for reading the method section of the article and determining whether there truly is a manipulated variable in the study; this is the whole purpose of Part A of this homework assignment.
Your study can have one independent variable or more than one independent variable. It can use either a between-subjects design, a within-subjects design, or a combination of both (i.e., mixed design). DO NOT pick an article that just uses surveys, case studies, observational techniques, etc., unless these are combined with some type of true experimental manipulation.
Each article must be a full-length, original research report. That is, it should present a study done by the authors of the article. It should not be a 1 or 2 page "brief report", and it should not be a "review article" or a "meta-analysis" that summarizes research that has already been done. Pick an article that interests you. If you find that an article is too complex, then simply pick another one that conforms to the guidelines above.
B. Recommended Sources for Your Articles
The article you select needs to come from an academic journal. Because of the size of our college, the Shoreline Library has very few psychology-related journals on the shelves. However, the online databases available in the library (Proquest and EBSCO, which were introduced to you in the Library Assignment) have access to hundreds of academic psychology journals. You are welcome to select an article from any of these sources, or find one somewhere else (e.g., UW Library, Seattle Public Library, etc…). Articles from newspapers or magazines are NOT appropriate for this assignment and students who turn in such articles will lose points and will have to find another article.
C. Grading of Part A
To receive full credit (5 points) for this part of the assignment it must be turned in by the due date and contain at least one truly manipulated independent variable. You need to turn in a photocopy of the entire article for both parts of the assignment. Please print your name on the first page of the article (at the top if there's room).
If the article you submit is not a true experiment, you will lose 2 points and have to find another article. If your first article was not a true experiment and the replacement article you submit also is not a true experiment, you will lose the remaining 3 points from this part of the assignment. Further, you will still need to find a true experiment in order to receive any points for Part B of this assignment. Assignments turned in late will lose 2 points per day (Starting from the due date).
SPECIAL NOTE: some experiments contain more than one study. If this is the case in your article, just pick one study to analyze. When you turn your article in for approval, be sure to specify the study you are selecting for this assignment. Otherwise, by default, I will assume it is the first study in the article.
PART B: ANALYZING YOUR ARTICLE (20 points)
A. General Format of Your Assignment: Papers that don't follow this format will be returned for completion to you and be counted as late.
1. Papers must be Typewritten (or word-processed) and stapled.
2. Analysis Pages: Attach your analysis of the article, using the format shown below. Include your name at the top of the page.
3. Photocopy of article: Attach 1 photocopy of your complete article.
B. Analysis of Your Article (NOTE: In your paper label these as Sections 1 through 7. When analyzing your IVs and DVs, try to follow the format in sections 4 and 5 if possible)
1. APA Reference of Article (2 points)
See textbook or class handout on reference style distributed earlier.
2. Purpose of Study (3 points)
In your own words, what was the purpose of the study? Why was it done? Discuss this in one paragraph. (3 to 5 sentences)
3. Overall Design (3 points)
Specify the design of the experiment. If there is only one I.V., simply state this and indicate the number of levels or conditions.
Example: Riesen study: 2 x 6 factorial design
Example: Schachter study: only 1 independent variable; 2 conditions
If there is more than one I.V., then be sure to indicate whether the design is factorial or non-factorial and -- if the design is mixed -- be sure to include this in your description as well. (e.g., 2 x 3 factorial design, 4 x 2 x 2 mixed factorial design).
4. Independent Variables (6 points)
a. Name each variable conceptually.
b. Is it between-subjects or within-subjects?
c. In a sentence, describe each level or condition for each variable operationally.
Example: Schachter study
I.V. :
a. Fear
b. Between-subjects
c. High Fear; participants were told they would receive painful electric shocks.
Low Fear; participants were told they would receive very mild shocks.
Example: Riesen study
I.V. #1:
a. Type of Visual Environment (or, "Amount of Deprivation")
b. Between-subjects
c. Light (or, No Deprivation); a room with normal light.
Dark (or, High Deprivation); a room with extremely dim light.
I.V.#2:
a. Age of Kitten
b. Between-subjects
c. 1,2,3,4,5,6 months old
5. Major Dependent Variables (2 points)
(If the study has many dependent variables, just list the 1 or 2 most important ones.)
a. List the general or conceptual name of the major dependent variable(s).
b. Describe how each major dependent variable was operationalized.
Example: Schachter study
a. Conceptual: Affiliation
b. Operational: Questionnaire item asking participants to check whether they wanted to wait alone or with other women in the group.
Example: Riesen study
a. Conceptual: Visual-Motor Performance
b. Operational: # of paces (reversals of direction) while running a maze; # of seconds taken by kitten to complete the maze
6. Major results: (2 points)
In your own words, describe the major results in a paragraph. Do not quote the authors for this section. I do not expect you to be familiar with the various statistical tests used in the article. Along with all the numbers and statistics the authors (in most cases) will verbally report the important findings (e.g., "The results supported the hypothesis that…" "It was found that... "). Key findings also may be revealed in tables or graphs. Finally, in the discussion section of the article the authors will likely re-summarize the key findings.
7. Personal Evaluation: (2 points)
In a paragraph explain why you feel the study does or does not have internal validity ? If you feel it doesn't, what major confounds (1 or 2) were there and how might they have been avoided? If you feel the study does have internal validity, what aspects of the experimental procedure were designed to eliminate important potential confounds. Note: This question is not asking about external validity. Also remember that since this article is published, it is less likely to have any confounds in it.
C. Writing Your Assignment
1. The maximum length of the article evaluation is 4 pages, double-spaced. Use a 10-point or 12-point font. Article analyses handed in late will lose 2 points per day (starting from the due date).
2. Be concise: Using the outline format above will help you focus your writing.
3. It is expected that you will work on this assignment (including making your selection of articles) INDEPENDENTLY. This means that you should not discuss the content of your article (its design, method, variables, findings, conclusions, limitations, confounds) with other people. See me if you are having trouble with your article or the assignment.
4. For names of variables, just copy the names provided in the article (if they seem adequate). In summarizing the purpose and results of each article, and in your section on personal evaluation, you should use your own words--don't plagiarize the article and don't even quote directly from it. Put the purpose and major findings into your own words. Please keep in mind that I will have the article with me as I grade your paper so it will be relatively easy to see if you have copied sentences word-for-word. Since this is an assignment and not a term paper, don’t worry about citing where you are getting your information. I will assume that all information is coming from the article you have selected
5. Make a photocopy of your entire paper. Turn in the original to me and keep the photocopy (as a backup). Be sure to attach a photocopy of your article.