Psychology Experimental Design and Predicting Results Paper

PART 1: EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND PREDICTING RESULTS

Choose a paper that you reviewed in the Literature Review Assignment. For each study write a paragraph in APA format (e.g. formal, cited properly):

Describe how you might design a study differently to answer the same question

Discuss why think this design is a good alternative?

What are the benefits of doing it your way?

Why do you think the authors decided on the method that they did?

If you conducted the study using your design, using your background knowledge of the subject, and your knowledge of study design, form a prediction of the results.

PART 2: ARTICLE COMPARISON

Choose two of the papers that you reviewed in in the Literature Review Assignment, they can include the article used for part 1 of this assignment or not. Write a paragraph or two in APA format (e.g. formal, cited properly) that thoroughly compares the two studies. Please be charitable, do not focus on the weaknesses. As we discuss in lecture, there is no perfect study, paper or method, everyone is just trying to find the right balance of strengths and weaknesses. Comparisons should include answers to the following questions:

Introduction

How do the motivations and/or hypotheses for the studies differ?

Do they both seem like valid, important questions to be addressed, or does one of the studies seem more important to you? Why or why not?

Methods

Do both studies involve subjects and methods that adequately address the stated motivation/hypothesis for the study?

Does one study do this better than the other?

Are both designs strong/valid?

Do they answer the questions posed in the introduction?

Are the findings in each study equally generalizable? Why or why not?

DISCUSSION

Are the claims made by the authors supported by their data in both articles?

Are weaknesses and/or null findings explained sufficiently in both articles?

Are the results tied back to the big picture (in terms of what was brought up in the introduction and/or future directions) in both articles?

Does one article do these better than the other? Why or why not?