The final paper will be a research proposal based on the ideas of your research project assignment.
You will relate your research ideas to social psychological theories and research on the topic.
The paper will take the form of an abbreviated APA-style research proposal with a title page, introduction, method, results, discussion, and reference sections.
The paper should be 5 typed pages maximum (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, plus cite 2 references).
Order of the different sections:
1. Title page (page 1)
2. Introduction (begin on page 2)
3. Method (heading will be centered, flows
immediately after the Introduction)
4. Results (heading will be centered, flows
immediately after the Method)
5. Discussion (heading will be centered, flows
immediately after the Results)
6. References (heading will be centered, on a
separate page)
The paper will be a formal, scientific paper. It will be written using complete sentences and paragraphs. Do NOT use bullets, etc…
Avoid the use of the terms “I”, “me”, and “my”. For example, write “The independent variable will be manipulated by…” instead of “I will manipulate the independent variable by…”
Introduction
– Starts out broad and becomes more specific.
– Begin with a general introduction.
– State your research question. Why is it important?
– Discuss your theory/research and link it with other social psychological theories/research.
– Provide the reader with background information on your research topic.
– How is this study different from previous research?
– Make a case for why the proposed research is important.
– What will it contribute? How will it advance our knowledge of…?
– “The purpose of this study is to…” or “The present study is designed to investigate the…”
– State your hypothesis and the rationale for it (why you are making this prediction).
Method
Participants:
– Who? How many? Where and how will you recruit participants?
Design and Procedures:
– Describe the independent variable(s) and dependent variable(s).
– How will you manipulate your independent variable? What are the different groups of your independent variable? What will you do to 1 group that is different from the other group(s)?
– How will you measure your dependent variable? Will you observe/record participants’ behavior or ask them to complete a questionnaire? Provide details.
– Describe how you will set up or stage the experiment, the procedures, random assignment, and any instructions/information that participants will receive.
Results
Briefly describe how you will calculate the results or analyze the data (e.g., will you calculate averages, percentages, etc.) And summarize what you predict to find.
EX:
“The average conformity behavior of Group
1 and Group 2 will be calculated. Group 1 (the
high self-esteem group) is predicted to conform
less than Group 2 (the low self-esteem group).”
Discussion
Broadly evaluate your proposed research. What are the strengths and limitations of your experiment? No one study is perfect. Are there any ethical concerns about your procedures? How will you address these ethical issues and/or minimize potential ethical problems? You should touch back on the ideas that you mentioned in your introduction as well. End on a positive note. Remind the reader of the importance of the proposed research.
