Final Project

 

In the final project you need to design a research study, collect and analyze the data, and write a brief report that summarizes the research.  Although you may design, collect, and analyze data with other group members, you will need to turn in an independent written report on the research.  The project will be a bit more complex than the previous one, but shouldn’t take any longer to do than the previous one because you now know the basics.

 

I’ve listed a few ideas for manageable research projects below.  However, these ideas are not listed here to constrain you; if you have a creative idea that you would like to pursue, please discuss it with me or your TA.

 

The paper will be due on May 8th.  (I will leave it between you and your TA to decide whether the paper should be turned in via his or her mail box, via e-mail, etc.) The paper should be typed and double spaced.  Although there are no firm guidelines for paper length, a typical paper will probably be about 10 pages long.  I doubt that one could do a decent job in less than 5 pages, and anything that is much longer than 12 pages runs the risk of being wordy for the sake of wordiness.  You should strive to report your project in a manner that is brief, coherent, and to-the-point. 

 

The paper should be written in a manner that is informed by APA style, although we will not grade on the basis of this per se.  To see a good example of a paper that is formatted according to APA style, please see the following web site: http://www.thewritesource.com/APA/APARESEARCH.HTM.  You should model the format and organization of your own paper after that example paper. 

 

Please use the following structure:

 

1. Title Page. 1 page, by itself. The title page should contain the title of your report, your name, and a listing of the names of other group members for our reference.

 

2. Abstract. 1 page, by itself. This page should contain an abstract or one-paragraph summary of the research.  To see some good examples of abstracts, check out the following web page:  http://www.psych.utah.edu/pspb/.

 

3. Introduction.  Length: about 2 to 3 pages. The Introduction section of your paper should explain the basic research question, provide a short summary of what is known about the question already, a brief outline of the way in which your research contributes to that knowledge, and an overview of the research project you’re reporting.

 

4. Method. 1 to 3 pages.  This section should summarize the procedures and materials used in the research.  It should also summarize the nature of your sample.   If you’re working with human participants, for example, please note how many of those people were male vs. female, their ages, etc.

 

5. Results. 1 to 3 pages.  This section should summarize your data analyses.  Report things like means, standard deviations, correlations, tables, and figures, as appropriate.

 

6. Discussion. 1 to 3 pages.  This section should summarize your major findings and discuss the implication of your findings for the broader questions that motivated your research.

 

7. References. 1 page.  Please include a reference for any articles or books you cited.  To see a good overview of what a reference page looks like and how to format references in APA style, check out http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.cfm?doc_id=796.

 

Please choose 1 of the following three research ideas.  I’ve only included brief overviews here.  Once you’ve chosen a project, I’ll tell you how to get the detailed overview.

 

1.  Personality and Health

 

Overview

 

Many psychologists have been interested in understanding the relationship between the personality traits that people hold and physical symptoms and illness.  In this project you will examine the associations among basic personality traits, various health-related behaviors (e.g., exercise, diet, drinking), and physical symptoms.

 

http://www.yourpersonality.net/psych350/spring2006/Final Group Project Full01.htm

 

 

 2. Attachment Styles

 

Overview

 

According to adult attachment theory (e.g., Hazan & Shaver, 1987), the security that adults experience in their close relationships is a function of previous experiences—beginning with the relationship they had with their parents as children.  Attachment theory has become an extraordinarily popular theory, partly because it brings together ideas from psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, and personality theory. In this project you will study the association between the way people relate to their parents and the way they relate in their romantic relationships.

 

http://www.yourpersonality.net/psych350/spring2006/Final Group Project Full02.htm

 

3. Personality, Sexual Attitudes, and Fluctuating Asymmetry

 

Overview

 

One of the interesting findings that has emerged from evolutionary personality psychology is that individual differences in the attitudes that people hold about dating and sexuality are predictable from the asymmetry of their bodies (e.g., the extent to which their earlobes are of differing lengths).  In this research you will explore the association between variation in people’s physical features and their attitudes and personality.

 

http://www.yourpersonality.net/psych350/spring2006/Final Group Project Full03.htm