PSY 224 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview The final project is meant for you to propose a hypothetical study. You are not and should not be conducting human subjects research for this project. It is not necessary for the purposes of this assignment. All human subjects research requires written approval from the SNHU COCE Institutional Review Board in order to protect the welfare and ensure ethical treatment of the subjects. The final project for this course is the creation of a research report consisting of a literature review and research proposal. One of the most exciting things you can do in psychology is research. Do you want to identify the reliability of a test of self-efficacy? Do you want to find the best way to lose weight or quit smoking? Do you want to solve the mystery of what portion of the screen a person’s eye is most likely to be drawn to while on the internet? Research can provide answers to these questions. For many years, psychologists have been committed to research. This commitment has kept psychology moving forward, rather than falling prey to biases and “what is obvious” (but wrong). A set of tools is found in research that help us to avoid bias. For the final project in this course, you will develop a research report consisting of a literature review and a research proposal. This will allow you to develop the skills associated with interpreting research to develop sound arguments. It will also allow you to plan and design research studies. The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Three, and Five. The final project will be submitted in Module Seven. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

● Select multiple research methods for conducting effective analysis of psychological research

● Identify bias and other factors that impact credibility in psychological research for determining the reliability of sources

● Develop hypotheses informed by peer-reviewed psychological research appropriate to a specific topic

● Determine the most appropriate research method for accurately communicating results drawn from psychological research

● Describe the procedure used in psychological research for developing research that effectively communicates findings to an intended audience

● Assess the research design of psychological studies for ensuring alignment with the expectations of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists

Prompt For the final project, you will develop a report containing a literature review and a research proposal using APA formatting and following the outline below. You will identify a topic for study, review at least six peer-reviewed psychological articles, write a literature review based on the articles, develop a hypothesis, and

plan the research methodology, including your data collection and analysis techniques. Your APA paper should include the following formatting. Each of the three sections should include the appropriate sections from the outline below.

1. Introduction a. Literature Review b. Hypothesis

2. Methods a. Methodology b. Data Collection

3. Discussion Specifically the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction A. Identify and briefly summarize the topic related to psychology, which you will study. B. Summarize articles relevant to the topic you want to research. C. Discuss the bias and limitations present in the articles. Support your discussion with specific examples from the articles. D. Discuss the other factors present in the articles that might impact the credibility of those articles. Support your discussion with specific examples

from the articles. 1. Explain how the bias and limitations may inform or influence your research. 2. Summarize the research design and methods described in these articles. 3. Discuss the appropriateness of the research design and methods in these articles. Were they appropriate for the research questions and

hypotheses? 4. Discuss whether or not the research design and methods in these articles align to the expectations of the APA Ethical Principles of

Psychologists. Support your discussion with specific examples from the articles. 5. Based on your evaluation of these articles, discuss which research design and methods you feel will be most appropriate for the

research you want to conduct. 6. Explain the steps you will take to ensure your research aligns to the expectations of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists.

E. Hypothesis 1. State your hypothesis. The hypothesis should be logical and appropriate to the topic you want to research. 2. Explain where your hypothesis fits in the context of the literature reviewed. 3. Discuss specific examples from relevant literature that support your hypothesis.

II. Methods

A. Methodology 1. Explain the research design and method you selected, and justify why they are appropriate for your research. 2. Discuss the research participants who will be involved in your study, including how they will be selected and how many will be used.

B. Data Collection 1. Describe your sampling frame. 2. Discuss the data collection instrument you will use and how the data collected will address your hypothesis. 3. Explain how you will ensure the protection of participants in your study and adherence to the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists.

III. Discussion

A. Using the articles you previously evaluated, explain how the evidence presented by the authors of the articles supports your research proposal. B. Explain how you would appropriately convey your research findings to your audience. How would this be written? What aspects of the research

would be referenced? C. Explain what further research could be conducted that goes beyond or in a different direction than your research proposal.

IV. APA Formatting: Utilize appropriate APA formatting throughout the report for headings, organization (including a cover page, abstract, reference list,

and the sections outlined above), and stylistic elements.

Milestones Milestone One: Topic Selection and Introduction In Module Two, you will submit the Milestone One Worksheet: Topic Selection and Introduction. You should build on the ideas from the Module One discussion to select your final topic. Remember to select an area of psychology that you wish to research. For example, you might look at cognitive psychology or developmental psychology. Then, within this field, you will pick a particular area that is of interest to you. For example, within the field of cognitive psychology, you might examine memory in emotional situations. Or, within developmental psychology, you might examine the development of executive functions in kindergarteners. Your final topic submission should discuss the area of psychology that you wish to research and provide a discussion of at least two articles that you might use in the literature review section of the introduction. You may use the article that you found to support your topic in the Module One discussion as one of your two articles, or choose two new articles. The articles should be used to support your topic choice and help you explain the different concepts that you will explore in your research. For example, if you are interested in looking at executive functions in kindergarteners, you might find two articles that describe prior research on this topic and discuss how the articles are relevant to your topic. What do the articles examine that you might also examine? Or what might be some limitations of the articles that you could address in your research? This milestone is graded with the Milestone One Rubric. Milestone Two: Hypothesis and Methodology In Module Three, you will submit the Milestone Two Worksheet: Hypothesis and Methodology. For the hypothesis, you should give a brief overview of what you expect to find in your area of research based on the research you have gathered. Be sure that your hypothesis is clear and supported by literature, using specific examples from the literature. Next, you should discuss the specific method that you will use for your research proposal, for example, an experimental design, a correlational design, a survey, or a case study. You should also discuss the details of how this method will be used. For example, if you are using an experimental design, you will need to identify the independent and dependent variables of the experiment. Or, if you are using a survey, discuss how the survey will be carried out. How will you ensure the questions are well formulated? This milestone is graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.

Milestone Three: Proposal Outline In Module Five, you will submit an outline of your paper. The outline should contain descriptions of the critical elements (above) that you will include in the final paper and should be supported by at least six references. References should be listed to illustrate the literature you reviewed in Section I of the paper. Additionally, you should use references to support your hypothesis and design selection. The outline should be 3–4 pages long and contain all critical elements of the final paper. You should use the template provided in the Milestone Three Guidelines and Rubric document to prepare the outline. This template will also help you set up your paper for the final submission. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Three Rubric. Final Submission: Research Report In Module Seven, you will submit your final paper. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded using the Final Project Rubric.

Deliverables

Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading

One Worksheet: Topic Selection and Literature Review

Two Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric

Two Worksheet: Hypothesis and Methodology Three Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric

Three Proposal Outline Five Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric

Final Submission: Research Report Seven Graded separately; Final Project Rubric

Final Project Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your research report should adhere to the latest guidelines for APA-formatting and be 6–8 pages in addition to any graphics used. Your report must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and at least six sources cited in APA format. Consult the guidelines for following APA style found the 7th edition of the APA Manual.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Introduction: Identify Topic

Meets “Proficient” criteria and uses industry-specific language to establish expertise

Identifies and briefly summarizes the topic that will be studied

Identifies and briefly summarizes the topic that will be studied, but summary is cursory or irrelevant

Does not identify or summarize the topic that will be studied

2.5

Introduction: Summarize Articles

Meets “Proficient” criteria and uses industry-specific language to establish expertise

Summarizes the articles relevant to the topic to research

Summarizes the articles relevant to the topic to research, but summary is cursory or irrelevant

Does not summarize articles relevant to the topic to research

2.5

Introduction: Bias and Limitations

Meets “Proficient” criteria and is exceptionally insightful about the bias and limitations present

Discusses the bias and limitations present in the articles, with specific examples to support discussion

Discusses the bias and limitations present in the articles, but discussion is cursory or illogical or does not provide specific examples to support discussion

Does not discuss the bias and limitations present in the articles

5

Introduction: Other Factors

Meets “Proficient” criteria and is exceptionally insightful about other factors that might impact credibility

Discusses the other factors present in the articles that might impact their credibility with specific examples to support discussion

Discusses the other factors present in the articles that might impact their credibility, but discussion is cursory or illogical or does not provide specific examples to support discussion

Does not discuss the other factors present in the articles that might impact their credibility

5

Introduction: Influence

Meets “Proficient” criteria and is exceptionally insightful about how the bias and limitations may inform or influence research

Explains how the bias and limitations may inform or influence research

Explains how the bias and limitations may inform or influence research, but explanation is cursory or illogical

Does not explain how the bias and limitations may inform or influence research

5

Introduction: Research Design and

Methods

Meets “Proficient” criteria and uses industry-specific language to establish expertise

Summarizes the research design and methods described in these articles

Summarizes the research design and methods described in these articles, but summary is cursory

Does not summarize the research design and methods described in these articles

5

Introduction: Appropriateness

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the applications of different research designs and methodologies

Discusses the appropriateness of the research design and methods in the articles

Discusses the appropriateness of the research design and methods in the articles, but discussion is cursory or illogical

Does not discuss the appropriateness of the research design and methods in the articles

5

Introduction: Expectations

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the expectations of APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists

Discusses whether or not the research design and methods in the articles align to the expectations of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists, with specific examples to support discussion

Discusses whether or not the research design and methods in the articles align to the expectations of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists, but discussion is cursory or illogical or does not provide specific examples to support discussion

Does not discuss whether or not the research design and methods in the articles align to the expectations of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists

5

Introduction: Research

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the applications of different research designs and methodologies

Discusses which research design and methods would be most appropriate for the research to be conducted

Discusses which research design and methods would be most appropriate for the research to be conducted, but discussion is cursory or illogical

Does not discuss which research design and methods would be most appropriate for the research to be conducted

5

Introduction: Steps Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists

Explains the steps to be taken to ensure research aligns to the expectations of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists

Explains the steps to be taken to ensure research aligns to the expectations of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists, but explanation is cursory or illogical

Does not explain the steps to be taken to ensure research aligns to the expectations of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists

5

Introduction: Hypothesis: State Your Hypothesis

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and hypothesis is exceptionally clear and concise

States a logical and appropriate hypothesis

States a hypothesis, but it is illogical or inappropriate

Does not state a hypothesis

5

Introduction: Hypothesis:

Hypothesis Context

Meets “Proficient” criteria and provides exceptionally insightful context to establish relevance of hypothesis

Explains where hypothesis fits in context of literature reviewed

Explains where hypothesis fits in context of literature reviewed, but explanation is cursory or illogical

Does not explain where hypothesis fits in context of literature reviewed

5

Introduction: Hypothesis: Specific

Examples

Meets “Proficient” criteria and discussion is exceptionally well supported and contextualized

Discusses specific examples from relevant literature that support the hypothesis

Discusses specific examples from relevant literature, but discussion is cursory or illogical or not all examples support the hypothesis

Does not discuss specific examples from relevant literature

5

Methods: Methodology:

Research Design and Methods

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the applications of different research designs and methodologies

Explains the research design and method selected and justifies why they are appropriate

Explains the research design and method selected and justifies why they are appropriate, but the design or method is not appropriate for the research or justification is illogical

Does not explain the research design and method selected and justify why they are appropriate

3.75

Methods: Methodology:

Research Participants

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion is exceptionally comprehensive and contextualized

Discusses the research participants who will be involved in the study

Discusses the research participants who will be involved in the study, but discussion is cursory

Does not discuss the research participants who will be involved in the study

3.75

Methods: Data Collection: Sampling

Frame

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description is exceptionally clear and contextualized

Describes an appropriate sampling frame

Describes the sampling frame, but it is not logical or appropriate

Does not describe the sampling frame

3.75

Methods: Data Collection: Instrument

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates expertise in data collection processes

Discusses the data collection instrument and how the data collected will address the hypothesis

Discusses the data collection instrument and how the data collected will address the hypothesis, but discussion is cursory or the data collection instrument would not address the hypothesis

Does not discuss the data collection instrument or how the data collected will address the hypothesis

3.75

Methods: Data Collection: Protection

of Participants

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the APA

Explains how to ensure the protection of participants and adherence to the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists

Explains how to ensure the protection of participants and adherence to the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists, but

Does not explain how to ensure the protection of participants and adherence to the APA

5

Ethical Principles of Psychologists

explanation is cursory or illogical

Ethical Principles of Psychologists

Discussion: Supports Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation is well supported with concrete examples

Explains how the evidence presented by the authors supports the research proposal

Explains how the evidence presented by the authors supports the research proposal, but explanation is cursory or illogical

Does not explain how the evidence presented by the authors supports the research proposal

5

Discussion: Research Findings

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation is exceptionally clear and contextualized

Explains how to appropriately convey research findings to audience

Explains how to convey research findings to audience, but explanation is cursory or not appropriate

Does not explain how to convey research findings to audience

5

Discussion: Further Research

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation is exceptionally insightful about other possibilities in further research

Explains what further research could be conducted that goes beyond or in a different direction

Explains what further research could be conducted that goes beyond or in a different direction, but explanation is cursory or illogical

Does not explain what further research could be conducted that goes beyond or in a different direction

5

APA Formatting Utilizes APA formatting with no major errors throughout the report

Utilizes APA formatting throughout the report with major errors

Does not utilize APA formatting throughout the report

2.5

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to- read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

2.5

Total 100%