1. Writing up a report

2. Objectives
To be able to write up the method section of a scientific report.
Challenge
To find out what should be included in a results section
To find out the four parts of a discussion section

3. Recap: Activity 1
Match the description with the correct feature of science
Feature of science exam question
What is the difference between an aim and a hypothesis?
What is another word for alternative hypothesis?
What is the null hypothesis?
Aim:
A precise statement of why a study is taking place
Hypothesis:
Precise testable research prediction

4. Activity 2: Exam focus (A02)
Mind map, all the possible content that could be included in your answer.
A psychodynamic psychologist wished to investigate the function of dreams. He asked five friends to keep a ‘dream diary’ for a week by writing a descriptive account of their dreams as soon as they woke up in the morning. He interpreted the content of their dreams as an expression of their repressed wishes.
Referring to the study above, explain why psychodynamic psychologists have often been criticised for neglecting the rules of the scientific approach.
(Total 3 marks)

5. Activity 2: Exam focus – mark scheme
How the psychodynamic approach as depicted in the stem neglects the rules of science.
interpretation of content of dreams open to bias and subjectivity
no verifiable evidence
small sample; opportunity sample of friends and implications for generalizability
qualitative data collected and implications for statistical analysis;
retrospective data / memory distortions – reports written on waking
dreams are private experience and covert
problem of replicability.
no reference to a testable hypothesis.

6. Materials and apparatus Procedure
Design
Participants
Materials and apparatus
Procedure
Method Section
This section should ensure that the research is fully replicable. It should contain sufficient information for someone else to repeat the study in exactly the same way.

7. Design The research method used The design of the study Conditions
The variables (fully operationalised)
Methods of control in place
Ethical considerations

8. Participants Sampling technique used Number of participants
Age, gender
Target population

9. Materials and apparatus
All the materials that were used to collect the data
Software, websites (dates accessed)

10. Procedure
Exactly how the research was carried out from beginning to end.
Details of instructions and debrief
How the materials were used

11. Task: write up the method to your experiment
Individually, create a methods section for our study.
We need to get details of our sample first
Extension task
Find out what should be in a results section and discussion session of a report.
The discussion section can be separated into four parts. What are these?