A.PA Project - Method Section

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Title Here

First and Last Name Here

Department of XXX, College Here

Class number here (It is Psyc 005): Name of Class here (It is Research Methods in Psychology)

Instructor name here

Date

Methods

Sample

Data was collected from a sample of 20 participants, including 12 males and 8 females. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 25, with a mean age of 20.5 ( SD = 2.27). A majority of the participants were Caucasian (60%), four were Asian (20%), and four were Black/African American (20%). Participants were recruited using a convenience sample from social media. All participants were required to be at least 18 years of age and capable of reading and understanding online instructions.

Materials

Materials included a self-report questionnaire that was developed for the purpose of this study, and a brief demographic survey.

Covid-19 Stress Survey . This measure assesses stressors and symptoms of stress since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Changes in appetite, sleeping pattern, and overall stress level were measured using a 3-point scale (1 = “I have not experienced any change in my sleeping pattern;” 3 = “I sleep a lot less/more than usual”). Items assessing the emotional and cognitive effects of stress were answered by selecting all symptoms that had started or increased since the Covid-19 pandemic began, and the impact of specific stressors was assessed using a 5-point scale (1 = none at all; 5 = a great deal). Open-ended items were used to assess coping techniques and concerns about stress.

Demographic Questions . The demographic survey asked the participants to provide their biological sex, gender, age, and ethnic/racial background.

Design and Procedures

A non-experimental design was used to describe changes in stress that have occurred since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Participants were recruited using an advertisement that was posted on Facebook and Instagram. All data was collected using Google Forms. After responding to the advertisement, participants were given a link to the survey where they were first required to read and electronically sign an informed consent form. The consent form informed participants that the purpose of this study is to evaluate whether individuals have experienced a change in symptoms of stress since the Covid-19 pandemic began. They were informed that the surveys would take approximately 10 minutes to complete, that they had the right not to answer any question that made them feel uncomfortable, and that their responses were anonymous. Once consent was provided, participants completed a short demographic questionnaire, followed by the 10-item Covid-19 stress survey. Upon completion of the survey, they were presented with an electronic debriefing statement. This statement included the. Hypothesis and thanked participants for their time.