METHODS ABSTRACT PART TWO

The Title of Your Paper Goes Here

Your Name

Florida International University

Abstract Comment by Lu Liang: Abstract heading is centered and bold

Two studies looked at eyewitness confidence in lineup studies. In study one, 551 undergraduate participants saw a picture of a target “suspect”. They then viewed an eight person lineup that altered the lineup instructions (they were told the target was either present, might be present, or they were not given any information, though in reality the target “suspect” was always missing). The authors predicted that participants would both choose a suspect and be more confident in their choice when told the target was present compared to the other two conditions. Results confirmed this prediction. In study two, 337 participants also received either the target present or might not be present instructions, though they were given a lineup that differed in size (eight versus four members). Like study one, participants in the target present condition chose and were more confident in their choice than participants in the target might be present condition, but only when given an eight person lineup. This implies that telling someone that a person is present in a lineup can lead them to find a suspect, but only if they have a lot of lineup choices. Comment by Lu Liang: First line not indent in Abstract Comment by Ryan Winter: The student wrote this in 189 words! It’s a lot of information in a short amount of space, so make sure to edit it a lot to get all relevant information in place. Comment by Lu Liang: Make sure you indicated research questions, hypotheses, IV&DV, participants, results, general conclusion/implication of the study.

Keywords : target present, target absent, simultaneous lineups, confidence, system variables Comment by Lu Liang: Italicize “Keywords” phrase Comment by Lu: Make sure to include at least 5 EFFECTIVE keywords, that is, when writing keywords, you must think what words you could have in helping someone find your research. Independent variables, experimental design, hypotheses… are NOT good keywords. Comment by Lu Liang: Do not italicize these keywords

Comment by Julia Parker: Don’t forget to scroll all the way down and see the “corrected references!” they should be on their own page, just like a regular references page would be. You will look through the paper and find any incorrect references. Correct those references and put them at the end of your abstract---(see below).

Corrected References Comment by Julia Parker: Note, there may only be one or two incorrect references, or there may be a lot more! You’ll have to be careful to find them all! You only need to include the references that you correct here—you don’t need to put the whole reference page.

Brigham, J., Ready, D., & Spier, S. (1990). Standards for evaluating the fairness of photographic lineups. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 11, 149-163. https://doi.org/12323-38271

You will read a paper written by an actual Research Methods and Design II student from a prior semester. This paper includes two studies the student conducted, with Study One introducing the main variables and Study Two offering an extension with replication of Study One. Your job is to read the whole paper and then complete your assignment.

In Part One, you will answer a bunch of questions about the paper. Please complete part I on canvas! This is set up as a separate assignment on canvas. Don’t forget to submit part I and part II!

In Part Two, write an abstract for the paper! I suggest you look at the example paper on Canvas to see how this should look! This should be fairly easy, as you can paraphrase the information from Part One. However, this time you need to write it in one short paragraph (150 to 250 word maximum!). Note: there are two studies, and you have to mention both. Yes, this is tough, but authors often summarize (in the same short abstract) papers that they wrote that may include six or seven different studies! My suggestion is to find the overlap between both studies and discuss both simultaneously. For example, “Both studies looked at X, but study two also examined Y.” That is, your abstract should include the following; 16 points total):

1. Title page (1 point)

2. Include the word “Abstract” at the top of your abstract (2 points)

3. Identify the general problem or research question (the hypotheses) for both studies. (2 points)

4. Note the participants for both studies (2 points)

5. Note the IVs and DVs for the studies (2 points)

6. Note the findings for both studies (2 points)

7. Note the overall conclusions / implications of the two studies (2 points)

8. Please include keywords for the study (at least 5 keywords or phrases – these are not included in the total word count) (2 points)

9. Correct any errors you find on the references page and include the corrected references at the bottom of your abstract page (see the example paper for how this should look). (2 points)

Writing Quality (7 points)

1. Avoid run-on sentences, sentence fragments, spelling errors, and grammar errors.

2. Write with sufficient detail that the person reading it would be able to understand what the study is about, even if they had not read the paper!

3. The writing should be PERFECT here. You will lose a point for each writing error, so proofread, proofread, and proofread some more!

4. Get a group member to review it for you! Review their abstract!

Total points possible: 40 points (Part I = 16 points; Part II = 24 points)

Other Instructions: this is an individual assignment.

1). Psychological Purpose

The psychological purpose behind the Methods II Preview Assignment is to give you a brief preview to the paper you will write in Methods II next semester. Not only do I want you to see what will go into your eventual Methods II research paper, but I also want to make sure that you can write a clear, succinct paragraph for a research study that covers all of the relevant information needed to convey the important parts of a study in a single paragraph (i.e. an Abstract).

The Abstract is one of the first items readers see. You need to convey a lot of information in this very short paragraph, as the potential reader will decide whether to read your full paper based on the information in the Abstract. There are several elements needed in the Abstract about research studies, including information about: a). the research question(s), b). the participants, c). the experimental methodology, d). the findings, and e). the conclusions / implications. Being able to write a precise yet succinct Abstract takes some effort, so make sure you go through several drafts before settling on your final version. Make sure to include keywords / key phrases as well (keywords are an essential part of articles, as these are the words or phrases that library databases like PsycInfo provide to searchers interested in specific topics. Well, the authors actually recommended these keywords, so if you include them for this short Abstract Assignment).

2). APA Formatting Purpose

This Article Critique assignment should once again assess your ability to follow APA formatting guidelines. Use Chapter 14 in your Smith and Davis textbook for help, and look at the instructions on the next page for guidance with formatting

3). Writing Purpose

I want to make sure you can write clearly and specifically, summarizing what might be a 20 page paper in a single paragraph. This assignment serves that purpose.