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Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1, SP3, 2012
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Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale
PSS110 Introduction to Psychology I, Study Period 3, 2012
Assignment 2: Results handout
__________________________________________________________________________
These pages provide statistical summaries of the data from the survey and information
about your Method section. Your final report should contain a table which presents the data
on personality differences in approaches to learning (see Findlay, 2012, for correct
presentation of a table of means – NB: the tables presented on this handout are NOT correct
APA format).
RESULTS FROM SURVEY
Participant details:
Total Sample Size: 242 students (Female n = 192; Male n = 50)
Age range: 16-62 years
Mean age = 31.55 years, SD = 10.75
Total Neuroticism (N) sample size: 242
Sample size for High N: n = 120
(low N: n = 122 - but you don’t need this figure. It is here so you understand
the sample breakdown – these 2 figures add up to 242)
Total Openness (O) sample size: 242
Sample size for High O: n = 122
(low O: n = 120 – as above)
Overall Statistics for whole sample: write these statistics in text, NOT in a table.
Score range
Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Median score
Neuroticism 11 48 27.44 7.96 27
Openness 26 50 38.73 5.48 39
Deep Learning 15 50 34.69 6.98
Surface Learning 10 36 19.41 5.80
NB: To get the High N and High O groups, both Neuroticism and Openness scores were split
at the median score to give a high and low score group in each variable.
Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1, SP3, 2012
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Statistics Broken Down by Personality: put these statistics into a correctly formatted APA
style table (See Findlay, 2012).
Personality Mean Std.
Deviation
n
Deep learning High N 20.16 6.07 120
High O 36.53 7.03 122
Surface learning High N 33.83 6.66 120
High O 17.5 5.05 122
N = 242
MEASURES AND PROCEDURE
You will need to put this information in your own words. DO NOT COPY AND
PASTE FROM THIS HANDOUT. See Findlay (2012) for help in writing up this section.
Copies of each measure are provided for your information on the next page.
Measures
The Australian Personality Inventory (API) (Murray et al., 2009) measures personality
domains. The scale consists of 50 items, which are divided into five subscales (Extraversion,
Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Openness to experience, Agreeableness) each with 10 items.
For this study, two of the subscales were used: Neuroticism and Openness to experience. Each
item as scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Very inaccurate, to 5 = Very accurate). Give an
example of a question from each subscale.
The Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ; Biggs, Kember, & Leung, 2001) is a 20-item
measure of approaches to learning adopted by students. Two subscales, each with 10 items,
measure ‘deep’ and ‘surface’ approaches to learning, respectively. Participants were asked to
indicate their responses on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (“this item is never or
only rarely true of me”) to 5 (“this item is always or almost always true of me”). Higher
scores on each of the subscales correspond to greater levels of deep and surface approaches to
learning, respectively.
Procedure
The Australian Personality Inventory and the Study Process Questionnaire were
compiled into a survey along with demographics questions (e.g., age and gender). The survey
was completed online using Opinio software. After reading the information sheet participants
completed the anonymous survey in their own time. Filling out the survey implied informed
consent and respondents were free to withdraw at any time.
Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1, SP3, 2012
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Australian Personality Inventory
Instructions:
The following items contain phrases describing people's typical behaviours. Please use the
rating scale below to describe how accurately each statement describes you generally.
Describe yourself as you honestly see yourself, in relation to other people you know of the
same sex as you are, and roughly your same age.
Very
inaccurate
Moderately
inaccurate
Neither
inaccurate or
accurate
Moderately
accurate
Very
accurate
1. Often feel blue. 1 2 3 4 5 2. Feel
comfortable
around people.
1 2 3 4 5
3. Do not like art. 1 2 3 4 5 4. Have a good
word for
everyone.
1 2 3 4 5
5. Am always prepared.
1 2 3 4 5
6. Dislike myself. 1 2 3 4 5 7. Make friends
easily. 1 2 3 4 5
8. Have a vivid imagination.
1 2 3 4 5
9. Believe that others have
good
intentions.
1 2 3 4 5
10. Pay attention to details.
1 2 3 4 5
11. Am often down in the
dumps.
1 2 3 4 5
12. Am skilled in handling social
situations.
1 2 3 4 5
13. Have a rich vocabulary.
1 2 3 4 5
14. Respect others. 1 2 3 4 5 15. Get chores
done right
away.
1 2 3 4 5
16. Have frequent mood swings.
1 2 3 4 5
17. Am the life of the party.
1 2 3 4 5
Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1, SP3, 2012
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18. Carry the conversation to
a higher level.
1 2 3 4 5
19. Accept people as they are.
1 2 3 4 5
20. Carry out my plans.
1 2 3 4 5
21. Panic easily. 1 2 3 4 5 22. Know how to
captivate
people.
1 2 3 4 5
23. Enjoy hearing new ideas.
1 2 3 4 5
24. Make people feel at ease.
1 2 3 4 5
25. Make plans and stick to
them.
1 2 3 4 5
26. Seldom feel blue.
1 2 3 4 5
27. Have little to say.
1 2 3 4 5
28. Am not interested in
abstract ideas.
1 2 3 4 5
29. Have a sharp tongue.
1 2 3 4 5
30. Waste my time.
1 2 3 4 5
31. Feel comfortable
with myself.
1 2 3 4 5
32. Keep in the background.
1 2 3 4 5
33. Enjoy wild flights of
fancy.
1 2 3 4 5
34. Cut others to pieces.
1 2 3 4 5
35. Find it difficult to get down to
work.
1 2 3 4 5
36. Rarely get irritated.
1 2 3 4 5
37. Would describe my
experiences as
somewhat dull.
1 2 3 4 5
Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1, SP3, 2012
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38. Avoid philosophical
discussions.
1 2 3 4 5
39. Suspect hidden motives in
others.
1 2 3 4 5
40. Do just enough work to get by.
1 2 3 4 5
41. Am not easily bothered by
things.
1 2 3 4 5
42. Don't like to draw attention
to myself.
1 2 3 4 5
43. Do not enjoy going to art
museums.
1 2 3 4 5
44. Get back at others.
1 2 3 4 5
45. Don't see things through.
1 2 3 4 5
46. Am very pleased with
myself.
1 2 3 4 5
47. Don't talk a lot. 1 2 3 4 5 48. Rarely look for
a deeper
meaning in
things.
1 2 3 4 5
49. Insult people. 1 2 3 4 5 50. Shirk my
duties. 1 2 3 4 5
Neuroticism items: 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26, 31, 36, 41, 46
Extraversion items: 2, 7, 12, 17, 22, 27, 32, 37, 42, 47
Openness items: 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28, 33, 38, 43, 48
Agreeableness items: 4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29, 34, 39, 44, 49
Conscientiousness items: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50
Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1, SP3, 2012
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Study Process Questionnaire Instructions:
This questionnaire has a number of questions about your attitudes towards your online studies
and your usual way of studying online.
Note that there is no right way of studying online. It depends on what suits your own style and
the online course you are studying. It is accordingly important that you answer each question
as honestly as you can. If you think your answer to a question would depend on the online
subject being studied, give the answer that would apply to the subject(s) most important to
you.
Please choose the one most appropriate response to each question and select the relevant
button attached to that response. There are only five possible responses, and they are the same
for each question. The possible responses can be seen in the first row. Do not spend too much
time on each item: your first reaction is probably the best one.
Do not worry about projecting a good image. Your answers are CONFIDENTIAL.
Never or
only
rarely
true of
me
Sometimes
true of me
True of
me
about
half the
time
Frequently
true of me
Always or
almost
always true
of me
1. I find that at times studying gives me a
feeling of deep personal
satisfaction.
1 2 3 4 5
2. I find that I have to do enough work on a topic so
that I can form my own
conclusions before I am
satisfied.
1 2 3 4 5
3. My aim is to pass the course while doing as
little work as possible.
1 2 3 4 5
4. I only study seriously what’s provided in online
classes or in the course
outlines.
1 2 3 4 5
5. I feel that virtually any topic can be highly
interesting once I get into
it.
1 2 3 4 5
6. I find most new topics interesting and often
spend extra time trying to
obtain more information
1 2 3 4 5
Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1, SP3, 2012
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about them.
7. I do not find my course very interesting so I keep
my work to the minimum.
1 2 3 4 5
8. I learn some things by rote, going over and over
them until I know them by
heart even if I do not
understand them.
1 2 3 4 5
9. I find that studying academic topics can at
times be as exciting as a
good novel or movie.
1 2 3 4 5
10. I test myself on important topics until I understand
them completely.
1 2 3 4 5
11. I find I can get by in most assessments by
memorizing key sections
rather than trying to
understand them.
1 2 3 4 5
12. I generally restrict my study to what is
specifically set as I think
it is unnecessary to do
anything extra.
1 2 3 4 5
13. I work hard at my studies because I find the material
interesting.
1 2 3 4 5
14. I spend a lot of my free time finding out more
about interesting topics
which have been
discussed in different
classes.
1 2 3 4 5
15. I find it is not helpful to study topics in depth. It
confuses and wastes time,
when all you need is a
passing acquaintance with
topics.
1 2 3 4 5
16. I believe that lecturers shouldn’t expect students
to spend significant
amounts of time studying
material everyone knows
won’t be examined.
1 2 3 4 5
17. I come to most online classes with questions in
mind I want answering.
1 2 3 4 5
18. I make a point of looking at most of the suggested
readings that go with the
1 2 3 4 5
Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1, SP3, 2012
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lectures.
19. I see no point in learning material which is not
likely to be in the
examination.
1 2 3 4 5
20. I find the best way to pass examinations is to try to
remember answers to
likely questions.
1 2 3 4 5
Deep Approach items: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18
Surface Approach items: 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 19, 20
