Length and Formatting:
- 5-7 pages (this includes the title page and abstract)
- Standard margins according to APA style guidelines
- Typed, double spaced, and APA style recommended font
Content and Specifics of the Experiment Proposal Write-up (45 points) – you will be writing an APA style paper for the experimental proposal write-up. Your paper should include the following components:
- Title Page – your paper should have an APA style title page including the title of your proposed experiment, author name, author affiliation, and any other relevant information required by APA guidelines.
- Abstract – include an abstract page with a brief summary of your proposed experiment and what you expect to find.
- Method Section – your proposal should have a method section with the following information included:
A. Participants:-
- Number of participants
- Important Participant Demographics: Age, gender, etc. (provide enough information so if someone wanted to replicate the study, they would have enough information)
- How participants will be selected: describe your sampling procedures. Be sure to be detailed in describing how/where you will find subjects and how you will avoid possible issues related to sampling to demonstrate that you understand how to avoid common threats to external validity.
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B. Design: Be sure to include if the study is between-subjects, within- subjects, or mixed. List each IV and how it will be operationalized (levels) and list each DV and how each DV will be operationalized. Be sure to discuss how participants will be assigned to groups/conditions. Be specific in your design description to demonstrate that you understand how to avoid common threats to internal validity.
C. Procedure: provide enough detail that someone could replicate your study. Describe what participants will be doing from the time they begin the study to the moment they finish the study. Within this description, be sure to stress the similarities and differences between the different groups/conditions. When writing up the procedure, be sure to be mindful of potential confounds and of the pros and cons of the selected design. You want to avoid confounds and control for potential disadvantages of your chosen study.
- Discussion Section: discuss your predictions for your experiment along with any possible limitations or ethical issues that might need to be addressed. You might also consider recommending directions for future study of your topic.
4th Edition (2021)
ISBN: 978-0393893724