INTRODUCTION
C1 Background theory
Begin by stating the general area you are investigating e.g. stress, memory. Keep this short! DO NOT WRITE AN ESSAY. Marks are based on how relevant the research is so BE SELECTIVE! For example, do not write everything you know about memory if you are investigating eyewitness testimony. Insteadselect relevant research such as
Bartlett’s reconstructive memory and Loftus’s research on EWT. Five research studies are the maximum and two the minimum if the area is under researched. Do not describe the studies in too much detail. You need to focus on any flaws that you intend to improve upon and any findings or conclusions that you intend to follow up. Do not duplicate any information from the introduction in the discussion, you must describe (AO1) the research in the introduction and evaluate (AO2) it in the discussion. So there should be no repetition, given that these are very different skills! C2 Formulation = filtering downThe aim/hypotheses must be a logical progression from the background research. The general theory must filter down to the specific research that your investigation is based upon. The study that is most relevant to your own should be the last one described before the aim.
C3 Aim/hypotheses
You must state the aim, experimental/alternative and null hypotheses clearly and precisely. The wording should be exactly the same as it was in the abstract as the aim is not supposed to change during the course of the investigation! The variables must be stated clearly so that the hypothesis is testable. This means you must operationalise the variables, that is, it must be clear how they will be measured. For example, if you are investigating memory then just stating the DV as ‘level of memory’ is not an operationalised variable, stating the DV as ‘the number of words remembered’ is an operationalised variable. Experimental hypothesis: There is a difference between (state the IV) in the (state the DV). Null hypothesis: There is no difference between state the IV in the state the DV, and any differences that do exist are due to chance and/or random variables. The formulation for the experimental hypothesis works for most hypotheses e.g.:There is a difference between males’ and females’ rated importance of physical attractiveness in mate selection.However, if the formulation does not work, or your hypothesis needs to be directional, remember that the key criteria for an experimental hypothesis is that you state a difference and operationalise the variables. Correlational hypothesis: There is a correlation between x and y. Null hypothesis: There is not a correlation between x and y and any association that does exist is due to chance and/or random variables.
