Research Summary Paper on Gender Differences in Visual Scanning, Response Speed and Sustained Attention

Choose a topic.
This paper will allow you to more deeply explore a topic we cover in class. Choose a topic we have discussed already or will discuss in the following module.
Decide on a topic in psychology that you find especially interesting. The topic may be something we will discuss in class or something you read in the text (or perhaps elsewhere) as long as you can somehow relate it to psychology.
Please make sure you choose a topic that is relevant to the daily life of you or someone you know.
If you need any assistance during the course of this process, please feel free to ask me for help.
Locate a research study article on your topic.
After you have your topic, find a research study published in a professional, peer-reviewed journal (not a magazine or newspaper) in PsycINFO through the library’s database. Please do not simply select the first article that you find; rather, read several abstracts and try different search options to find one that is most interesting and relevant to you. To log into and search the PsycINFO database:
Visit the library database.
Enter your myBama username and password.
Enter your topic in the search section. Make it as specific as you want or add multiple search terms.
Select an article. What will be displayed is the abstract. You need access to the entire article.
Choose the link for the full text or download a PDF version of your entire article. This should be on the left.
On the right of the abstract under “Tools” you can email your article to yourself, determine how to cite it using APA, link to it, etc.
The article you locate must be an original research study. Do not choose a review article, case study, commentary, or theoretical piece. Your journal article must have a Methods, Results, and Discussion section. The article should mainly describe one specific study (and perhaps a follow-up study).
Write a 2-3 page paper that summarizes the research article. Your paper must include the following:
A brief summary of the study (2-3 paragraphs, around 1 page).
Briefly describe the sample, methods, and major findings.
Describe who the participants were if they are particularly relevant (a special population, have certain special qualities).
Do not rewrite the article; just address the main points using your own words.
Questions to answer: What did they do? What did the sample look like? What were the findings?
While you are using your own words, be sure to maintain a formal tone throughout the paper.
Do not plagiarize, and provide proper citations where necessary.
When writing about the research article, avoid direct quotes, as this is not the convention when reporting research. Instead, loosely paraphrase important points in your own words and cite their source.
The introduction section of most journal articles can provide you examples of this and other techniques for writing to a research audience.
Description, in your own words, of the strengths and weakness/limitations of the study (2-3 paragraphs, around 1 page).
Describe what you learned from the article.
What questions did the article leave unanswered?
What did you find interesting about the article?
What was confusing?
This shouldn’t just repeat what the study authors list as their limitations, but rather what you had additional questions about.
Discussion of how your article is related to the daily life of you or someone you know (2-3 paragraphs, around 1 page).
In general, why did you choose this article?
Format your paper as follows:
2-3 pages in length
Times New Roman, 12-pt font
Double-spaced
One-inch margins on all sides
Numbered pages
Please be sure to:
Include a cover sheet with the title of your paper, your name, and the date. This page does not count towards your 2-3 pages.
Include a reference page at the end of your paper to cite all material you used in the paper, especially your article. No other citations are required. This page does not count towards your 2-3 pages.
Proofread your paper for spelling and grammatical errors.
Put everything in your own words. No direct quotes or copying of information will be accepted.
Submit your document. To do this:
Save your document as LastName_FirstName_Summary.DOCX.
Select the TurnItIn link below.
Follow the submission instructions in TurnItIn to upload and submit the document you created.
Note: If you have any questions regarding the assignment, send me an email.