Types of Writing in Psychology
Psychology classes will require a number of different types of writing from you in
order to gauge your ability to summarize information accurately, synthesize
information from a number of different sources, interpret the validity of views between
sources, and present your own findings clearly. The main forms of writing psychology
students and researchers engage in are the literature review, empirical paper (or lab
report), research proposal, and thesis.
Literature Review
This type of paper synthesizes previous studies on a certain topic to provide context for your thesis,
which should be a unique perspective on the topic. Your goal is to evaluate the sources you've read,
rather than just summarizing them. What do differences in research design or population acorss studies,
for instance, do to influence the general concensus about your topic? What are the contradictions
among studies that address a specific theory?
According to the Harvard College Writing Program (2008), a literature review should have three main
sections:
•
•
•
Introduction: Gives a background on the history surrounding the research of this topic, why
the topic is relevant to the academic community, the relevant theories explaining the topic, and
your thesis statement.
Body: Summarize the evidence supporting your claim, and evidence refuting your claim. Then
evaluate your sources-- what were the methods and theoretical justifications used? Always
remember to connect each aspect back to your thesis statement.
Discussion/Conclusion: Discuss how your thesis reflects the evidence you presented. What
questions need to still be answered? What future research could be done? What are the
implications of your conclusions for policy or how people act in their everyday lives?
Lab Report/ Empirical Journal Article
A lab report presents the hypothesis, method, results, and scholarly discussion of your own
experimental research. An empirical journal article has the same format as a lab report, but is more indepth--they are the research articles you can see published in scholarly journal publications
like Psychology Bulletin. Empirical articles and reports follow a specific APA format which we discuss
in depth here.
Research Proposal
A research proposal is exactly like it sounds: a formal proposition for a viable research project.
When trying to think of a research project, you should first conduct a thorough review of the literature
pertaining to your topic. What studies have been done already, and what have they found? Are there
any gaps in the literature (i.e. questions that remain to be answered, or could be answered better using
a different methodology).
After identifying a specific, testable research question and hypothesis, think about ways you could test
that hypothesis. What methods have already been used? Were there any downsides to those methods?
Have there been any recent advances in technology or quantitative theory that you could take
advantage of?
Once you have those main parts- a literature review, hypothesis, methodology, and rationale (reasons
for your project), you're ready to write your proposal! There is no specific format for how it should be
written,
but
Aspelmeier
(n.d.)
provides
a
helpful
template
for
structuring
a
proposal introduction and methods, results, discussion and conclusion in psychology.
Thesis
According to Jamieson (1993), a thesis is a longer version of an empirical journal article; therefore it
usually revolves around a central study or set of studies and provides a comprehensive literature review,
explanation of one's methodology and results, and discussion. However, because a thesis has fewer
space constraints than a typical journal article or lab report, the researcher can provide a much more
in-depth examination of the information. In this sense, you can think of a thesis more as a 'mini-book'
more so than a typical article (Jamieson, 1993). In fact, many graduate theses are later published as
books.
Jamieson (1993) goes on to suggest the following format and page length guidelines for a thesis paper:
Format
Title page
Abstract
Acknowledgements (optional)
Table of Contents (optional)
List of Tables (optional)
List of Figures (optional)
Introduction (10-15 pages for BA; 15-25 pages for MA)
Method (2-4 pages BA; 4-6 pages MA)
Results (2-4 pages BA; 4-10 pages MA)
Discussion (4-6 pages BA; 6-15 pages MA)
References
Appendices (optional)
Average number of pages (double-spaced, excluding tables, references, etc.)
Bachelor's: 30 pages
Master's: 60 pages
Doctoral: 120 pages
References:
Aspelmeier, J. (n.d.) How to write a research paper introduction without developing an overwhelming urge to kill. Retrieved
from people.uncw.edu/danielsk/images/Psychology-Proposal-Guide.pdf
Aspelmeier, J. (n.d.) How to write a research paper methods, results, discussion and conclusion without developing an overwhelming
urge to kill. Retrieved from people.uncw.edu/danielsk/images/Psychology-Proposal-Guide.pdf
Harvard College Writing Center. (2008). A brief guide to writing the psychology paper [Brochure]. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
Press. Retrieved from http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k33202&pageid=icb.page143936
Jamieson, J. (1993). Thesis survival guide. Retrieved from http://flash.lakeheadu.ca/~jljamies/guide.html