APA RESEARCH PAPER EXAMPLE WITH ABSTRACT

Introduction
This paper provides a sample of an APA-style paper that might be assigned in a psychology class. It reviews the major elements of an APA-style paper and provides an example of each element. It will hopefully provide helpful guidelines on how to format and complete an APA paper.

Abstract
The abstract is a brief summary of the paper, allowing readers to quickly review the main points and purpose of the research. For student papers, it typically should be around 150-250 words. It has the following elements:

The purpose of the study and research problem/question.

Brief overview of methodology highlighting important aspects like design, participants, and procedures.

Key findings or trends discovered through data analysis.

Broad implications of the findings and areas for future research.

The following is an example abstract:

This study examined the relationship between extracurricular activity involvement and self-esteem levels in college students. A survey was administered to 100 undergraduate students at a large public university to assess both extracurricular activities and self-esteem. Analysis of the data revealed a positive correlation between number of extracurricular activities and increased self-esteem. Students involved in more college organizations and sports had higher self-esteem than those who were not involved or only involved in one activity. These results suggest that promoting involvement in extracurriculars may help foster positive self-views in college students. Further research could help determine if causal relationships exist between specific types of activities and certain aspects of self-esteem.

Introduction
The introduction should introduce the topic being studied, provide relevant background information, and clearly state the research problem or question being addressed. It should reference previous related research to build context and provide justification for exploring the specific research problem addressed in the study. The goal of the introduction is to orient the reader and establish why the research is important. A sample introduction paragraph is:

Research has found participations in extracurricular activities, such as sports teams and student organizations, can benefit college students’ social, emotional, and cognitive development (Darling, Caldwell, & Smith, 2005). Involvement has been linked to higher grades, greater critical thinking skills, and increased satisfaction with college (Wolf-Wendel, Ward, & Kinzie, 2009). Less is known about how involvement may relate specifically to self-esteem levels. Self-esteem, one’s overall sense of self-worth, impacts mental health and college adjustment (Bleidorn et al., 2016). Given the importance of high self-esteem in college students, the current study aims to examine the relationship between extracurricular involvement and self-esteem in undergraduate students.

Method
The method section describes how the study was conducted. It includes the following subsections:

Participants
This subsection provides details about the participants in the study such as number, demographics (e.g., age, race/ethnicity), and other relevant characteristics. For example:

“A total of 100 students from a large public university participated in the study. The sample included 52 women and 48 men between the ages of 18-22 (M age = 19.5 years). The racial/ethnic makeup was 62% Caucasian, 22% Asian, 8% African American, and 8% Hispanic.”

Materials and Measures
Here, the measures and instruments used to collect data are described. Information should include the name/type of measure, what it assessed, and basic psychometric properties reported in previous research. An example for the current study:

“A demographic questionnaire asked about age, gender, year in school, race, GPAs, hours worked per week, and involvement in extracurricular activities on campus including sports teams, organizations, and clubs. Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), a widely used 10-item scale with good reliability (α = .88) and validity.”

Procedure
Provide a brief overview of the procedures/steps taken to collect data, including how participants were recruited, if they received compensation, where and when the surveys were completed, etc. Example:

“After obtaining IRB approval, participants were recruited through the psychology department subject pool and received course credit for participation. They completed an online survey distributed via Qualtrics. The survey included an informed consent page and then the measures in the above order. No identifiers were collected and it took approximately 15-20 minutes to finish.”

Results
The results section conveys the findings from the data analysis. Present results using an organizational framework of headings and subheadings to group similar or related results together. Provide factual reporting of what was found, not subjective interpretations. Present results numerically with descriptive statistics and inferential statistics to describe relationships or differences in the data. Example:

extracurricular involvement groups (none, one to two activities, three or more activities), F(2, 97) = 9.32, p < .001, partial η2 = .16. Post hoc tests showed those involved in three or more activities (M = 33.1, SD = 4.2) had significantly higher self-esteem than those involved in one to two activities (M = 30.4, SD = 5.7) and those involved in no activities (M = 27.8, SD = 6.3), p < .05. Discussion The discussion section presents an interpretation of the results and what they might mean. It should: