PSYB06H3 Chap.8 Writing a Statistical Results Section
Writing a Statistical Results Section
An assignment modelled on peer review
The written assignment asks pairs of students to play the role of scientists submitting an empirical paper. An Introduction, a Methods section and a raw data file are provided, and the task is to analyse the data in JASP and write the Results and Discussion in Microsoft Word.
TAs act as reviewers, and the grade reflects how well results are interpreted and how much the writing improves between drafts.
Phases and grading
Phase I is a one-page Results section that includes data processing, the analyses and any multiple comparisons. Phase II revises the Results and adds a one-page Discussion with a limitation and a future direction, and Phase III revises the Discussion.
Initial submissions fall into brackets worth 0, 4, 6 and 10 marks, with a best-effort first draft usually earning 6 and revisions adding the remaining marks.
Late work uses a pool of free late days before a daily penalty applies.
What a strong Results section contains
The section follows the order of the analysis: cleaning and preprocessing first, then assumption checks, then the main tests with every relevant statistic, an effect size and a reference to the figure.
Statements of hypotheses and explanations of what a p value means are left out, because the scientific audience already knows them. At least one APA-style figure with a clear caption is required, and Excel is suggested for producing one that reads better than default output.
Writing well within one page
The one-page limit is enforced, and reviewers stop reading at the end of the page.
That makes concision a marking skill. Remove setup sentences that only announce the next sentence, avoid repeating what the reader can infer, and let each sentence add a number or an interpretation. In the Discussion, switch to plain language about behaviour and cognition, and choose a limitation that comes directly from the data and design.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Three Assignment Phases
- 02
Grade Brackets and Revision Marks
- 03
Ordering a Results Section
- 04
APA Statistical Reporting
- 05
Figures and Captions
- 06
Concise Revision and Flow
Worked example · free
Reporting a paired result in one sentence
- 1Before training: M = 138 / 6 = 23.00, SS = 42, SD = √(42 / 5) = 2.90.
- 1After training: M = 153 / 6 = 25.50, SS = 65.5, SD = √(65.5 / 5) = 3.62.
- 1State the direction: scores were higher after training than before.
- 1Attach the test in report form: t(5) = 5.84, p < .05.
Key terms
- Results Section
- The part of an empirical paper that reports preprocessing, assumption checks and statistical outcomes without interpreting them at length.
- Discussion Section
- The part of an empirical paper that explains what the results mean for real-world behaviour, with a limitation and a future direction.
- Setup Sentence
- A sentence that only announces what the next sentence will say and can be merged into it.
- APA Format
- The American Psychological Association style for layout and statistical reporting, such as t(14) = 4.47, p < .05.
- Narrative Flow
- Writing in which the reader can predict the next point from the current one because ideas follow logically.
Writing a Statistical Results Section FAQ
Will mistakes in my first draft cost me marks?
Mistakes are expected in the first submission. When reviewers judge that a best effort was made, the initial grade is usually 6 out of 10, and the revision can add up to 4 more. Papers that look rushed, omit key statistics or ignore the instructions risk the 4 or 0 brackets instead.
Can I go over the one-page limit if I have more to say?
No. Reviewers are told to ignore everything after the first page, and a paper that greatly exceeds the limit risks a lower bracket. Fit more information by cutting setup sentences, repeated points and explanations of basic statistics that a scientific reader already understands.
Should I cite published research in the assignment?
Outside sources are discouraged. The task is to interpret numerical data using logic and common knowledge, so references only take up limited space and reviewers will usually ask for them to be removed. Spend that space on clear reporting of the analyses and their meaning.
Why not just rewrite the paper after receiving comments?
A rewrite ignores the comments that determine the revision marks and can introduce new problems. Work through the feedback one comment at a time, even when that ends up replacing whole sentences or paragraphs, so reviewers can see each improvement against the original draft.
Exam move
Before drafting, list every analysis you ran in the order you ran it, then write one sentence per item. Read the draft aloud and delete any sentence that only introduces the next one. Check each statistic has its degrees of freedom, value and p, and each mean sits beside its condition. When comments return, log each one with the change you made, and ask someone outside the course to read the Discussion for plain language.
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