PSY 520 Short Paper 1 Guidelines and Rubric
Refer to the following excerpt from a hypothetical research article that compared memory test performance between two groups of participants: those who
consumed a caffeinated beverage before the test and those who consumed a non-caffeinated beverage:
An independent samples t-test was conducted to examine the difference between experimental conditions on test performance. The results indicated a
significant difference between participants who consumed the caffeinated beverage and participants who did not, with participants in the caffeinated
group (M = 7.64, SD = 2.41) performing worse than participants in the non-caffeinated group (M = 9.81, SD = 3.16), t(97) = 2.14, p < .05.
Write a brief paper explaining what the author means when she says that the results were statistically significant. In other words, what does it mean to say that
results are statistically significant? Be sure to explain what a p value is and how it relates to statistical significance.
As a reminder, M stands for mean, SD stands for standard deviation, the t indicates that this was a t-test, and the p represents the p value. You can refer to page
377 of your textbook, Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics, for help interpreting the statistical results listed in the excerpt, but that may not be
necessary.
Guidelines for Submission: Submit a 1–2-page document with double spacing, 12-point font, and one-inch margins, with any sources referenced cited in APA
format.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Description of
Statistical Significance
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
explanation succinct and needs
no clarification
Clearly and accurately describes
the meaning of statistical
significance
Understanding is evident,
though some confusion or lack
of clarity is also evident
No explanation, or it is evident
that the writer does not
understand statistical
significance
40
Explanation of P
Value
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
explanation is succinct and
needs no clarification
Clearly and accurately describes
the meaning of p-value
Understanding is evident,
though some confusion or lack
of clarity is also evident
No explanation, or it is evident
that writer does not understand
p-values
40
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented
in a professional and easy-toread
format
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
20
Earned Total 100%