2. What is it?
The Internal Assessment (I.A.) is a formal
assessment in which you will be taking the
role researcher and reporter!
3. What do I have to do?
You will plan, undertake, and report a
replication of a simple experimental study.
Analyze a study, plan and conduct
research, report findings and provide
analysis in a formal written report.
4. Ethics…What you Can’t Do-Any experimental study that creates anxiety, stress, pain or discomfort for participants • must not be
permitted.
• Any experimental study that involves unjustified deception, involuntary participation or invasion of privacy,
including the inappropriate use of information and communication technology (ICT), email and the
internet, must be avoided.
• All participants must be informed before commencing the experimental study that they have the right to
withdraw at any time. Pressure must not be placed on any individual participant to continue with the
investigation beyond this point.
• Each participant must be informed of the aims and objectives of the research and must be shown the
results of the research.
• Young children should not be used as participants. Experimental studies involving children need the
written consent of parent(s) or guardian(s). Students must ensure that parents are fully informed about the
implications for children who take part in such research. Where an experimental study is conducted with
children in a school, the written consent of the teachers concerned must also be
obtained.
• Participants must be debriefed and given the right to withdraw their own personal data and responses.
-Anonymity for each participant must be guaranteed.
• Teachers and students must exercise the greatest sensitivity to local and international cultures.
• Students must avoid conducting research with any adult who is not in a fit state of mind and cannot
respond freely and independently.
• If any participant shows stress and/or pain at any stage of an experimental study, the investigation must
finish immediately, and the participant must be allowed to withdraw.
• Non-human animals must not be used for experimental study.
• All data collected must be kept in a confidential and responsible manner and not divulged to any other
person.
• Students must regard it as their duty to monitor the ways in which their peers conduct research, and to
encourage public re-evaluation of any research that contravenes these guidelines.
5. Your Independent Variable
must not be related to..
• gender (for example, comparing the results of female and
male participants)
• age (for example, comparing the performance of 10-year-
old participants and 18-year-old participants)
• native language (for example, comparing native French
speakers and native Mandarin speakers)
• culture (for example, comparing the results of Afro-
Caribbean participants and Swedish participants)
• education level (for example, comparing the performance
of students in grade 5 and grade 11)
• socio-economic status (for example, poor participants and
rich participants)
• handedness (for example, left-handed and right-handed
participants).
6. Your Study Must…
1. Be Ethical
2. Be limited in scope: One independent
variable
3. Be quantitative (results that are
represented using numbers and can be
analyzed using simple statistical analysis)
4. Able to be studied quickly and using
fellow students at TuHS.
7. Elements of the I.A.
(Points per Section)
Abstract
Introduction (2)
Method: Design, Participants, Procedure
(6)
Results (4)
Discussion (6)
Presentation (2)
Appendices
8. Group Work
You may work with a group of up to 4. (No
more)
I.B. Testers will WRITE INDEPENDENT
REPORTS! Data and Procedures may be
shared….ALL OTHER WORK MUST BE YOUR
OWN!!!!!!!!
Non-Testers will work in groups and write
group reports but independent
discussions.
9. What topics will I be studying?
You will have the choice of several
separate studies that focus on
perception, memory, and other topics.
10. Our Tasks Today
Form a group of no more than 4.
Explore the studies on my website and
pick a study that you are interested in
focusing on.
Read the study and complete a Study
Summary Sheet…Having an
understanding of the study will be key to
your success!
Study Summary Sheet due next class.
11. Next Class
We will discuss the individual elements of
the IA.
You will have deadlines and a checklist
for each component.
