Group Presentations

 

     Psychology faculty, seniors, and other students will be invited to this Presentation session.  Each member of your group should present information to the class. Please dress in “business casual” for the presentation (and poster session that follows).  Khaki pants type outfits are fine (no skirts or suits required).  You should have at least one visual aid for your presentation.  You can prepare overhead transparencies (for sale in bookstore – you can photocopy your work onto overheads), use PowerPoint or you can write on the board.  Often visual aids are helpful for the presentation of results. Please use at least 20 point font.    The presentation should be 7 minutes long (no longer…. so, practice).

 

Include the following information: 

 

1.  Explain the psychological literature that leads up to and supports your conceptual idea.

2.  Be sure to explain your  specific hypothesis(es).

3.   Explain your general design (no need for excessive detail).

4.  Tell the class what analysis(es) you ran to examine each of your hypotheses and explain the results. Try to remember that a listening audience can only hold so much in memory at one time... Drawing figures or tables on the board will be helpful.  Tell us what the means were, etc. etc. Also discuss interesting supplementary findings.

5.  Explain the results for the class in words and discuss them.  If the results were consistent with your hypothesis, explain what they add to the literature – what do we now know?  If the results were not consistent with your hypotheses, explain why they may not have turned out the way you anticipated.

6.  Tell the class your thoughts on what future research might do –either to correct problems you may have had, or to further the research in this field.

7.  Explain the “take home message” from this entire line of research (yours plus past research) – what message would you like to leave the class with about this topic?

 

Your job as audience members is to listen carefully and ask any questions that occur to you.

 

 

Poster Presentations

 

     Psychology faculty, seniors, and other psychology students will be invited to this poster session.  Generally, poster presenters stick pretty close to their posters in order to answer any questions visitors may have.  You may, however, feel free to eat and/or look at classmate’s posters during “lulls.”

     The parts of your “poster” should be taped (I strongly recommend double-stick tape over glue) on no more than 2 poster board sheets.  Don’t spend too much time making it “pretty,” but I’d like you to create a readable, professionally attractive presentation.  Example posters are posted around the psychology department.

     Please use at least 16 point font for your work.  More than one person should be able to read your poster at a time (i.e., I shouldn’t have to stand an inch from the board to read your work). Each section of your presentation should be clearly labeled.   You should also have a title and your names & college across the top. Posters are typically organized with the different pages laid out in columns from top to bottom so readers don't have to cross back and forth in front of each other as they read.

 

Your poster should include the following pieces of information (these are rough guidelines):

 

1.  An abstract of 150 words or less.

2.  ~ 1-1 ½ pages for introduction. Which includes a brief literature review (referenced) and your specific hypothesis(es).  Your lit review should be brief, but complete enough to make sense.

3.  ~1 page method section with all but the most specific details you would include in a regular paper.

4.  ~ 1 page results section.  You should put separate sheets for tables or figures you use.

5.  ~1-1 ½ pages for discussion section.   Your discussion, after a brief re-cap of the results, can mostly be “what we have learned” – big picture things.  You might also briefly address future directions.  If you feel there is something especially troubling about your design, you can address that.

6.  Reference Page

7.  Any figures or tables you referred to in your results section.  Also consider posting scales or coding schemes you used as Tables (refer to these in your method section) if they are especially relevant.

 

See the posters on the 1st Floor bulletin boards for examples (they aren’t perfect – so be careful about directly lifting ideas.)