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Case Study

Based on Liam's draft and the peer reviewer's feedback, identify which typical components of a comprehensive APA-style Discussion section Liam has included, which components he has omitted, and describe how Liam should conclude his Discussion section according to APA guidelines.

Case context: A student researcher, Liam, has finished drafting the Discussion section of his APA-style report on how mindfulness meditation affects exam anxiety. He begins the section with a summary of his results. Next, he writes a detailed paragraph explaining how his findings support Cognitive Appraisal Theory. He then lists several limitations, such as a small sample size and a short intervention period, and suggests that future studies should examine longer intervention durations. However, Liam's peer reviewer notes that his Discussion section is incomplete because it lacks real-world relevance and fails to connect back to the start of the paper.

Question: Based on Liam's draft and the peer reviewer's feedback, identify which typical components of a comprehensive APA-style Discussion section Liam has included, which components he has omitted, and describe how Liam should conclude his Discussion section according to APA guidelines.

Sample answer: Liam has included a summary of the research, theoretical implications (connecting to Cognitive Appraisal Theory), limitations, and suggestions for future research. He has omitted the practical implications for real-world applications (which would address the lack of real-world relevance noted by the reviewer). To conclude his Discussion section properly, Liam should return to the original problem introduced in the report's opening paragraph and clearly state how his research has addressed that issue.

Key points:

  • Identify included elements: summary of research, theoretical implications, limitations, and future suggestions.
  • Identify the omitted element: practical implications for real-world applications.
  • Explain the conclusion: return to the original problem introduced in the report's opening paragraph.

Rubric: Grading Rubric: - 2 points for identifying the included components (summary, theoretical implications, limitations, future suggestions). - 2 points for identifying the omitted component (practical implications/real-world applications). - 2 points for explaining how he should conclude the section (returning to the original problem introduced in the opening paragraph).

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Updated 2026-05-26

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KPU

Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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