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Based on the layout guidelines in the APA Publication Manual, diagnose the errors in the student's graph design and explain how each aspect should be corrected to comply with APA style.
Case context: A student researcher is preparing a bar graph to illustrate the effect of study hours (independent variable) on test scores (dependent variable). In their draft, they make the graph taller than it is wide, place the test scores on the horizontal axis and study hours on the vertical axis, and start the vertical axis at a score of 50 to emphasize differences. The values on both axes increase normally.
Question: Based on the layout guidelines in the APA Publication Manual, diagnose the errors in the student's graph design and explain how each aspect should be corrected to comply with APA style.
Sample answer: The student's graph has three design errors under APA guidelines: 1) The dimensions are taller than they are wide, whereas APA style requires graphs to be slightly wider than tall. 2) The student placed the dependent variable (test scores) on the horizontal () axis and the independent variable (study hours) on the vertical () axis, but APA style requires the independent variable on the -axis and the dependent variable on the -axis. 3) The vertical axis starts at 50 instead of zero, but APA style requires both axes to strictly start at zero.
Key points:
- Identify that the graph's dimensions should be slightly wider than they are tall, not taller than wide.
- Explain that the independent variable (study hours) must be on the -axis and the dependent variable (test scores) on the -axis.
- Identify that the vertical axis must strictly begin at the value of zero rather than 50.
Rubric: Graders should look for the identification of three main issues: 1) incorrect dimensions (should be wider than tall), 2) swapped axes (independent variable study hours should be on the horizontal -axis and dependent variable test scores on the vertical -axis), and 3) incorrect origin (both axes must start at zero instead of 50).
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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