Understanding Research Articles Assignment Worksheet
This worksheet is designed to help you extract the essential information needed to write an abstract for the provided
research article which you will do for the next assignment, Writing an Abstract. As this worksheet is analogous to your
“personal notes”, I’m giving you the OK to copy/paste directly from the article into this worksheet knowing that when
you use this information for the Writing an Abstract Assignment, you must paraphrase appropriately and put
everything into your own words.
Introduction
General Note: The introduction section is the first section of the main body of a research article (after the Abstract) and
does not include the header, Introduction. It is common for the introduction to include subsections with appropriate
headers. This article has one introduction subsection: Aims and Hypotheses.
What is the purpose of the study? Hint: The introduction section of a research article always concludes with an
explanation of the specific problem the researchers are investigating and what hypotheses they are testing. This article is
helpful in that it gives a header for this section: Aims and Hypotheses.
➔ As said in the article, the purpose of the study is to “replicate and extend initial research demonstrating the value
of MBSR for medical students and prehealth students” (Introduction to Psychology, “Redacted Abstract
Assignment Article”, Pg.3).
What are the hypotheses tested in this research study? Hint: This study has five hypotheses.
➔ The hypotheses tested in this research study, as stated in the article is, “MBSR would a) decrease overall
psychological distress, b) decrease stress, and c) decrease job burnout” (Introduction to Psychology, “Redacted
Abstract Assignment Article”, Pg. 3).
Method
General Note: The Method section typically contains three major subsections of information:
● Participants: Information regarding the sample and how the sample is grouped within the experiment.
● Materials: Measures, assessments, and physical apparatuses used to collect data.
● Procedure: A step-by-step outline of what the participant experiences.
There may be more subsections as needed. Also, as you will note with this article, the subsections may not include the
exact headers listed above or in the exact order. Science is complex and messy. *shrug*
What is the sample size? Hint: You’ll notice more than one number is addressed regarding the sample because all
details are important to include in a research article. However, you only want to report the final sample size in the
Abstract (all the participants whose data was acknowledged in the analyses). Be careful. In this article, the first “sample
number” you get to is not the final sample size.
- As stated in the article, the sample size is small (about 18 participants) for the experimental group and about 20
participants for the control group.
Who makes up the sample, i.e.What demographic information is important to share? Hint: Only include the
most important (and unique or extreme) information about the sample. For example, if your population of interest is
nursing students and you drew your sample from our nursing program here at TCC, you might indicate that your sample is
composed of first-year nursing students at a community college.
➔ It was a randomized list of people, who signed up and met the criteria, from the Palo Alto and Menlo Park
Divisions of the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System.
What is the basic research design? Hint: Surprise! I’m answering this for you!
➔ For the purpose of this class, you can think of this as a basic two-group, experimental design. There is a control
group (the wait-list group) and the experimental group (the MBSR [mindfulness-based stress reduction] group).
It’s actually a little more complicated than that. It’s a mixed factorial design with one between-groups factor
(wait-list group vs. MBSR group) and one within-subjects factor (baseline assessments vs. postintervention*
assessments), but you only need to wrap your head around the between-groups factor.
*NOTE: Both groups received the MBSR intervention… eventually. But the wait-list group received it after the
postintervention data was collected. In essence, the researchers gave the wait-list group the opportunity to benefit
from the MBSR intervention after the experiment concluded, but it did not affect the study in any way and should
not be reported in the Abstract. Just make sure to keep it in mind when you look at the postintervention data for
the wait-list group: that they had no MBSR intervention. I think it could have been described more clearly, but
remember, the article was written for researchers who already have a strong grasp on experimental design, not
students.
What is the Independent Variable (IV) and how is it operationally defined? Hint: The basic research design
should make the IV clear. Remember, the IV is what we are manipulating in the experiment, i.e., what is different
between the groups or what was done with the experimental group that wasn’t with the control group.
➔ The independent variable is who was given the intervention 1st and last. The independent variable is operationally
defined as “Manipulating who was given the intervention 1st and last to see who would benefit from it.”
What are the dependent variables (DV) and how are they operationally defined? Hint: There are five DVs in
this experiment. Remember, a DV is not manipulated. It’s simply whatever we are measuring (the data we are collecting)
and it is predicted to be “dependent” on the IV. When trying to identify the DVs, it can be helpful to look for words like
“measures”, “assessments”, or “questionnaires”. Also remember, the operational definition is how we are specifically
measuring the construct in this particular experiment. For example, the DV of happiness might be operationalized as
“happiness as measured by the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS)”. Make sure to include both the general DV and how it
is operationally defined.
➔ The dependent variable is the distress amount of the participants during and after the MBSR intervention. The
dependent variable is operationally defined as “Distress measured by the Perceived Stress (p .04) and Self-
Compassion Scales (p .004)” (Introduction to Psychology, “Redacted Abstract Assignment Article”, Pg.7).
What is the basic procedure for the experiment? Hint: You must include how the procedure differs between the
groups. It might be helpful to create a simple flow chart to visualize the procedure.
➔ As stated in the article, the basic procedure was, “This pilot study used a randomized controlled study design that
implemented a 2 (experimental vs. wait-list control group) 2 (baseline, post- treatment) study design, yielding a
between-groups comparison condition. Participants were randomly assigned to an 8-week MBSR group or a wait-
list control group. The control group received the identical MBSR intervention after the experimental group
completed the program” (Introduction to Psychology, “Redacted Abstract Assignment Article”, Pg.4).
Results & Discussion
What are the major findings from this study? Hint: You do not report statistics in an abstract, so you only want to
report the big picture results. What did the statistical analyses indicate? Though I want you to read through the Results
section and attempt to make sense out of it, I realize the numbers, letters, and statistical jargon will make your eyes glaze
over. Have no fear, the Discussion section will summarize the findings in more simple terms.
➔ The major findings were that 8 of the 18 randomized participants from the experimental group left due to high
distress levels. Whether it was health issues, family problems, resignation from a job, insufficient time, and
others. However, only 2 individuals out of the 20 from the randomized control group failed to follow through with
the study. As stated in the article, “Compared with controls, the intervention (MBSR) group demonstrated a
significant mean reduction (27% vs. 7%) in perceived stress and increase in self-compassion (22% vs. 3%). In the
MBSR group, 88% of the participants improved their stress scores while 90% demonstrated increases in self-
compassion. In addition, the MBSR condition demonstrated trends toward greater positive changes in all the
dependent variables examined. Compared with controls, intervention participants reported greater satisfaction
with life (19% vs. 0%), decreased job burnout (10% vs. 4%), and decreased distress (23% vs. 11%; see Table 1)”
(Introduction to Psychology, “Redacted Abstract Assignment Article”, Pg. 7).
What is the “take-home” message from this experiment? Why does it matter? Hint: This will become your
one- to two-sentence wrap-up for your abstract that ties together why we should care about this experiment.
➔ The “take-home” message was that MBSR, as said in the article, “offers a well-established model for providing
brief, cost-effective programs that can be implemented easily in hospitals and health care clinics” (Introduction to
Psychology, “Redacted Abstract Assignment Article”, “Pg. 10). It matters because it is important to find plenty of
ways to help these Health-care providers a simple and easy way to be relieved from stress. In the article it also
states, “Incorporating MBSR interventions for health care professionals has the potential to enhance patient care.
It is hoped that this research will contribute to changes in the field of medicine, leading to enhanced care for
health professionals and ultimately for the patients they serve” (Introduction to Psychology, “Redacted Abstract
Assignment Article”, Pg. 7).
