Sample APA Research Paper
Sample Title Page
Running on Empty 1
Running on Empty:
The Effects of Food Deprivation on
Concentration and Perseverance
Thomas Delancy and Adam Solberg
Dordt College
Place manuscript
page headers one-half
inch from the top. Put five spaces
between the page header
and the page number.
Full title, authors, and school name are centered on the page,
typed in uppercase and
lowercase.
34
The abstract summarizes
the problem, participants, hypotheses,
methods used,
results, and conclusions.
Sample Abstract
Running on Empty 2
Abstract
This study examined the effects of short-term food deprivation on two
cognitive abilities—concentration and perseverance. Undergraduate
students (N-51) were tested on both a concentration task and a
perseverance task after one of three levels of food deprivation: none, 12
hours, or 24 hours. We predicted that food deprivation would impair both
concentration scores and perseverance time. Food deprivation had no
significant effect on concentration scores, which is consistent with recent
research on the effects of food deprivation (Green et al., 1995; Green
et al., 1997). However, participants in the 12-hour deprivation group
spent significantly less time on the perseverance task than those in both
the control and 24-hour deprivation groups, suggesting that short-term
deprivation may affect some aspects of cognition and not others.
An APA Research Paper Model Thomas Delancy and Adam Solberg wrote the following research paper for
a psychology class. As you review their paper, read the side notes and examine the following:
● The use and documentation of their numerous sources.
● The background they provide before getting into their own study results.
● The scientific language used when reporting their results.
The introduction
states the topic and the main
questions to be explored.
The researchers
supply background information
by discussing past research on the topic.
Extensive referencing establishes
support for the
discussion.
