INTRODUCTION
Due to the popularity of social media, social psychology researchers have long been interested in exploring the psychological factors linked to the use of these platforms. Most research in this space has examined older platforms like Facebook or Instagram. For our research project, we focused on TikTok, a relatively new social media platform on which people create and share short videos for others to consume. People post a wide variety of content on the platform, including dance challenges, comedy skits, educational content, or brief glimpses into their lives. Working together as a cohort, we brainstormed a range of variables that could theoretically be linked to TikTok consumption. We then administered a survey to a large sample of people to test these hypothesised relationships. The variables we measured as correlates of TikTok consumption were:

•	Extraversion 
•	Agreeableness 
•	Conscientiousness 
•	Neuroticism 
•	Openness to Experience 
•	Sensation Seeking 
•	Empathy 
•	Narcissism 
•	Materialism 
•	Social Comparison Orientation 
•	Fear of Missing Out 
•	Sense of Belonging 
•	Loneliness 
•	Self-Esteem 
•	Body Satisfaction 
•	Life Satisfaction 
•	Social Anxiety 
•	Depressive Symptoms 
•	Descriptive Norms 
•	Injunctive Norms


Your task is to choose TWO (2) of the above variables and write up a research report investigating the relationship between these variables and TikTok consumption. You will submit this research report for assessment. This assignment will be intensive and will require work throughout semester. The assignment will be systematically covered in the tutorial materials, which will be made available to you progressively throughout semester. Tutors will be available in tutorials to answer questions and guide you with the assignment.


RESEARCH
To write your research report (especially Introduction & Discussion sections), you will need to do your own independent research to find articles relevant to each of the two hypotheses you make about the relationship between your two chosen variables and TikTok consumption. First, find literature to help you understand each of your chosen variables and how they are defined. Then, find literature examining the relationship between your chosen variables and TikTok consumption. It is OK to use literature examining the relationship between your chosen variables and other social media platforms too – when literature on a particular research question is scarce, you should try to find tangential evidence on related variables to inform your hypotheses. You can use broader theory-driven arguments to inform your hypotheses as well. This is all especially important when there is not much existing evidence for your chosen variable and its relationship with TikTok consumption. Some of the research articles you find may be statistically complex. Don’t panic – you don’t need to know the statistics that they use. Try reading through the abstract, introduction, and discussion of these articles to get an idea of what relationships they predicted and what they found. When reading through these research articles, ignore information that is irrelevant to your own research questions/hypotheses. This researched literature should be consistently cited in your research report. Statements made throughout the report should be backed up with a citation. Use Google Scholar in conjunction with UQ Library to find articles. 
•	Search for key terms both apart and together (e.g. “extraversion”, “TikTok”) 
•	Using multiple variations of words or related concepts may yield more results (e.g. “body satisfaction” vs. “body image”, “TikTok” vs. “social media”) 
•	Try both US and UK spellings (e.g. “behavior” vs. “behaviour”)


RESEARCH REPORT SECTIONS
These are just brief guides on what to include in each section of the research report. The content to be included in each of these sections will be discussed in further detail in tutorials throughout semester. Please access the tutorial materials to assist you in writing up the research report. 

Title Page – not included in word count 
•	The title page should contain the following information: title, student name, course code, institution, tutor name, word count. 
•	The title itself should clearly and succinctly capture all elements of the study (e.g., TikTok consumption, your two chosen variables). 
•	Formatting: Use Level 1 heading (bold, centre-aligned) for: Title. Centre-align all text 

Abstract – included in word count 
•	The abstract should succinctly summarise the report. 
•	Very briefly introduce the topic, state the aim and variables, outline participants and procedures, describe key results and implications. 
•	Formatting: The abstract goes on its own page. Use Level 1 heading (bold, centre-aligned) for: Abstract. Left-align text; no indent


Introduction – included in word count
•	The introduction should set the scene for the present study. 
•	Introduce the topic and provide a rationale for the study. o Introduce TikTok. o Provide a rationale for why you are conducting this research looking at TikTok consumption and your chosen variables, specifically. 
•	For each of the two chosen variables: Define the variable. Explain how the variable theoretically relates to TikTok consumption, drawing on past literature. How / why exactly would the variable be positively / negatively related to TikTok consumption? What’s the causal mechanism? You’re only theorising here, so causal language is OK! Describe past empirical evidence of the relationship between the variable and TikTok consumption (or social media use more generally). 
•	State the aim of the research. 
•	Give a brief overview of the study. What sort of study was conducted and what was measured? 
•	Conclude by stating the hypotheses for each of the two chosen variables. o What sort of relationship are you expecting to find – positive vs. negative? Although you may theorise about causal mechanisms above, do NOT use causal language when writing hypotheses – we cannot make causal hypotheses when running a correlational study! e.g. “It is hypothesised that X will be positively / negatively correlated with TikTok consumption.” 
•	Formatting: The introduction starts on a new page. The title of the research report should be repeated at the start of the introduction using Level 1 heading (bolded, centre-aligned). If required, use Level 2 heading (bold, left-aligned) for sub-sections of introduction. Left-align text; indent first line of all paragraphs


Method – included in word count 
•	The method section should describe, in detail, how the study was conducted. 
•	Divide this section into three required subsections:
1.	Participants: Describe the people who took part in the study, including final number of participants in the sample, age (M, SD, range), gender frequencies, sampled population (e.g., convenience, community sample), participant recruitment. Describe the exclusion criteria (e.g., people who were part of the course conducting the research project). 
2.	Procedure: Describe the survey dissemination procedures, window of recruitment, and survey length.
3.	Measures: Describe the scales used to measure each of your two chosen variables + TikTok consumption, including number of items, source references, description of the variable itself, scale points, sample items, scale anchors, total score calculations, reverse-coded items, and interpretation. 
•	Statistics reporting: M and SD should be italicised when reporting age statistics. Report M and SD to 1 decimal place 
•	Formatting: o Use Level 1 heading (bold, centre-aligned) for: Method Use Level 2 heading (bold, left-aligned) for sections under Method: Participants, Procedure, Measures Use Level 3 heading (bold-italicised, left-aligned) for scale descriptions under Measures: [1st Variable], [2nd Variable], TikTok consumption. Left-align text; indent first line of all paragraphs


Results – included in word count (except for Table) 
•	The results section should report all statistical analyses run on the data. 
•	Report the results of a sensitivity power analysis to specify the smallest correlation coefficient our sample was sufficiently powered to detect. See tutorial slides for explanation and template to use. 
•	Report the correlation results relevant to each hypothesis proposed. Explain what each of your correlation coefficients means. Explicitly state whether each relationship is positive or negative and describe that relationship in plain English. Report the exact p value in parentheses after each correlation you describe. Since the r correlation coefficient is in the table, you would not report it again in text. 
•	Include a table containing the following. Refer the reader to Table 1 in-text. Descriptive statistics (M, SD) for all variables. Correlation coefficients (r) for the relationship between each of the two chosen variables and TikTok consumption. 
•	Statistics reporting: Report means (M) and standard deviations (SD) to 1 decimal place Report correlation coefficients (r) to 2 decimal places Report p values to 3 decimal places: p = .XXX  If the p value is less than .001, report it as: p < .001. Leading 0’s (before the decimal) are left on for M and SD values o Leading 0’s (before the decimal) are removed for r and p values. Make sure M, SD, and p are italicised 
•	Formatting: Use Level 1 heading (bold, centre-aligned) for: Results Left-align text; indent first line of all paragraphs

Table formatting: Table number (e.g., Table 1) appears above the table in bold font. Table title appears one line below the table number in italic font. The first column should contain all variables including TikTok consumption, the second should contain the mean (M) and standard deviation (SD) for each variable, and the third should contain the correlation coefficients (r) between that variable and TikTok consumption. All columns in the table should have a heading: Variables; M (SD); TikTok Consumption Put asterisks next to each r coefficient in the table to indicate its level of significance (nothing for p > .05, *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001) A note should appear below the table to describe the features of the table that cannot be understood otherwise (e.g. asterisks). Rows of a table may single-spaced, 1.5 spaced, or double-spaced. Use the same font in the table as in the rest of the report.


Discussion – included in word count 
•	The discussion section should integrate the present findings within the wider literature, and critically evaluate the present study. 
•	Restate the aim and hypotheses of the present research. 
•	For each of the two chosen variables: Summarise the results. State whether they supported the hypotheses and explain whether they were consistent with past literature. Critically interpret the results.  What do these results mean, theoretically?  If a hypothesis was supported: Re-explain how you think the variable relates to TikTok consumption (as argued in your introduction), but also discuss a possible alternative explanation.  If a hypothesis was not supported: Critically discuss why this might be, theoretically.
•	Discuss the practical implications of the results. Some questions to consider might include: Do the results paint TikTok in a positive or negative light (or both)? What do the results suggest about the nature of people who consume TikTok? 
•	Identify and discuss a major limitation of the study. Explain, in detail, why it is a limitation. Think about limits or flaws of the research design / methods used.
•	Make a suggestion (or suggestions) for future research that can directly resolve the limitation you have identified. Explain, in detail, what can be done to overcome the limitation. Explain how exactly this fix can correct the limitation. 
•	Conclude with a summary of the paper and an impactful closing statement. 
•	Formatting: Use Level 1 heading (bold, centre-aligned) for: Discussion If required, use Level 2 heading (bold, left-aligned) for sub-sections of discussion. Left-align text; indent first line of all paragraphs



References – not included in word count 
•	The references section should contain a list of all the source material cited within the report. Provide the full publication details of all source material. References should demonstrate evidence of wide reading (10+ articles).  References do not need to be “recent”. 
•	Formatting:  Key elements included in a reference are: Author, year of publication, title of work, title of publication, print or electronic publishing details, DOI  Exact requirements differ depending on the source of information (e.g., journal, book, website) – for a range of examples, please visit the APA Style website.  All references should have a hanging indent.  Sort reference list by alphabetical order (by surname).
•	In-text citations should appear for all references in the reference list. Try not to use “quotations” – learn to paraphrase (and cite) Formatting: One author: (Maximoff, 2023) OR Maximoff (2023) Two authors: (Maximoff & Harkness, 2023) OR Maximoff and Harkness (2023) More than two authors: (Maximoff et al., 2023) OR Maximoff et al. (2023)



GENERAL APA FORMATTING Your assignment must conform to APA 7th style. The most important APA 7th formatting requirements are listed below:
•	Acceptable fonts: Times New Roman (12-point) Georgia (12-point) Arial (11-point) Calibri (11-point) Lucia Sans (10-point) 
•	Line spacing should be double throughout. o Line spacing can be single or 1.5 in the Table. 
•	There should be no additional space between paragraphs. 
•	Page margins should be at least 2.5cm all around. 
•	Header that contains a fully-capitalised, ABREVIATED VERSION OF TITLE should appear on each page (top, left-aligned). 
•	Page numbers should appear on each page (top, right-aligned). 
•	Headings and paragraphs should be appropriately formatted, aligned, and indented as per this template. 
•	Visit the APA Style website for more useful APA 7th formatting information. Along with APA formatting, it is also important that your writing and expression is clear, elegant, and free of spelling and grammatical errors.



WORD LIMIT 
•	2000 words (max) 
•	Includes: Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion
•	Excludes: Title Page, Table, Reference List o In-text citations are included in the word limit 
•	This word limit is a strict maximum (there is no leeway).
•	Markers will not read beyond the limit, and this may result in the loss of marks (e.g., if the marker reaches the 2000 word limit before the part where you discuss future research directions, you will not receive marks for that part). 
•	You must record an accurate word count on your title page. This reported word count should not include the Title Page, Table, or Reference List. Inaccurate reporting of your word count is considered an act of academic misconduct.



MARKING CRITERIA CONTENT MARKS:
Title Page (2) 
•	All required information included (1)
•	Clear title that captures important elements of study (1) 
Abstract (6) 
•	Clear description of aims and key variables (2) 
•	Clear description of participants and procedures (2) 
•	Clear description of results and implications (2) 
Introduction (18)
•	Excellent introduction, aims, and rationale provided for study (3)
•	Clear definition for 1st variable + excellent explanation linking it to TikTok consumption (3) 
•	Clear definition for 2nd variable + excellent explanation linking it to TikTok consumption (3) 
•	Excellent coverage of existing evidence or other relevant literature for 1st variable (2) 
•	Excellent coverage of existing evidence or other relevant literature for 2nd variable (2) 
•	Aim of study clearly restated (1)
•	Clear overview of methodology for current study (2) 
•	Clear hypotheses stated for each chosen variable (2)
Method (11) 
•	Clear, precise, and complete description of participants (3) 
•	Clear, precise, and complete description of procedure (2) 
•	Clear, precise, and complete description of measures for all three variables (6)
Results (11) 
•	Reader directed to table with clear description of table contents (1) 
•	Power analysis reported clearly and interpreted correctly (1) 
•	Statistics reported clearly and interpreted correctly for both focal relationships (4) 
•	Perfectly APA formatted table correctly presenting descriptive statistics + correlations (5) 
Discussion (16) 
•	Aims and hypotheses of study clearly restated (1) 
•	1st variable findings clearly described, related back to hypotheses + past literature (2)
•	2nd variable findings clearly described, related back to hypotheses + past literature (2) 
•	Excellent critical interpretation of results for 1st variable (2) 
•	Excellent critical interpretation of results for 2nd variable (2) 
•	Excellent discussion of practical implications of results (2) 
•	Major limitation identified and clearly explained (2) 
•	Clear and appropriate future research direction suggested to account for limitation (2) 
•	Excellent conclusion that summarises the paper (1) 
References (6) 
•	Perfectly APA formatted reference list (2) 
•	Comprehensive reference list that includes references for all in-text citations (2) 
•	References cited consistently in-text throughout report where appropriate (2) 
General (10) 
•	Excellent overall writing quality (expression, structure, spelling, punctuation) (5) 
•	Perfect APA formatting for overall report (5) 
TOTAL (80)