The American Psychological Association (APA) writing style is a widely used style for academic writing in the social and behavioral sciences. It provides guidelines for formatting papers, including the layout, font, and citation style. In this essay, we will provide a sample paper written in APA style to demonstrate how to properly format and structure your work according to this style.
First, let's discuss the general formatting guidelines for an APA style paper. The paper should be double-spaced and have 1-inch margins on all sides. The font should be Times New Roman, size 12. The title page should include a running head (a shortened version of the title) in the header, the title of the paper, and the name and institutional affiliation of the author(s).
The main body of the paper should be organized into sections with clear headings. The first section is the introduction, which should provide an overview of the research question or problem being addressed and the purpose of the study. The next section is the methods, which should describe the participants, materials, and procedures used in the study. The results section should present the findings of the study, and the discussion section should interpret and discuss the implications of the results. Finally, the conclusion should summarize the main points of the paper and discuss any limitations or future directions for research.
Now let's take a look at a sample paper written in APA style.
Title: The Effect of Social Support on Mental Health
Abstract: The present study examined the relationship between social support and mental health in a sample of college students. Participants completed a survey measuring their levels of social support and mental health. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between social support and mental health. These findings suggest that social support may be an important factor in the promotion of mental health, particularly among college students.
Introduction: Mental health is a critical concern among college students, as they often face a range of stressors that can negatively impact their well-being (Smith et al., 2020). One potential protective factor against mental health problems is social support, which refers to the perceived and received support from others (Cohen & Wills, 1985). Previous research has consistently found a positive relationship between social support and mental health (e.g., Shaw et al., 2018). However, there is a need for more research on this topic, particularly among college student populations. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between social support and mental health in a sample of college students.
Methods: Participants: A total of 100 college students (50% female) from a mid-sized university in the Midwest were recruited for the study. The mean age of participants was 21 years (SD = 2.5).
Materials: Participants completed a survey measuring their levels of social support and mental health. The Social Support Scale (SSS; Zimet et al., 1988) was used to assess participants' perceived levels of social support. The SSS consists of 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). The Mental Health Inventory (MHI; Veit & Ware, 1983) was used to assess participants' mental health. The MHI consists of 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not at all, 5 = very much).
Procedures: Participants were recruited through flyers posted on campus and through emails sent to students. Interested individuals were directed to a website where they could complete the online survey. The survey took approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Results: A Pearson's correlation was conducted to examine the relationship between social support and mental health. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between social support and mental health,