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How to Write the Results Section of a Psychology Lab Report (APA 7 Example)
The Results section reports what you found, in numbers, without explaining why. Markers check three things: that every hypothesis has a test, that the statistics are complete and correctly formatted, and that the interpretation has been saved for the Discussion.
Our APA 7 psychology lab report guide has a quick statistics cheat sheet. This guide goes further: the reporting order, the formatting rules that cost marks, a complete worked example and how to report a result that is not significant.
The reporting order
| Step | What to report | Example opening |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Exclusions and data checks | How many cases were removed and why, and any missing data | "Two participants were excluded before analysis..." |
| 2. Descriptive statistics | Mean and standard deviation for each group, in the text or in a table | "Participants who walked recalled more words (M = 14.2, SD = 2.8)..." |
| 3. The test of each hypothesis | Test name, test statistic, degrees of freedom, exact p value, effect size and confidence interval | "An independent-samples t test showed..." |
| 4. Secondary or exploratory analyses | Labelled as secondary or exploratory, after the main test | "Confidence ratings did not differ..." |
| 5. Tables and figures | Numbered in the order you mention them, and referred to in the text | "(see Table 1)" |
APA's reporting standards ask for exact p values, an effect size and a confidence interval for each test where possible, and a clear separation between primary, secondary and exploratory analyses.
APA 7 formatting rules that cost marks
| Rule | Right | Wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Italicize statistical symbols | M = 14.2 with M in italics | M = 14.2 in normal type |
| No zero before the decimal for values that cannot exceed 1 | p = .016, r = .34 | p = 0.016 |
| Zero before the decimal for values that can exceed 1 | d = 0.72 | d = .72 |
| Exact p values, to two or three decimals | p = .016 | p < .05 |
| Very small p values | p < .001 | p = .000 |
| Two decimals for t, F and other test statistics | t(46) = 2.51 | t(46) = 2.5066 |
| One decimal for means of whole-number data such as rating scales | M = 4.6 | M = 4.5833 |
| Spaces on both sides of the equals sign | p = .016 | p=.016 |
| The same numbers once, in the text or a table | Means in Table 1, test in the text | Means in Table 1 and again in the text |
Symbols such as M, SD, t, p and N do not need to be defined in the text. Abbreviations such as CI (confidence interval) do, the first time you use them.
A complete Results section (invented data)
Same study as our Method section guide: 24 students walked for 20 minutes and 24 sat quietly, then all recalled a 20-word list. Recall was counted in whole words, so one decimal is enough for the means.
Two participants were excluded before analysis (see Method), leaving 24 in each condition. Recall scores were approximately normally distributed in both groups, with similar variances.
Participants who walked before learning recalled more words (M = 14.2, SD = 2.8) than participants who sat quietly (M = 12.1, SD = 3.0). An independent-samples t test showed that this difference was statistically significant, t(46) = 2.51, p = .016, d = 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) for the mean difference of 2.1 words [0.41, 3.79].
Confidence in recall did not differ significantly between the walking group (M = 4.6, SD = 1.2) and the sitting group (M = 4.3, SD = 1.3), t(46) = 0.83, p = .41, d = 0.24, 95% CI [-0.43, 1.03].
What each part does
- The first paragraph accounts for every participant and confirms the data suited the test.
- The second paragraph gives the descriptive statistics first, then the test, then the effect size and confidence interval. It says which group scored higher, so the reader does not have to work it out.
- The third paragraph reports a non-significant secondary result in exactly the same format. Nothing in the section explains why the walk helped. That goes in the discussion section.
Text or table?
Put two or three numbers in the text. When you have more than that, use a table and refer to it, and do not repeat its numbers in the text. In APA 7, the table number goes above the table in bold, the title goes on the next line in italic title case, there are no vertical lines, and any notes go below the table.
Table 1
Recall and Confidence by Condition
| Condition | n | Recall M | Recall SD | Confidence M | Confidence SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | 24 | 14.2 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 1.2 |
| Sitting | 24 | 12.1 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 1.3 |
Note. Recall is the number of words correctly recalled out of 20. Confidence was rated from 1 (not at all confident) to 7 (extremely confident).
With the table in place, the text becomes: "Participants who walked recalled more words than participants who sat (see Table 1), t(46) = 2.51, p = .016, d = 0.72, 95% CI [0.41, 3.79]."
How to report a result that is not significant
Report it in full, with the exact p value, the effect size and the confidence interval, exactly as you would a significant result. Write "did not differ significantly", not "there was no difference", and never "the results were insignificant". A non-significant test does not show that the groups are the same; it shows that the study could not detect a difference. Save the reasons for the Discussion.
Formats for other common tests (invented numbers)
| Test | Use it when | How the result is written |
|---|---|---|
| Paired-samples t test | The same participants did both conditions | t(23) = 3.12, p = .005, d = 0.64 |
| One-way ANOVA | Three or more independent groups | F(2, 69) = 4.37, p = .016, η² = .11 |
| Pearson correlation | Two continuous variables, no manipulation | r(46) = .34, p = .018 |
| Chi-square test of independence | Two categorical variables | χ²(1, N = 48) = 4.20, p = .040, φ = .30 |
For a correlation, the number in brackets is the degrees of freedom, which is the sample size minus 2.
Mistakes markers circle
- Interpreting the result: "This shows that walking improves memory." Move it to the Discussion.
- Pasting software output, such as SPSS tables, into the report.
- Writing p = .000. Software rounds; write p < .001.
- Reporting p without an effect size.
- Listing every participant's score.
- Testing hypotheses in a different order from the introduction.
- Using "proved". A single study supports or does not support a hypothesis.
Frequently asked questions
Should the Results section include any interpretation?
No. Say what you found and which direction it went. Explanations, links to earlier studies and limitations belong in the Discussion.
Do I need to report effect sizes in a student lab report?
Yes, in most courses. APA's reporting standards ask for an effect size for each test where possible, and most psychology rubrics expect Cohen's d for t tests and η² for ANOVA.
How do I report a p value smaller than .001?
Write p < .001 in the text. Never write p = .000, because a p value is never exactly zero.
Should statistics go in a table or in the text?
A few numbers go in the text. Several groups or measures go in a table, which you then refer to. Do not report the same numbers in both places.
Can I include my SPSS output?
Not in the Results section. Report the statistics in APA format. If your instructor wants the output, it goes in an appendix.
Related guides and tools
- How to write an APA 7 psychology lab report
- How to write the method section of a psychology lab report
- How to write the discussion section of a psychology lab report
- How to write a hypothesis for a psychology lab report
- Word counter with page estimates
- Psychology assignment help
Sources: APA Style, Numbers and Statistics Guide; APA Style, Tables; American Psychological Association, Journal Article Reporting Standards for Quantitative Research, Table 1.
Examples in this guide are illustrative and the data are invented. Check your course instructions and rubric before you submit.
