Formatting and Placement Location: Place the abstract on the second page of your

Formatting and Placement
Location: Place the abstract on the second page of your paper, following the title page.
Double Spacing: Throughout the abstract, use double spacing.
Font: Choose a standard font like Times New Roman or Calibri in 12 points.
Label: Center and bold the word “Abstract” at the top of the page. Leave it un-indented.
Keywords: select 3-4 keywords related to your topic.
Below is a step by step guide on how to write a concise and effective abstract for the literature review paper 1 that reviews three studies: Stroop (1935), Angel et al. (2010), and Guerra et al. (2020). Your paper 1 will include only four sections: an abstract, introduction, literature review, and discussion. But moving forward the abstract format will change to include the methods, and results section!!
Step 1: Introduce the Research Topic, Relevant Theory, and Define Variables
Start your abstract by briefly introducing the general focus of your literature review. Clearly define the relevant theory of the studies (cognitive interferance) and explain the key variables involved. In this case, the theory of cognitive interference—which suggests that conflicting stimuli can impair cognitive processing—serves as the foundation. Mention that the studies explore how auditory and cognitive interference affects these variables in different tasks, such as reading and spatial processing.
Example: “This literature review examines cognitive interference, a theory that suggests conflicting stimuli and auditory distractions can impair cognitive processing. Key variables include response time, comprehension, and performance accuracy in tasks involving attention and reading comprehension.”
Step 2: Mention the Scope of the Review
Next, highlight the number of studies you’re reviewing and briefly outline the general scope or objectives of these studies. Mention that each study investigates interference effects on cognitive processes but from different perspectives or with varying methodologies.
Example: “The review focuses on three peer reviewed studies that analyze the effects of interference on cognitive processes through experimental tasks involving attention and response times.”
Step 3: Summarize the Key Findings of Each Study
Provide a brief overview of the major findings from each of the studies being reviewed. For the purpose of this abstract, you can summarize these as general findings related to how interference affects attention.
Stroop (1935): Demonstrated that conflicting stimuli, such as color words printed in mismatched ink colors, significantly delayed response times, illustrating the effect of interference on attention.
Angel et al. (2010): Found that fast-tempo background music improved the speed of spatial processing and increased the accuracy of linguistic tasks in university students, suggesting that background music can have predictable effects on cognitive performance.
Guerra et al. (2020): Showed that background speech affects children’s reading, with intelligibility impairing comprehension and loudness slowing reading speed, particularly in children with lower interference control.
Example: “Stroop (1935) demonstrated that conflicting stimuli delay cognitive processing, while Angel et al. (2010) found that fast-tempo background music enhanced spatial and linguistic performance. Guerra et al. (2020) revealed that intelligibility and loudness of background speech differentially hinder children’s reading comprehension and speed.”
Step 4: State the Purpose of the Literature Review
In this section, you need to clarify the purpose of your literature review. You should explain that your goal is to synthesize these findings and analyze how they contribute to understanding cognitive interference in attention tasks.
Example: “The purpose of this literature review is to synthesize the findings from these studies to better understand the mechanisms behind cognitive interference and its impact on attention in various contexts.”
Step 5: Discuss the Contribution of the Paper
In this section, describe how your literature review contributes to the broader research field. This may involve identifying gaps in the research or highlighting practical applications for classroom or testing environments where cognitive and auditory distractions are common.
Example: “This review contributes to the understanding of cognitive and auditory interference by highlighting key factors that impact performance in educational and cognitive tasks, with implications for improving learning environments and reducing distractions in classrooms.”
Step 6: Write the Final Abstract
Now, combine all of the information you have gathered from the previous steps into a concise, single-paragraph abstract of 150-250 words. Ensure that your abstract gives a clear overview of the research topic, scope, key findings, purpose, and contribution of your literature review.
Introduction (1-2 paragraphs)
The first section of the main text of the report is the Introduction.
The purpose of the Introduction is to (a) describe the purpose of the study, (b) place the study in the context of previous research on the topic, and (c) justify your hypotheses (Smith, 2006).
Each paragraph of the Introduction should bring the reader closer to understanding why the study was done and what hypotheses you are making.
The first paragraph of the Introduction should introduce the general topic of the study. Do not begin too generally (e.g., discussing all of psychology), but do not begin too specifically either (e.g., by stating the hypothesis).
Be sure to define any terms you are using that are specific to the field of study. Indicate what your operational definitions are.

Literature Review (3-5 pages)
In subsequent paragraphs, you should be building a case for your study.
Explain what has been found in previous research on this topic, describe what gap exists in this literature, and explain how your study will fill the gap (i.e., provide a unique study that will contribute new knowledge in the area).
Toward the end of your Literature Review, you should briefly describe the design of your study in such a way that it connects to the justification you’ve given for the purpose of the study and leads to your hypotheses. “The purpose of this study is to….”
Be sure to briefly review the justification for your hypotheses. Do not simply state your hypotheses and assume the reader will know why you are making them.