D10-eBecome familiar with writing conventions in psychology.
Psychologists use straightforward and concise language and depend on special terms to explain their findings.
Specialized vocabulary may include terms such as methods, results, double-blind study, social identity perspective, and nonverbal emotions.
Often researchers use specific, technical definitions of terms that nonspecialists use differently. For example, if a psychologist asks whether adults with eating disorders are “depressed,” the term refers to a specific mental disorder, not to a general mood of sadness.
When reporting conclusions, writers in psychology use the past tense (Berkowitz found) or the present perfect tense (Berkowitz has found). When discussing results, they use the present tense (The results confirm). They avoid using subjective expressions like I think and I feel. (See G2-f.)