Psci Tables Figures

---
name: psci-tables-figures
description: Use when building tables and figures for a Psychological Science manuscript. The journal uses APA 7th-edition style and asks that tables and figures be embedded within the main text near where they are discussed, and exhibits should show effect sizes and uncertainty. Designs exhibits; it does not run the analysis.
---

# Tables & Figures (psci-tables-figures)

In Psychological Science, exhibits carry a lot of the argument because the prose is so tight. They use
**APA 7th-edition** conventions and — unlike many journals — are **embedded in the main text near
where they are discussed**, not collected at the end. Good figures also help show **effect sizes and
uncertainty** that the format leaves little room to describe.

## When to trigger

- Designing the main results figure/table
- Deciding what goes in the article vs. supplemental online material
- A reviewer found an exhibit unclear or non-APA
- Visualizing distributions, individual data, and uncertainty (not just means)

## Principles

1. **Show the data and the uncertainty.** Prefer figures that display the distribution or individual
   points with means and **confidence intervals** (e.g., violin/dot + interval) over bar-of-means
   plots that hide variability. Magnitude and uncertainty should be visible.
2. **Self-contained + APA 7th.** Titles, notes, axis labels, Ns, and units make each exhibit
   intelligible alone; follow APA table/figure formatting.
3. **Embedded placement.** Place tables and figures **within the text near their first discussion**,
   per the journal's instruction (an exception to the APA end-placement default).
4. **Earn the space.** The tight format means every exhibit must add evidence; push secondary exhibits
   (full models, manipulation checks, extra studies) to the **supplemental online material**.
5. **Reproducible + accessible.** Generated by the shared analysis script so values match; colorblind-
   safe and grayscale-legible.

## Anti-patterns

- Bar plots of means that hide the distribution and uncertainty
- Exhibits requiring the prose to be intelligible (not self-contained)
- Tables/figures dumped at the end rather than embedded near discussion
- Reporting only stars/p-values in tables with no effect size or CI
- Exhibit values that don't match the shared analysis script

## Output format

```
【Main exhibit】what it shows + why a figure/table
【Shows distribution + uncertainty?】(CIs / individual data) [Y/N]
【APA 7th + self-contained + embedded near text?】[Y/N]
【Article vs supplement】split decided
【Reproducible + accessible?】matches script, grayscale/colorblind-safe? [Y/N]
【Next】psci-writing-style
```

## Supplementary resources

- [`../../resources/external_tools.md`](../../resources/external_tools.md) — plotting tools and `papaja` for APA exhibits
- [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md) — APA 7th style and embedded-exhibit instruction