Once you have interpreted your data, the next step is to draw conclusions. Provided below is a sample conclusion section based on the original research question:

To what extent is the attitude of high school students toward conserving energy affected by their grade point average?

This investigation attempted to determine to what extent are high school students' attitude about conserving energy influenced by their grade point average. Information from this research would then be applied to a marketing plan designed to persuade this population of consumers (i.e., high school students) toward using energy conservation techniques.

The findings from analyzing the two questions below (Exhibit A) showed differences between grade point average and attitudes about conserving energy. Specifically, as the grade point average goes up so does a person's attitude about the importance of conserving energy. Conversely, as the grade point average goes down, so does the person's attitude about the importance of conserving energy.

Exhibit A:
1. Is conserving energy at school or in your home an important issue to you personally?
Yes
No

2. What is your approximate grade point average?
3.5 to 4.0
3.0 to 3.4
2.5 to 2.9
2.0 to 2.4
Below 2.0

An effective alternative energy marketing plan for this population of consumers should therefore concentrate on those students with lower grade point averages since students with higher grade point averages already believe conserving energy is important. One possible approach would be to design a multimedia presentation that focuses on the role of energy use or energy savings involving activities unrelated to school such as listening to CD's, watching television, or playing video games. This approach could attract students who, based on their grade point average, might have strong interests unrelated to academic achievement.

Though the study showed difference between GPA and attitude toward conserving energy, additional studies should be undertaken to determine if other variables besides GPA influence student attitudes about conserving energy. Some of these variables might include: gender, participation in extra-curricular activities, or family size.


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