Research Methods in Psychology: A Handbook

Description

Suitable as a primary text or as a supplement, this versatile handbook is ideal for any research-oriented psychology course. Each chapter independently covers a commonly used research method, giving instructors the flexibility to tailor the book to meet the needs of their courses. Chapter outlines, concept questions and exercises (along with a selected set of answers), lists of important terms and concepts, and clearly written explanations of basic statistical techniques are among the book's many notable features. Basic guidelines of how to write, format, and publish research results emphasize a hands-on approach to conducting psychological research. The Third Edition includes a new full chapter on literature searches and more information on the Internet's role in various facets of research. Schweigert's clear, succinct writing style, her focus on the fundamentals of research design, and her thorough coverage engage students who are at all levels of exposure to research methods. In the end, all students will learn to embrace the ethics and process of collecting and presenting useful, accurate data. Not-for-sale instructor resource material available to college and university faculty only; contact publisher directly. Titles of related interest from Waveland Press: Allen-Yen, Introduction to Measurement Theory (ISBN 9781577662303); Matsumoto, Cultural Influences on Research Methods and Statistics (ISBN 9781577661122); and McClendon, Multiple Regression and Causal Analysis (ISBN 9781577662433). Title Page Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 - Introduction to the Scientific Method Ways of Knowing Intuition and Superstition Authority Rational-Inductive Argument The Scientific Method The Objectives of Science and the Scientific Method Description as a Research Objective Explanation and Prediction as Research Objectives Control as a Research Objective A Word about Theories Research Criticism Summary Chapter 2 - Ethics in Research Ethical Treatment of Research Participants Internet Research Ethics Ethical Dilemmas Ethical Treatment of Animal Participants Ethics and the Reporting of Research Results Ethics and the Sponsorship of Research Summary Chapter 3 - The Research Process Reliability and Validity Internal Validity and Confounds External Validity Hypotheses Hypothesis Testing Errors in Hypothesis Testing The Probability of a Type I Error The Probability of a Type II Error Why We Don't Accept the Null Hypothesis How to Do Science Summary Chapter 4 - Research Reports and Literature Searches Research Reports The Review Process The Organization
of Research Reports How to Find Research Reports: The Literature Search Using the Internet for Literature Searches An Internet Search Example A Citation Other Sources of Potentially Useful Citations Citing the References Citing References in Text The Reference List Summary Chapter 5 - The Role of Statistics in Research Scales of Measurement Nominal Scale Ordinal Scale Interval Scale Ratio Scale Importance of Scales of Measurement The Types of Statistical Techniques Describing the Data Measures of Relationships Comparing Groups Summary Chapter 6 - Introduction to Experimentation and the Between-Groups Design Experiments versus Correlational Studies Equivalent Groups Control over Extraneous Variables Internal Validity and Confounds Experimenter Bias and Demand Characteristics Instrumentation Effects Subject Attrition Comparable Treatment of Groups Sensitivity of the Dependent Variable Summary Chapter 7 - The Within-Subjects Design Types of Within-Subjects Designs Benefits of the Within-Subjects Design Disadvantages of the Within-Subjects Design Order Effects and Counterbalancing Complete Within-Subjects Design Incomplete Within-Subjects Design Summary Chapter 8 - Quasi-Experimental Designs Types of Quasi-Experimental Designs Nonequivalent-Control-Group Designs Time-Series Designs Threats to Internal Validity of Quasi-Experimental Designs Summary Chapter 9 - Factorial Designs and Correlational Studies Using a Factorial Design Interpreting Main Effects Graphing the Cell Means Other Types of Two-Factor Designs Other Higher-Order Designs and Their Interactions Correlational Studies Summary Chapter 10 - Using Natural Settings: Observational Studies and Field Experiments Observational Research Designs Uses of Observational Studies Two Types of Observational Research Designs Naturalistic Observation Participant Observation Field Experiments Problems and Pitfalls of Observational Studies Influence of the Observer on Behavior Expectancy Effects Biases Resulting from the Use of Nonhuman Observers Choosing the Type of Observational Design Data Collection Reliability Techniques for Data Collection Narrative Records Checklists Types of Data Collected Sampling Techniques Behavior Sampling Situation Sampling Summary Chapter 11 - Surveys and Interviews Survey: How and Why To Use Them Written Surveys Interviews Survey Construction Layout of Questions Wording of Questions and Response Options Measurement Tools Survey Development Sampling Techniques Summary Chapter 12 - Single-Subject Designs Types of Single-Subject Designs Baseline Measures Single-Subject Time-Series Designs Reversal Design Alternating-Treatments Design Multiple-Baselines Design Changing-Criterion Design Threats to the Internal Validity of Single-Subject Designs Summary Chapter 13 - Physical Trace and Archival Data Studies: Two Nonreactive Measurement Techniques Physical Traces Traces Products Concerns with Physical Trace Studies Ethical Considerations Archival Data Investigations Concerns with Archival Data Studies Ethical Considerations Summary Appendix A: Basic Statistical Techniques Appendix B: Statistical Tables Appendix C: APA Publication Style Glossary Bibliography Index