Research Methods in Psychology: A Handbook, Fourth Edition

Description

Research Methods in Psychology: A Handbook is a versatile guide that is ideal for any research-oriented psychology course. Schweigert's clear writing style and focus on the fundamentals of research methodology provide students with the exposure they need to conduct valid research. Explanations of basic statistical techniques are straightforward and illuminate the impact of the design process. Suitable as a primary text or as a supplement, the Fourth Edition features and defines commonly used research methods to engage students and give instructors the flexibility they require to meet the needs of their courses. It also: • offers many notable features, such as learning goals, chapter outlines, highlighted important terms and concepts, and exercises (along with a selected set of answers); • describes the important processes of preparing, conducting, and publishing the results of a research study; • discusses how to perform thorough and beneficial literature and database searches online; • teaches students to embrace the ethical collection and presentation of useful, accurate data in their research; and • reviews basic guidelines on how to write and format research results in APA Style. Title Page Contents Preface Chapter 1: Introduction to the Scientific Method The Scientific Method as a Way 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 • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 2: Ethics in Research Ethical Treatment of Research Participants Ethical Treatment of Human Participants: Guidelines and Codes Ethical Dilemmas Ethical Treatment of Animal Participants Ethics and the Reporting of Research Results Ethics and the Sponsorship of Research Summary • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 3: The Research Process Reliability and Validity Internal Validity and Confounds External Validity Hypotheses and Predictions Hypothesis Testing Errors in Hypothesis Testing The Probability of Making a Type I Error The Probability of Making a Type II Error Why We Do Not Accept the Null Hypothesis How to Do Science Summary • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 4: Research Reports and Literature Searches Research Reports and Scholarly Journals 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 Information Provided in Search Results Other Sources of Potentially Useful Citations Citing References in the Text A Citation The Reference List Summary • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 5: The Role of Statistics in Research Scales of Measurement Nominal Scale Ordinal Scale Interval Scale Ratio Scale Importance of Scales of Measurement Types of Statistical Techniques Describing the Data Measures of Relationships Comparing Scores Summary • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 6: Introduction to Experimentation and the Between-Groups Design Experiments Versus Correlational Studies: Causation Equivalent Groups Temporal Priority Control Over Extraneous Variables Internal Validity and Common Confounds Experimenter Bias and Demand Characteristics Instrumentation Effects Subject Attrition Different Treatment of Groups Error Variance and Sensitivity of the Dependent Variable Summary • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 7: The Within-Subjects Design Types of Within-Subjects Designs Advantages of the Within-Subjects Design Disadvantages of the Within-Subjects Design Order Effects and Counterbalancing Complete Within-Subjects Design Incomplete Within-Subjects Design Summary • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 8: Quasi-Experimental Designs Types of Research Designs Types of Preexperimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs Preexperimental Designs Quasi-Experimental Designs Time-Series Designs Threats to the Internal Validity of Quasi-Experimental Designs Summary • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 9: More Complex Designs and Research Questions Factorial Designs Using a Factorial Design Interpreting Main Effects Graphing the Cell Means Other Types of Two-Factor Designs Other Higher-Order Designs and Their Interactions Questions of Relationships and Making Predictions Summary • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 10: Using Natural Settings: Observational Studies and Field Experiments Uses of Observational Studies and Field Experiments Types of Observational Research Designs Naturalistic Observation Participant Observation Field Experiments Problems and Pitfalls of Observational Studies Influence of the Observer on Behavior Observer Bias 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 • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 11: Surveys and Interviews Surveys Versus Questionnaires Surveys: How and Why to Use Them Written Surveys Mail Surveys Internet Surveys Group-Administered Surveys Interviews Telephone Surveys Personal Interviews Survey Construction Layout of Questions Wording of Questions and Response Options Closed and Open-Ended Questions Question Wording and Structure Measurement Tools Survey Development and Pilot Study Sampling Techniques Summary • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 12: Single-Subject Designs Single-Subject Design—Overview 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 • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Chapter 13: Physical Traces and Archival Data: 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 • Important Terms and Concepts • End of Chapter Questions • Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Appendix A: Basic Statistical Techniques Appendix B: Statistical Tables Appendix C: APA Publication Style Glossary Bibliography Index