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Methods in Psychological Research
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Methods in Psychological Research

Fourth Edition


August 2018 | 448 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Methods in Psychological Research introduces students to the rich world of research in psychology through student-friendly writing, compelling real-world examples, and frequent opportunities for practice. Using a relaxed yet supportive tone that eases student anxiety, the authors present a mixture of conceptual and practical discussions, and spark reader interest in research by covering meaningful topics that resonate with today’s students. In-text features like Conceptual Exercises, FYI sections, and FAQ sections with accompanying visual cues support learning throughout the research experience. The Fourth Edition equips students with the tools they need to understand research concepts, conduct their own experiments, and present their findings.



 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
About the Contributors
 
Chapter 1. Introduction to Research in Psychology
Acquiring Knowledge About the World

 
Conceptual Exercise 1A

 
Psychology—Science and Art

 
Critical Thinking

 
Objectives of Science

 
The Tenets of Science

 
Conceptual Exercise 1B

 
The Scientific Method

 
Theories, Concepts, and Hypotheses

 
Why We Do Research

 
Approaches to Research

 
Steps in Planning and Doing Research

 
Conceptual Exercise 1C

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 2. Understanding the Research Literature
Searching the Literature

 
The Research Article

 
Conceptual Exercise 2A

 
Basic Statistical Procedures

 
Conceptual Exercise 2B

 
More Complex Statistical Procedures

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 3. Research in Psychology: An Ethical Enterprise
Are Ethical Codes Necessary?

 
General Principles

 
Conceptual Exercise 3A

 
Ethical Standards

 
Conceptual Exercise 3B

 
Conceptual Exercise 3C

 
Conceptual Exercise 3D

 
Conceptual Exercise 3E

 
Special Populations

 
Internet Research

 
Bias and Intellectual Honesty

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 4. Hypothesis Testing, Power, and Control: A Review of the Basics
Three Levels of Hypotheses

 
Conceptual Exercise 4A

 
Testing the Null Hypothesis

 
Statistical Significance

 
Inferential Errors: Type I and Type II

 
Conceptual Exercise 4B

 
Power and How to Increase It

 
Effect Size

 
The Role of Replication in Research

 
Conceptual Exercise 4C

 
External and Internal Validity

 
Conceptual Exercise 4D

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 5. Measuring Variables
Ways of Asking Questions

 
Conceptual Exercise 5A

 
Social Desirability and Response Set

 
Measuring Observed Behavior

 
Conceptual Exercise 5B

 
Conceptual Exercise 5C

 
The Importance of Precision in Measurement

 
Conceptual Exercise 5D

 
Tests, Scales, and Inventories

 
Commercially Available Tests and Inventories

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 6. Selecting Research Participants
Sampling Methods

 
Conceptual Exercise 6A

 
Conceptual Exercise 6B

 
Conceptual Exercise 6C

 
Recruitment

 
Sample and Effect Size

 
Power Revisited

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 7. Experimental Design: Independent-Groups Designs
Why We Do Experiments

 
Conceptual Exercise 7A

 
Where We Do Experiments

 
Conceptual Exercise 7B

 
How We Do Experiments: Independent-Groups Designs

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 8. Experimental Design: Dependent-Groups and Mixed Designs
Dependent-Groups Designs

 
Conceptual Exercise 8

 
Mixed Designs

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 9. Experimental Design: Single-Participant Designs/The Operant Approach
Single-Participant Design and the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

 
Concepts in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

 
ABA and ABAB Withdrawal Designs

 
Conceptual Exercise 9A

 
Multiple-Baseline Design

 
Alternating-Treatment Design

 
Changing-Criterion Design

 
Conceptual Exercise 9B

 
Advantages and Disadvantages of Single-Participant Designs

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 10. Nonexperimental Research: Finding Relationships Among Variables
Quasi-Experiments

 
Conceptual Exercise 10A

 
Conceptual Exercise 10B

 
Conceptual Exercise 10C

 
Longitudinal Research

 
Cross-Sectional Research

 
Conceptual Exercise 10D

 
Case Studies

 
Correlational Research

 
Conceptual Exercise 10E

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 11. Data Collection Methods
Observational Research: Observing the Behavior of Individuals

 
Advantages and Disadvantages of Observational Research

 
Conceptual Exercise 11A

 
Survey Research: Asking People Questions About Their Behavior

 
Conceptual Exercise 11B

 
Conceptual Exercise 11C

 
Observing Group Behavior: The Focus Group

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 12. Program Evaluation, Archival Research, and Meta-Analytic Designs
Program Evaluation

 
Conceptual Exercise 12A

 
Conceptual Exercise 12B

 
Archival Research

 
Conceptual Exercise 12C

 
Meta-Analysis

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 13. Analyzing, Interpreting, and Summarizing Research Data
What Are Statistics, and Why Are They Necessary?

 
Summarizing Your Data With Descriptive Statistics

 
Conceptual Exercise 13A

 
Conceptual Exercise 13B

 
Testing the Statistical Significance of Your Research Findings

 
Conceptual Exercise 13C

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Chapter 14. Communicating in Psychology
Writing in Psychology

 
Conceptual Exercise 14A

 
Conceptual Exercise 14B

 
Conceptual Exercise 14C

 
Conceptual Exercise 14D

 
Conceptual Exercise 14E

 
Conceptual Exercise 14F

 
Conceptual Exercise 14G

 
Conceptual Exercise 14H

 
Presenting Research in Writing

 
Other Ways of Presenting Research

 
Chapter Summary

 
Chapter Resources

 
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Index

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site
This password-protected SAGE edge site provides instructors helpful teaching resources. Included are PPT slides, a test bank, class activities, sample syllabi, and web resources.
Student Resource Site

This open access SAGE edge site provides students a personalized approach to accomplish coursework goals in an easy-to-use learning environment. The site includes eFlashcards for key term practice, learning objectives to reinforce key material, and open access media for concept exploration.

“This is an appealing, accessible, and highly readable introductory quantitative research textbook. The authors provide clearly written, jargon-free explanations and examples drawn from various areas of psychology to enhance a sophisticated understanding of the research process.”

Irene Karayianni
Deree College -The American College of Greece

“This book offers a straightforward progression of concepts with direct application as students prepare their research project from beginning to end.”

John E. Story
Bluegrass Community and Technical College

This book provides a good introduction to research in Psychology. The best part is the conceptual exercises at the end of each chapter. They are very engaging and stimulate critical thinking. However the book only manages to cover the topics superficially and does not provide any in-depth information. Some important concepts such as research validity, sources of threat to validity and strategies for controlling them are not covered.

Professor Usha Barahmand
Psychology Dept, Cuny Queens College
December 17, 2018
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
  • New coverage on experimental designs and nonexperimental research, Google Scholar, the replication crisis, recruitment of research participants, and anonymity in data collection.
  • New compelling examples include research from the field’s literature and real student research projects.
  • Updated learning objectives at the beginning of chapters reflect refreshed chapter content.
KEY FEATURES:
  • Conceptual exercises ask students to reflect on the material they have just read to build critical thinking skills. Suggested answers to conceptual exercises appear at the end of each chapter.
  • FAQ sections compile questions most often asked by students in their own words along with accompanying answers.
  • A refresher chapter on basic introductory statistics offer instructors flexibility to skip the chapter or cover it in their course depending on whether students are expected to conduct or propose a research project.
  • Chapter summaries, chapter exercises, and chapter projects allow readers to easily review, engage in, and master course content.


For instructors

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