The Process of Research in Psychology / Edition 4

by Dawn M. McBride

Overview

The Process of Research in Psychology employs the pedagogical approach of spaced repetition to present a student-friendly introduction to conducting research in psychology. Drawing on more than 17 years of teaching experience, best-selling author Dawn M. Mc Bride covers topics with step-by-step explanations to help students understand the full process of designing, conducting, and presenting a research study. Early chapters introduce important concepts for developing research ideas, subject sampling, ethics, and data collection; more detailed coverage of these topics is included in “More About” chapters to provide instructors with flexibility in their teaching. Concepts and skills relevant to more than one stage of the research process are covered in multiple contexts, providing repeated exposure to the topics students often struggle with but that are the most important in gaining research skills.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781544323497
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	01/17/2019
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	424
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 9.12(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dawn M. Mc Bride is a professor of psychology at Illinois State University. Her research interests include automatic forms of memory, false memory, prospective memory, and forgetting. She has taught courses in introductory psychology, statistics, research methods, cognition and learning, human memory, and a graduate course in experimental design. She is a recipient of the Illinois State University Teaching Initiative Award. Her out-of-work interests include spending time with her family, traveling, watching Philadelphia (her place of birth) sports teams, learning new languages (currently, Japanese) and reading British murder mysteries. She earned her Ph D in cognitive psychology from the University of California, Irvine, and her BA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
PART I. OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH
Chapter 1. Psychological Research: The Whys and Hows of the Scientific Method
Why Should I Care About Research if I Don’t Want to Do Research in My Career?
Why Psychologists Conduct Research
How Psychologists Use the Scientific Method
Basic and Applied Research
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 2. Hypothesis Development: Where Research Questions Come From
Developing a Research Question
How to Conduct a Literature Review
What You Find in a Literature Review
Using the Literature to Make Hypotheses
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 3. Ethical Guidelines for Psychological Research
Historical Context for Ethical Guidelines
Current Ethical Guidelines for Human Participants Research
Institutional Review Boards
Current Ethical Guidelines for Nonhuman Animal Subjects
Ethics in Reporting Research
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 4. How Psychologists Use the Scientific Method: Data Collection Techniques and Research Designs
Data Collection Techniques
Types of Research Designs
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 5. Variables and Measurement in Research
Dependent Variables
Independent Variables
Validity and Sources of Bias
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 6. Sampling
Populations and Samples
Probability Samples
Convenience Samples
Comparison of Probability and Convenience Sampling Techniques
Recruiting Participants
Using the Internet to Sample
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 7. Summarizing and Interpreting Data: Using Statistics
Descriptive Statistics: Summarizing the Data
Inferential Statistics: Testing Hypotheses
Predicting the Null Hypothesis
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 8. Reporting Research
APA-Style Article Writing
Oral Presentations
Poster Presentations
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
PART II. MORE ABOUT RESEARCH METHODS AND ANALYSIS
Chapter 9. More About Using Statistics
Comparing Groups or Conditions
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 10. More About Survey Research
Answering Research Questions With Surveys
Creating a Survey
Survey Administration
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 11. More About Correlational Studies
Research Questions in Correlational Studies
Correlational Study Examples
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 12. More About One-Factor Experiments
Learning About Causation Through Manipulation and Control
Control in Within-Subjects and Between-Subjects Experiments
Experiment Examples
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 13. More About Multi-Factor Experiments
Factorial Designs
More About Interactions
Experiment Examples
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 14. More About Quasi-Experiments
Types of Quasi-Experiments
Sources of Bias in Quasi-Experiments
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Chapter 15. More About Other Specialized Designs
Developmental Designs
Small-n Designs
Chapter Summary
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Applying Your Knowledge
Test Yourself
Stop and Think Answers
Appendix: Statistical Calculations
Glossary
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

This is a student-friendly text that motivates students to engage in the research process. Each chapter covers the topics necessary to allow the professor to enhance learning through classroom discussion and the applied use of the material learned. The book guides students in their quest of hypothesis testing and statistical analysis.”

Lina Racicot

I really like this text. It fits well with the introductory course that I teach, it is at an appropriate reading level for my students, and it covers the key topics regarding the process of completing research projects. My students continually review it very highly, and it has great resources that help to keep things fresh each time I use it.”

Valerie P. Wilwert

This book provides an excellent overview of the research process for students moving from developing a research question to producing a final result as a paper or poster.”

Douglas P. Cooper

I really enjoy this book. It is suitable in teaching a wide range of students.”

Teah Moore

…concise and actually beneficial to the student.”

Trina Geye

"This is an inexpensive, basic, and easily accessible book of research methods for undergraduates."

Adam P. Natoli

This is a great option because it allows the students to work on active learning activities to reinforce what is in the textbook.”

Julie Wilson

This book provides an excellent overview of the research process for students moving from developing a research question to producing a final result as a paper or poster.”

Dr. Douglas P. Cooper

This is an inexpensive, basic, and easily accessible book of research methods for undergraduates.”

Adam de

I really enjoy this book. It is suitable in teaching a wide range of students.”

Dr. Teah Moore

This is a great option because it allows the students to work on active learning activities to reinforce what is in the textbook.”

Dr. Julie Wilson